China Clamps Down on Media Coverage of Tianjin Explosion

Chinese authorities have told news media not to report independently on the hazardous chemical explosion that killed more than a hundred people in Tianjin. No live broadcasting, interpretation, or social media reporting is allowed. Only state-controlled media can be used. Many of the dead were firefighters, who may not have known the hazard they were confronting. There are signs that the Chinese government has been suppressing information about firefighter deaths.

NPR's Robert Siegel interviews Xiao Qiang, editor in chief of the China Digital Times, August 18, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"Firefighters' Families Demand Answers About Tianjin Chemical Explosion" (NPR)

"China Evacuates Tianjin Blast Site As Sodium Cyanide Found" (NPR)

"What Caused The Warehouse Explosions In Tianjin, China?" (NPR)