
Scripting the Source
In a clear sign of tightening media control, state broadcasters in China now manage the risk of live interviews even before the camera begins to roll.

Science and Technology Daily is the official newspaper of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, established in 1986 with its name calligraphed by Deng Xiaoping. Based in Beijing, it’s a state-run media outlet described by Chinese authorities as a “central mainstream media” tasked with “propaganda missions for the Party and the state in science and technology.” The publication claims to maintain 33 domestic bureaus and 14 international offices, positioning itself as a comprehensive media organization connecting domestic and international science communities. The paper gained historical significance as one of the few Chinese publications to cover the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. In 2021, it launched an English edition “dedicated to telling China’s science and technology innovation story to the world.”
