MISSING: Citizen Journalist, Chen Qiushi
Yet another journalist is missing in China which already has an appalling track record for restricting press freedom.
Chen Qiushi and Fang Bin have documented the outbreak of Coronavirus from Wuhan since the outbreak, broadcasting from their mobile phones. Thousands rely on the two men for the latest from the province where the virus was first detected, as the Chinese Communist Party works to restrict the flow of information. Chen is now missing.
Both Chen and Fang are citizen journalists, and although their videos and reports have not been authenticated by a media publisher, the unexplained disappearance of one of them is deeply concerning.
China is one of the world’s most restrictive for journalists. Reporters Without Borders ranks it at 177th out of 180 countries for press freedom. RSF counts well over 60 journalists in prison.
Read the full piece, published by Bloomberg, here.