Top directive tightens media reins

China’s top leaders called for stricter control of social media and the creation of new websites and internet technologies that would promote Communist Party ideals, continuing a campaign to limit disruptions and dissent before a major leadership change next year, the Wall Street Journal reported. The directives, which included punishing the spread of “harmful” materials online and promoting the creation of “civilized websites” and “new internet technologies,” were drafted by the Communist Party Central Committee in a meeting this month, and released by the state-run Xinhua news agency on Wednesday. This is the highest-level directive as yet aimed at limiting potentially destabilizing discussions on the internet. However, its implications remain unclear: Local authorities will have to decide how specifically to implement the broad-brush guidance. In recent months, authorities have visited executives from China’s biggest web firms, issuing rules stating that it reserves the right to review corporate structures involving offshore entities, and restricting the number of entertainment programs TV stations are allowed to show during prime time.