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WEDNESDAY, January 25, 1865.The Senate met at 2 o'clock P. M.
The LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR announced the special committee of one from each Congressional District, to which was referred the Mr. Culver's College bill [S. 81] introduced yesterday, viz: Messrs. Beeson, Van Buskirk, Dunning, Williams, English, Oyler, Hanna, Culver, Corbin, Douglas and Richmond.
Also, the select committee of one from each Judicial District, to which was referred Mr. Hord's bill [S. 73] creating Judicial Districts, viz: Messrs. Hord, Cobb, Williams, Branett, Oyler, Hanna, Bonham, Cason, Corbin, Noyes, Richmond, Culver, Beeson and Finch.
The LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR laid before the Senate a communication from Hon. M. L. Brett, Treasurer of State (in answer to Senate resolution adopted day before yesterday) embracing a statement showing the dates and amounts of all deposits made by him with Winslow, Lanier & Co., together with copies of receipts and the correspondence connected therewith, which he trusted would be a satisfactory reply to the inquiry made in the resolution.
On motion of Mr. VAWTER the communication was laid on the table and 500 copies ordered printed for the use of the Senate.
Were asked and obtained for Mr. Gifford till Monday; for Mr. Finch from Friday morning till the following Thursday night; and for Mr. Gaff till Tuesday evening.
Mr. DUNNING presented a petition, signed by quite a number of ladies and gentlemen of Monroe county, praying for the enactment of law to wholly suppress places of public drinking ; which was referred to the Committee on Temperance.
page: 109[View Page 109]LEGAL DISABILITIES OF NEGROES.
Mr. THOMPSON presented a petition of colored persons complaining of the fact that they are deprived of the enjoyment of rights dear to all men, viz: the right of suffrage and of a participation in the benefits arising from the common school fund, and praying the Legislature, in the name of our holy religion, of humanity, and of justice, to enact laws repealing these disabilities.
Mr. THOMPSON. The deprivation of these rights is a sore thing. Our colored citizens are denied the privilege of appearing in our courts of justice because they have a black skin; and these sable children have no power in their own hands to protect their hearthstones. It is a most grievous sin that we will send our missionaries across the sea to convert the heathen, but we let this people grow up amongst us without education, and in the most vicious manner. Just respect for our character require us to sweep these obnoxious laws from our statute books.
The petition was referred to the Committee on Rights and Privileges of the Inhabitants of the State.
On motion by Mr. BENNETT, the Senate resolved itself into a Committee of the WholeMr. Dunting: in the chair--for the consideration of the Governor's massage.
After a short time spent therein--
The committee rose and reported through its chairman, recommending that the message be referred in accordance with the following resolution offered by the Senator from Ohio [Mr. Downey]:
Resolved, That so much of the message of his Excelleny, the Governor, as relates to the retention of recruits after the expiration of the term of the regiment, be referred to the Military Committee.
- That so much thereof as relates to the Gettysburg Cemetery, be referred to a select committee of five.
- . That so much thereof as relates to the Sanitary Commission be referred to a select committee of five.
- That so much thereof as relates to the right of soldiers to vote, while in the service, be referred to the Committee on Elections.
- That so much as relates to a better organization of the State militia, be referred to the Military Committee.
- That so much as relates to the arsenal and its operations be referred to the Committee on Finance.
- That so much as rebates to the subject of Education, and the donations by Congress for an Agricultural College be referred to the Committee on Education.
- That so much as relates to the subject of Emigration be referred to a select committee of five.
- That so much as relates to negro testimony be referred to the Judiciary Committee.
- That so much as relates to an enumeration of the inhabitants of this State, and the apportionment or Senators and Representatives be referred to a select committee of one from each Congressional District. to.
- That so much as relates to the Benevolent Institutions be referred to the standing committee on that subject.
- That so much as relates to the Penitentiaries on referred to the Standing Committee on that subject.
- That, so much as relates to military expenditures and finances be referred to the Committee on Finance.
- That so much as relates to the war, and to our Federal Relations, be referred to the Committee on Federal Relations.
The report was concurred in by the Senate.
Mr. DUNNING presented a report from the trustees of the Indiana University, supplemental to the report made to the Governor, showing the amount due from the sale of lands under the act approved March 2, 1859, to be $18,161, and the debts of the University $17,420, and praying for the passage of a law authorizing the Sinking Fund Commissioners to liquidate the debt.
The report was referred to the Finance Committee.
Mr. DUNNING, by request of the Door-keeper stated that there was not wood enough to keep the Legislature running, and moved to ratify a contract the Door-keeper had made with a citizen of Marion county to furnish fifty cords of sound seasoned wood, at seven dollars a cord.
The motion was agreed to.
Were concurred in, recommending the passage of Senate joint resolution No. 1, (see page 18 of these Reports.) Senate bills numbered 36, 51, 56, 66 and 68, (see page 44, 60, 63 and 85,) and that 46, (page 53,) 72, 75 and 76 (introduced yesterday) be laid on the table.
On motion of Mr. VAWTER, 100 copies of the bill 15, (see page 34,) were ordered with the amendments proposed by the special committee having it in charge.
The following described bills were introduced, read the first time and severally passed to the second reading except in the case stated:
By Mr. BENNETT, [S. 88,] repealing section 2 of an act approved March 3, 1853, for the colonization of free negroes, &c. [Abolishing the office of State Colonization Agent, who draws an annual salary without rendering adequate service therefor. ]
By Mr. MASON, [S. 89,] to amend section 5 of the act providing for the more uniform mode of doing township business, &c, [The Trustee to hold two years instead of one.]
By Mr. CARSON, [S. 90,] to signify the assent of the State of Indiana to the conditions of an act of Congress donating public lands to the several States and Territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts, approved July 2, 1862, and to express the State's acceptance of said conditions and provisions, and for accepting the scrip offered by the act of Congress, and for its sale and investment in Indiana bonds or stocks for the endowment of an Agricultural College.
By Mr. BONHAM, [S. 91,] to amend section 103 of the practice act.
By Mr. THOMPSON, [S. 92,] authorizing Street and Horse Railway Companies to use State, County or Township roads for their railway tracks, under certain conditions and regulations.
page: 110[View Page 110]By Mr. HORD, [S. 93,] defining certain felonies and prescribing punishment therefor. [It provides for the imprisonment, in the penitentiary, of any clerk or servant of any private person or partnership, or office clerk or servant of an incorporation, and carriers who shall embezzle or convert to their own use property or effects which shall come into their hands by virtue of their office or employment ]
By Mr. GAFF, [S. 94 ] to amend section 42 of the act repealing all laws for the incorporation of cities, and to provide for the incorporation of cities, &c,
By Mr. VAN BUSKIRK, [S. 95,] to repeal an act entitled "an Act to enforce the 13th article of the Constitution," approved June 18, 1852. [Legal disabilities of negroes ]
Mr. HORD introduced a bill, [S. 96,] for the relief of Alfred Williams, Treasurer of Brown county, in the sum of $1,280 20 moneys stolen, which, on his motion, under a dispensation of the rules, was read the second time by title only and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Senate bills numbered 80, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86 and 87, introduced yesterday, were read by title only, and referred to aproprpiate committees.
Mr. Cobb's, [2,] regulating the practice in Circuit and Common Pleas Courts on appeals from judgments of Justices of the Peace, (returning to the provisions cf the old law prior to the decisions of the Supreme Court upon that subject,) was read the third time and passed by yeas 45, nays 1.
Mr. Corbin's, [10,] to amend section 322 of the Practice act, approved Jane 18, 1852, was read the third time and passed
Mr. Hold's, [12,] authorizing the bringing of an action on a claim before it becomes due, and obtaining attachment against the debtor's property, where he is perpetrating a fraud upon his creditors, and authorizing judgment in such cases, was read the third time and passed by yeas 43, nays 0.
Mr. Brown, of Wells', [16,] to amend section 349 of the practice act, BO that issue in the action of divorce cases shall not be referred upon the written consent of both parties, was read the third time.
Mr. BROWN. This bill is intended to put an end to the fraudulent procurement of divorces in Indiana by non-resident parties. A most iniquitous practice has grown up in some parts of the State under section 349 of the Practice Act, as the same has heretofore stood. Agencies are established in New York and other Eastern cities, which advertise to procure divorces for any parties desiring the same, whether cause therefor exist or not. these agencies have lawyers in this State to whom they send the cases, at the same time forging the name of the defendant to a written retainer, which, with a fee, they send to another attorney, in the entire confidence of the thing. These two attorneys enter our courts, procure the referment of the case to a third attorney, also in the confidence of the matter, who has his fee in the case, and who reports in favor of a divorce without ever receiving or examining any evidence in the case whatever. All this proceeding is fraudulently pro-cured by those divorce agencies. Upon this report of the referee, it would seem, the courts have no discretion but to grant the divorce. Thus hundreds of divorces have been heretofore procured in the courts of this State annually by non-residents, and in no case have the defendants probably been aware of the fact until long after the same are procured.
The bill was passed by yeas 44, nays 0.
Mr. Bonham's [25,] amending section 1 of the act prescribing certain misdemeanors punishable only by Justices of the Peace, so it shall read "every person who shall in a rude, insolent or angry manner strike at, or otherwise place in jeopardy the person of another, shall be deeemed guilty of an assault, and upon conviction, shall be fined not to exceed three dollars," was read the third time and passed by yeas 44, nay 1.
Mr. BENNETT offered the following, which was adopted by consent:
Resolved by the Senate, (the House of Representatives concurring,) That each House of the General Assembly proceed, by a separate and concurrent vote, on to-morrow, at 2 1/2 o'clock, P. M.,to elect the following officers, to-wit; One President of the Benevolent Institutions, two Trustees of the Hospital for the Insane, two Trustees for the Blind Asylum, two Trustees for the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, three Commissioners for the Sinking Fund, and two Directors of the State Bank.
Mr. Douglas's [S. 39] changing the time for holding the Common Pleas Courts in Whitley county was read the third time and passed by yeas 46, nays 0.
On motion by Mr. BENNETT, under a dispensation of the rules, the bill [H. R. 46] changing the time for holding courts in the 11th Judicial Circuit was read three times and passed by yeas 45, nays 0.
Mr. Moore's' [S. 42] changing the times for holding Common Pleas Courts in Putnam and Clay counties, was read the third time and passed by yeas 45, nays 0.
Mr. Downey's [S. 55] changing the time for holding Courts of Common Pleas in the 5th Judicial District was read the third time and passed by yeas 46, nays 0.
Mr. Beeson's joint resolution [2], amending article viii of the Constitution so as to enable cities and towns to levy a tax for the support of common schools, was read the third time and passed by yeas 43, nays 2.
Mr. Beeson's joint resolution [3] amending the 23d section of article iv of the Constitution so as to enable cities and towns to raise money for the support of common schools, was read the third time and passed by yeas 46, nays 0.
On motion of Mr. NILES, and by unanimous consent, the word "Township" wherever it occurred in these two joint resolutions was stricken out.
The LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR laid before the Senate a communication from the Auditor of State, transmitting an additional report from the Sinking Fund Commissioners, which referred to the Committee on Finance.
page: 111[View Page 111]WRAPPING PAPER.
Mr. BENNETT offered the following, which was adopted :
Resolved, That the Door-keeper of the Senate be directed to procure sufficient wrapping paper whenever the same can be had, for the use of the Senate.
And then the Senate adjourned.


text:
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This collection of brightly colored LEGO Duplo Building Plates (4632) is the perfect start to a world of building fun! Start with a LEGO DUPLO Building Plate and the possibilities are endless! Includes 1 red 16x8 plate, 1 yellow 8x8 plate, and 1 green 8x8 plate.
"R"Web#: 377586
Manufacturer #: 4659440
Product Weight:0.5 pounds
Product Dimensions (in inches):10.1 x 10.1 x 0.7
Shipping Info:
Average Customer Rating:
(based on 17 reviews)
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Most Helpful Positive Review
Size not what I expected
I ordered these building plates in an effort to build my son a Lego wall in his new playroom. Experienced Lego builders may have known this, but as a mother of a 2y/o ...Read complete review
I ordered these building plates in an effort to build my son a Lego wall in his new playroom. Experienced Lego builders may have known this, but as a mother of a 2y/o little boy I did not. I thought that these plates would be 8x8 inches and 8x16 inches. When they arrived I was shocked to find they are approximately half that size. I got online to see if I misread the discription and I guess I did. It doesn't actually say inches it just says 8x8 and 8x16. I am now figuring out that it must mean 8 pegs x 8 pegs etc. I don't fault Lego for my inaccuracy in understanding their lingo I simply want other parents new to Lego lingo to be advised of the size. I will keep these and have to order additional plates to make my 4 foot wide base for him to build on. They are the durability I would expect from Lego just not the size I was expecting.
Most Helpful Critical Review
Measuring is a problem
I purchesed several of these plates to build a table with. Very disappointed to find out that the dimensions say (2) 8x8 and (1) 16x8. After getting home I find out that ...Read complete review
I purchesed several of these plates to build a table with. Very disappointed to find out that the dimensions say (2) 8x8 and (1) 16x8. After getting home I find out that they are actually (2) 5x5 and (1) 5x10.
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Building plates
By Very tired mom
from Derry nh
About Me Parent Of Two Or More Children
Comments about LEGO Duplo Building Plates (4632):
My son loves these to build on.
Comment on this review
very good product, sturdy
By diane the grandma
from dewitt, iowa
About Me Education Oriented, Grandparent
use the product with my 2 yr old grandson building legos. product is very sturdy and holds up when dropped on the floor. would recommend this product to others.
As usual I was pleased with my purchase
By gramma
from Bayville, NJ
About Me Grandparent
Great product. Recommend for toddlers just starting out with Duplo legos
LEGO Duplo Plates = More LEGO Duplo Fun!
By Laura..mom of 3 yr old twin boys!
from Burlington NJ
About Me Education Oriented, Parent Of Multiples (Twins etc), Parent Of Two Or More Children, Stay At Home Parent
My Boys can even use there imagination more with these simple and inexpensive LEGO DUPLO plates! They make garages for their cars and homes for the zoo animals! LEGO DUPLO Rocks!!
My boys love Duplos!
By Momofboys
from KS
See all my reviews
My boys love Duplos and I love them playing with them. They are well made, and kids can really use their imagination with building.
work good
By mom
from NY, NY
About Me First Time Parent, Stay At Home Parent
work good with my daughters legos
Lego Duplo
By Grandma of 3
from Campbell, Ca.
About Me Education Oriented, Grandparent, Stay At Home Parent
The Lego Duplo building plates are awesome. I have a few at my house for the grand-kids and now they have a set at their house as well. They are great for using as a base and the grand-kids love them.
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
By Gina the busy mom
from Colorado
About Me Parent Of Two Or More Children, Stay At Home Parent
Great extra!
By Tina busy mom
from Houston
Our kids love Lego and these plates are great addition to the Lego we have already. Perfect for building houses!
Great for a base or on a table
By sas9382
from Clarksville, TN
The plates are great to put on a train table or just to use as a base on the carpet. The different sizes are great, although I wish you could just get a few large ones as well as the large and smaller ones contained in this package.
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text: Home eMed Watch Kauffman Foundation's experts break down a startup's business model Rate This 12345 Chris Seper Kauffman Foundation's Life Science Ventures Summit is an interactive kind of event where entrepreneurs will get direct feedback from those who have done it before. One of the panels on Friday included a discussion of validating the business model, started at first with talks from serial entrepreneur Steve Blank and Business Model Foundry founder Alex Osterwalder. But after the discussions, four entrepreneurs presented their business ideas to a panel that reviewed the businesses through Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas, designed to help bring clarity and improve a business model. After a five-minute presentation, the entrepreneurs then got feedback from Blank and Osterwalder as well as Sue Siegel, the CEO of GE Healthymagination, and Zen Chu, an entrepreneur in residence at MIT Angel Accelerated Medical Ventures. Here's one of those presentations. First up was Orion Biopharmaceuticals, a Kansas City-based company developing therapeutics for autoimmune disease. The company's goal: Trying to get away from the current model of suppressing the entire immune system and looking at treating the disease progression directly. How challenging is building a business? The outline all the entrepreneurs did on Friday was the "first 2 percent of the process," Blank told the group. Stop telling your opinion, admit what you don't know and go out and start talking extensively to your customers, he said. Add a Comment Name: Email: Comment: Submit 0 Comments


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trooper were struck on the roadways, a statewide traffic operation will be put into effect to remind drivers about the "move over" law.
State troopers will conduct coordinated traffic initiatives on Monday in every area of the state to ensure drivers are observing an extra barrier of safety for personnel working on Maryland roads, according to a police press release.
The "move over" law requires drivers approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with its lights activated to change into an available lane so drivers are not next to the emergency vehicle. If there is no available lane to move over, drivers should decrease speed and carefully pass.
The initiative comes after Trooper Jacqueline Kline was struck while she was assisting another trooper on the shoulder of Route 100 in Anne Arundel County on Oct. 6. Police said the preliminary investigation indicates the driver failed to move over as he passed and Kline remains hospitalized in critical condition.
More recently, a patrol car was struck while Trooper First Class Justin Updegraff was investigating a crash on I-695 in Baltimore County on Oct. 12. Police said the driver passing the scene failed to move over or slow down but Updegraff was outside his vehicle when it was struck and was not injured.
Violating the "move over" law is a primary offense with a fine that can range from $110 up to $750 if the violation contributes to a crash resulting in injury or death, according to police.
After two recent incidents where a Maryland State Police patrol car and a .
Police Ask Maryland Drivers to 'Move Over' on Roads
Special enforcement operations will be underway in every area of the state and drivers are being warned to be alert.
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The Chinese government has long tried to keep a tight rein on traditional and new media to prevent any challenges to its political authority. Watchdog groups say that this has often entailed strict media controls using monitoring systems, shutting down publications or websites, and jailing dissident journalists and bloggers/activists. China's censorship of its media again grabbed headlines in early January 2013 when Southern Weekly, a liberal-leaning paper based in Guangzhou, staged a week-long confrontation with the government after local propaganda authorities rewrote a front-page pro-reform editorial.
Google's battle with the Chinese government over Internet censorship in China and the awarding of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to jailed Chinese activist Liu Xiaobo have also drawn increased international attention to media censorship in the country. At the same time, the country's burgeoning economy has allowed for greater diversity in China's media coverage, and experts say the growing Chinese demand for information is testing the regime's control over the media.
What is the official media policy in China?
As China becomes a major player in the global economy, authorities in Beijing are trying to balance the need for more information with their goal of controlling content and maintaining power. CFR Senior Fellow Elizabeth C. Economy says the Chinese government is in a state of "schizophrenia" about media policy as it "goes back and forth, testing the line, knowing they need press freedom--and the information it provides--but worried about opening the door to the type of freedoms that could lead to the regime's downfall."
China's constitution affords its citizens freedom of speech and press, but Chinese law includes media regulations with vague language that authorities use to claim stories endanger the country by sharing state secrets. In April 2010, the Chinese government revised its existing Law on Guarding State Secrets to tighten its control over information flows (WSJ). The amendment extended requirements to Internet companies and telecommunications operators to cooperate with Chinese authorities in investigations into leaks of state secrets. But as many observers note, the definition of state secrets in China remains vague and thus could be used to censor any information the authorities deem as harmful to their political or economic interests. "In the new law, the definition of state secrets remains as sweeping as the original law and still fails to comply with international human rights standards," says the nongovernmental advocacy group Human Rights in China.
In May 2010, the government issued its first white paper on the Internet in which it emphasized the concept of "Internet sovereignty," requiring all Internet users in China, including foreign organizations and individuals, to abide by Chinese laws and regulations. Analyst Rebecca MacKinnon, an expert on global Internet policy, writes "the regime actually uses the Internet not only to extend its control but also to enhance its legitimacy."
How free is Chinese media?
The watchdog group Reporters without Borders ranked China 174 out of 179 countries in its 2012 worldwide index of press freedom. Journalists face harassment and prison terms for violating rules laid down by the government and are therefore pressured into "self-censorship." CFR Press Fellow Matt Pottinger explains that Chinese media disseminators usually employ their own monitors to ensure political acceptability of their content.
Censorship guidelines are often circulated weekly from the Communist Party propaganda department and the government Bureau of Internet Affairs to prominent editors. A leaked March 2010 version (NYT) offers some insight into the prohibitions listed.
China's media is undergoing a process of commercialization, which some observers believe is leading to growing competition, diversified content, and an increase in investigative reporting by Chinese news agencies. Only state agencies can own media in China, but there is creeping privatization. China News Network Corporation (CNC), a twenty-four-hour global news network launched in July 2010, for example, is reportedly half privately financed.
According to a government report, the number of publications has soared in recent years, with over eight thousand magazines, more than two thousand newspapers, and some 374 television stations in the country. However, Pottinger argues that the plethora of newspapers has not delivered plurality to the media landscape in China. The myriad new publications remain "a populist, socialist media, just as controlled by the government," he says. "The seemingly chatty, freewheeling press is not really freewheeling at all. The Chinese Communist Party is just more cunning about how it controls public opinion."
Certain websites that the government deems potentially dangerous, like Wikipedia, are blocked during periods of controversy (Telegraph); specific material deemed a threat to political stability such as controversial photos, search terms, or particular iPhone applications are also banned. The websites of Bloomberg and the New York Times were blacked out in 2012 after each ran reports (NewYorker) on the private wealth of Party Secretary Xi Jinping and Premier Wen Jiabao.
Restrictions were also placed on micro-blogging services in April 2012 in response to rumors of a coup attempt in Beijing involving the disgraced former Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai. Sina Corp. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. were forced to shut down the commenting function (WSJ), a key feature for discussions, for three days.
What are the primary censoring agencies in China?
More than a dozen government bodies (NYT) are involved in reviewing and enforcing laws related to information flow within, into, and from China. The most powerful monitoring body is the Communist Party's Central Propaganda Department (CPD), which coordinates with General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) and State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT) to make sure content promotes party doctrine. Xinhua, the state news agency, is considered a propaganda tool by press freedom organizations. The CPD gives media outlets directives restricting coverage of politically sensitive topics--such as protests, Tibet, and Taiwan.
The CPD guidelines are enforced through directives issued to heads of media outlets, demanding that they kill controversial stories and instructing how to cover delicate topics. In the most recent incident (SCMP) involving Southern Weekly, government censors rewrote the paper's New Year's message from a call for constitutionalism and reform into a tribute to the Communist Party. The move triggered mass demonstrations by the staff and general public, who demanded the resignation of the local propaganda bureau chief. While staff and censors reached a compromise that would theoretically relax some of the intrusive controls, much of the censorship remained in place, and calls for the removal of the top government censor were ignored.
China's government also tightens censorship in times of political transition; before its Eighteenth National Congress power handover in late 2012, it issued new rules (NYT) requiring Internet users to provide real names to service providers, while assigning Internet companies greater responsibility for reporting forbidden postings to the authorities.
Journalists who do not follow the rules face reprisals in the workplace or, worse, prison terms. Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years in prison (CSMonitor) for drawing attention to government corruption and poor construction of school buildings that collapsed and killed thousands of children during the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan province. All inquiries into the issue were blocked by the Chinese government and Zuoren's volunteers were also harassed or beaten.
Publicizing the CPD guidelines also invites punishment, as they may be classified as "state secrets," such as in the case of Shi Tao, a journalist detained in 2004 who is serving a ten-year sentence for posting an online summary describing the CPD's instructions for how to report the fifteen-year anniversary of events at Tiananmen Square.
Pottinger adds that on top of such national restrictions, provincial and local officials release their own directives. Often times, these directives can be detrimental to public health, as in 2008 when local government officials delayed reports (FT) of contaminated milk that sickened hundreds of thousands of children.
How does China exert media controls?
The Chinese government employs a diverse range of methods to induce journalists to censor themselves rather than risk punishment. Tactics include dismissals and demotions; authorities also sue journalists for libel, impose fines or close news outlets. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for journalists who overstep boundaries to be imprisoned. As of December 2012, China was third to Iran and Turkey for most jailed journalists in a single country with at least thirty-two journalists imprisoned, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Reporters without Borders estimates that seventy-seven "netizens" and cyber dissidents are also jailed. Chinese rights activist Liu Xiaobo was sentenced (Guardian) to eleven years in prison for publishing controversial opinions on the Internet and calling for democratic reforms and freedom of speech in Charter 08, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. Censors reacted fiercely to block the news about the Nobel from penetrating China. Beijing refused to release Liu from prison for the Nobel ceremony and stepped up anti-Nobel rhetoric (BBC) to discredit the award.
How does China control the influence of foreign media?
China requires foreign correspondents to get permission before making reporting trips within the country, and reporters often face harassment if they cover delicate issues. All inbound data from foreign Internet sources is filtered through one of three computer centers (NYT) in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou where keywords alert authorities of provocative content.
As part of its bid to host the 2008 Olympics, China promised to relax constraints, but critics accuse China of reneging on its promise. The Foreign Correspondents Club of China reported 178 cases of interference (including detention, harassment, property destruction, and violence) with foreign media in 2008, but has since stopped publishing figures on its website to ensure its continued operation. Some journalists and bloggers arrested before and after the 2008 Beijing Olympics remain in prison as of February 2011. Chris Buckley, a New York Times reporter, was reported to have been expelled by the government in early January 2013--an incident (AP) China's foreign ministry clarified as a suspension of his visa application due to improper credentials. In addition, China continues to filter foreign (and domestic) content on the Internet--in many cases using technology provided by U.S. companies.
In response to the early 2011 protests that rocked the Middle East and led to the ouster of prominent autocrats in Tunisia and Egypt, Secretary Hillary Clinton pledged to continue U.S. efforts to weaken censorship in countries with repressive governments like China and Iran. In response, China warned the United States to not meddle in internal affairs (BBC) of other countries, consistent with its usual response to foreign objections of its media repression. Experts say criticism coming from outside China has little effect on its policy.
How do journalists get around media control measures?
Despite the systematic control of news in China--the U.S. State Department estimates China has between thirty thousand and fifty thousand Internet monitors--editors and journalists find ways to get news past the censors. Some analysts say the primary space for freedom of speech in China is the blogosphere, where journalists use humor and political satire to criticize the Chinese government. Bloggers also spell out Chinese characters phonetically or substitute (WSJ) "similar-sounding innocuous characters" to circumvent censorship tools.
In a February 2011 testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, CFR's Economy notes how the Internet has increasingly become a means for Chinese citizens to ensure official accountability and rule of law. She also notes the growing importance of social network sites like Twitter as a political force inside China despite government restrictions on them.
In August 2009, Chinese web users won a rare victory over Internet censorship, as China "indefinitely postponed" the installment of censorship software dubbed as the Green Dam Youth Escort (TIME), that would systematically block certain websites on all new computers, after an enormous public outcry from Chinese Internet users and foreign computer manufacturers.
China has more than half a billion (Reuters) Internet users, and opinions differ on how deeply the Internet is revolutionizing the Chinese media landscape. Some news reports illuminate the difficulty of censoring the Internet as stories slip through government information firewalls (Atlantic).
Bob Dietz, Asia Program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, predicts press freedom "will expand to meet the needs and demands not just of the government but of the society." Chinese media broke the news about official suppression of information about the 2003 SARS outbreak in Beijing. Similarly, after toxic chemicals leaked into a river and contaminated drinking water in the northeast city of Harbin in 2005, newspapers and websites criticized government response, demanded greater transparency, and posted photos of area residents stockpiling bottled water.
But Pottinger counters that such evaluations "have been proved wrong by the Chinese government." He adds: "They've cleared pretty significant obstacles in the past in order to institute effective censorship and self-censorship."
Since 2010, Internet users are required to register with their real names (Telegraph) before inputting a comment on a chat room or discussion forum. Such legislation chips away at the anonymity that has fostered the freer criticism in recent years and may foreshadow broad and deep Internet controls to come, say some analysts.
But inside China, the debate over media censorship continues. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's statements in favor of freedom of speech (CNN) in 2010 were censored within China (WSJ), yet ignited a great deal of commentary on China's web. It even prompted retired Communist Party officials to publish a letter calling for press freedom (NYT). But Columbia University professor Andrew Nathan cautioned: "It's impossible to know exactly what Wen means . . . he probably envisions a great deal less reform and a great deal less human rights (Guardian) than we would think such words imply."
Beina Xu contributed to this report.