The Press: Turnabout
As Chinese Communist troops marched toward Shanghai last week, an advance column of rumors invaded the panicky city and its press. The harried commander of Shanghai's Nationalist garrison rushed into print with a censorship order that brought a snicker even from the censored newsmen. Stated Regulation No. 6: "Except [for] the news released by this headquarters, all ... newspapers and news agencies are forbidden to publish other inaccurate war news."
The order had a drastic effect on war news in Shanghai's 25 Chinese and four English-language newspapers. Before the order, the newspapers had carried such headlines as: KASHING CAPTURED BY RED TROOPS ; COMMUNISTS RACING SOUTH, EAST TO ISOLATE SHANGHAI AREA. Post-Censorship headlines: HASHING STILL IN GOVERNMENT HANDS; SHANGHAI AREA GUARDED BY CRACK GOVERNMENT TROOPS.
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