China Starts Censoring Tainted Milk Powder Scandal Reporting

According to the outcome of a multi-stage inspection process by China's General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), 22 baby formula producers' 69 batches of formula were found to contain the toxin melamine. According to knowledgeable sources, virtually all China's milk products and fresh milk are similarly tainted.

In the face of the extremely negative social impact of the Sanlu milk products scandal, the Chinese government has weighed the pros and cons and as a result begun to tighten its hold on reporting, only allowing State-run media to use official Xinhua News Agency reports on the matter.

Voice of America quoted a China Central Television source as saying that last Friday, September 12, Chinese media received notification that they could only use official Xinhua News Service reports on the scandal. Reporters have also revealed that an official circular has been issued to all media organizations emphasizing that it is better for them not to publish any reports or commentaries on the fact that the tainted milk products have resulted in kidney stones in children.

The report said that Hebei media has carried no reports, because the Hebei Province Propaganda Department already issued an order for provincial media to not "speculate" in such reporting.

Many Chinese web portals including Baidu, Sohu, and Sina have reported that after publishing their tainted milk product stories, Sanlu contacted Baidu--China's largest search engine website--offering 3 million renminbi as a "public relations" payment to blackout or otherwise screen negative reports on the company, but Baidu point-blank refused the offer.

中国开始控制毒奶粉事件的报道
根据国家质检总局的阶段性检查结果显示，有22家婴幼儿奶粉生产企业的69批次产品检出了含量不同的三聚氰胺。知情者表示，中国几乎所有的奶制品和新鲜奶都有类似的问题。
 
面对三鹿奶制品事件的曝光和由此产生的巨大负面效应，中国政府开始权衡利弊，收紧报道口子，让各媒体只能用新华社的通稿。
 
美国之音据中央电视台人士说，上星期五就接到了通知，说只能采用新华社的通稿。还有的记者说，的确已经下文件，让新闻单位最好不要报道有关的评论和儿童因这种奶制品而患有肾结石的事情。

报道说，河北的媒体基本没有什么报道，因为省委宣传部已经下令要大家不要"炒作"这个新闻。
 
中国多家门户网站比如百度、搜狐、新浪都报道，三鹿奶制品事件曝光后，该公司曾和百度联系，希望能出三百万公关费用，让百度这个中国最大的搜索引擎网站帮助封杀和屏蔽相关的负面新闻，遭到了百度的断然拒绝。