All-China Journalists Association defends journalists’ reporting rights, affirms legal protection of press supervision amid attack

The All-China Journalists Association (ACJA) issued a statement on Tuesday, saying that conducting interviews is a fundamental right of journalists and that lawful press supervision is protected under the law. The statement was issued in response to a video released earlier by a Hunan-based media outlet showing a company representative violently obstructing on-site reporting. 

According to the video, following citizen reports of allegedly substandard products sold by Hunan Fengxu Cable Co, while conducting an on-site investigation, reporters were confronted by a man identified as a company representative. The footage shows the man grabbing a video camera from a journalist and smashing it to the ground. He also attempted to snatch the reporter's mobile phone. Subtitles in the video indicate that multiple pieces of recording equipment were damaged.

The ACJA said it had learned from journalists at the scene that the incident took place Tuesday morning in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province. Local police have launched an investigation. The association added that it will continue to monitor the case closely.

Local police department later issued a statement confirming that the company representative who destroyed the filming equipment had been placed under criminal detention. According to a police bulletin released on Tuesday evening by the Public Security Bureau of Xiangjiang New Area in Hunan Province, authorities received an emergency call at 11:28 am reporting an incident at Hunan Fengxu Cable Co, and police officers were immediately dispatched to the scene.

The investigation revealed that at approximately 11:15 am on Tuesday, thea suspect surnamed Xie (male, 42), who is the legal representative of Hunan Fengxu Cable Co, became involved in a dispute with reporters who were at the company for an interview. During the altercation, Xie smashed the reporters' eyeglasses and filming equipment.

Xie has since been placed under criminal detention by police on suspicion of intentional destruction of property, and the case is under further investigation, according to local the police departmentstatement.