This book assesses and critiques the legal right of access to government-held information in China with a special focus on legislative history, rationales, statutory language and efficacy of the Open Government Information (OGI) Regulations enacted in 2007 by the Chinese government. The book, written by a former Chinese journalist who later became an American professor of journalism, combines thorough examination and insightful commentary on relevant statutes and court cases with in-depth interviews with Chinese legal scholars, lawyers, journalists and government officials.
For anyone with an interest in China’s legal and informational systems in general and its freedom of information law in particular, the book is a must read that not only explains why China’s first freedom of information law failed so miserably when it was needed the most in a COVID-19 pandemic but also sheds light on the world’s largest and most sophisticated propaganda apparatus that controls and manipulates flow of information in and outside of China.
Chapter
1. Introduction.
Chapter
2. Theoretical Applications and
Literature Review on Freedom of Information.
Chapter
3. Origins and
Development of Freedom of Information Laws in the World.
Chapter
4. Secrecy
and Transparency of the Chinese Government: A Historical Perspective.-
Chapter
5. Legislative History of OGI Regulations and Rationales for the Rise
of Chinese Freedom of Information.
Chapter
6. What the Law Promises:
Analysis of Statutory Language of OGI Regulations.
Chapter
7. What the Law
Delivers: Implementation of OGI Regulations.
Chapter
8. Journalistic
Internal Reference and Internal Working Documents: Statutory and
Non-Statutory OGI Exemptions.
Chapter
9. Journalistic Role in Chinese
Freedom of Information.
Chapter
10. Recommendations for Chinese Law
Reformers (Conclusion).
Yong Tang is a tenured full professor of mass communications at Western Illinois University. Dr. Tang has published extensively on international and comparative media law and policy, with work appearing in journals such as International Journal of Communication, Journal of Media Law and Ethics, Journal of Information Policy, Communication, Culture & Critique, and Chinese Journal of Communication. He serves on the editorial board of Communication Law and Policy. Dr. Tang has taught media law as a visiting professor at China University of Political Science and Law, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Sichuan University, Xiamen University and Hong Kong Baptist University.
Dr. Tang spent 15 years as a journalist for Peoples Daily in Beijing, China and Washington, D.C.
Dr. Tang holds a Ph.D. in mass communications law and policy from the Pennsylvania State University and another in international journalism from the Communication University of China.
