Media outlets punished for doing paid news

China's media watchdog published four violations of media outlets or journalists writing paid news, sending a clear signal that such conduct is unacceptable.

In one case, Yu Zhangshu, a journalist in east China's Jiangxi Province, wrote "soft news" for 16 companies, from which Yu made 150,000 yuan (19,346 US dollars) and helped a company run by his relatives earn around 1.65 million yuan, according to a statement from the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

The administration has confiscated the illegal gains and shut down the bureau. Yu is banned from news reporting for five years. His criminal responsibility will be examined by judicial organs.

In another case, China County Times in 2013 traded an investigative report about local governments in Gansu for eight pages of promotional contents worth 260,000 yuan, said the statement.

The administration urged media outlets to take a warning from these violations, strengthen internal management and rectify similar problems.