Why is China Censoring this Pollution Documentary?

A hard-hitting documentary on air pollution in China has already garnered hundreds of millions of views, but now Chinese authorities are drawing the line. Under the Dome is a documentary by investigative journalist Chai Jing, which explores the extreme levels of air pollution in China. You can watch it with English subtitles here.

But any comments that have criticised the central government have now been deleted. Moreover, state-run news organizations are being encouraged not to ‘hype’ the documentary any further. The former state television anchor takes a very personal view at the way ordinary people cope with air pollution in China. She uses her own daughter to highlight the negative impact poor air quality has on the lives of people in major cities.

Chai Jing describes in the documentary that it was difficult trying to explain to a child why they cannot go outside: “In Beijing in 2014, I could only take her out when the air was good. There were 175 polluted days last year. That means that for half of the year, I had no choice but to keep her at home, shut in like a prisoner.”

Why is Under the Dome being censored?

When the documentary first aired, it was initially well received by government ministers, which included the new environment minister Chen Jining. But as the film gained media attention, many comments focused on criticism of the Chinese central government, and the crackdown started. The number of posts that have been deleted since the film was aired on February 28 is steadily rising, according to Weiboscope Censorship Index. The Index is compiled by researchers at the university’s Journalism and Media Studies Centre (JMSC).

Assistant Professor King-wa Fu, a social media researcher at JMSC, said that the censored Weibo comments carried at least one of the following terms: Chai Jing, smog, blue sky, dome, air, and CNPC. CNPC is the acronym for the state-owned oil and gas company, China National Petroleum Corporation. “People who then link it back to the government, then they start to get deleted,” said Fu. “In particular, the energy sector is very sensitive. When they (Weibo users) start to cross the line that triggers the censorship.” At least two original articles have been deleted by the official Xinhua News Agency from the documentary’s website. Xinhua has also asked that other media platforms should not republish other related articles that remain on its site.

In the documentary, Chai does not point the finger of blame at any one person or corporation. She looks at several possible reasons for the poor air quality, and also explores potential solutions. She does state however, that pollution is a cost of China’s rapid industrialization: “Ten years ago, I asked what that smell in the air was, and I got no answer,” she says. “Now I know. It's the smell of money.”

(Credit: Screenshot, Under the Dome)