Case History
Age 45, Shi Tao is a journalist and poet who wrote for daily Chinese publication Dangdai ShangBao (Contemporary Business News) based in Changsha. Shi also contributed to other newspapers and was active on the Internet; he submitted articles and supplied occasional political commentary to overseas Chinese web sites such as the dissident MinZhu LunTan (Democracy Forum). His essays often call for political reform in government. He has also written several books of poetry.
Shi Tao was employed at Dangdai ShangBao (Contemporary Business News) from February to April 2004, during which there was a staff meeting held to discuss the approaching 15th anniversary of the June 4 Tiananmen Square massacre. This meeting focused on a memo issued by China’s Central Propaganda Department giving instructions on information gathering and media coverage of the anniversary. Shi forwarded his notes taken at the meeting via e-mail to independent Chinese-language web sites abroad, which are banned in China.
Shi Tao was honored in 2005 with the Committee to Protect Journalists‘ International Press Freedom Award for his courage in this situation and for drawing the world’s attention to China’s intense effort to control information on the internet. His imprisonment has prevented him from receiving the award.
On June 4, 2007, the 18th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, Shi received a further honor, the Golden Pen of Freedom Award. The award, which is the annual press freedom prize from the World Association of Newspapers, was accepted by the mother of the jailed journalist who said her son was “a direct victim of the shackles of press freedom.”