The following is an open letter from Chinese journalist Li Bo’an, who is currently living in exile. It was originally published in Chinese and later received the Grand Prize in the 2025 “Open Letters to All Sectors” Writing Contest organized by China Initiative.
We are publishing the letter in full, without commentary, as a primary document reflecting the author’s personal experience and perspective.
An open letter to fellow journalists
By Li Bo’an
October 9, 2025
Dear colleagues,
I know you are watching all of this unfold. Some of you are at People’s Daily; others work at local television stations, news websites, or regional outlets. You sit silently in editorial meetings. You hesitate when cutting or revising stories. And in your dreams, you still remember why you chose journalism in the first place.
It is not that you fail to understand the value of truth. It is that you are forced to pretend you do not.
Today, I write this letter as a journalist living in exile.
I am not here to condemn you. On the contrary, I want to tell you this: I believe your conscience is still intact. It has simply been buried for too long under fear.
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