5 June 69

China's National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) announced the upgrading of monitoring of vertical short drama producers across the country, directing county-level departments to take over strict supervision, under a two-month campaign, to push the entertainment industry to cleanliness and creativity.

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The campaign targeted eight major groups of offensive content: soft pornography, presenting distorted attitudes about love and marriage, exaggerated displays of richness and materialism, as well as content related to feudal values, violent revenge, vulgar phrasing, and piracy.

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Currently, vertical short dramas, designed to be viewed via smartphones, are gaining overwhelming popularity around the world; however, this type of media is often criticized for emphasizing excessive stampede and eroticism, with plot lines often fast-paced and whiz, such as the millionaire line in disguise, or forbidden love, to entice viewers to a constant following.

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The China Media Regulatory Authority emphasizes that the campaign is critical to building a good content ecosystem, directing local authorities to randomly inspect media production companies in the jurisdiction. If wrongdoing is found, corrective action must be taken immediately, while the central department will repeat the inspection and tighten regulations according to the situation.

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China's short drama industry has grown to billions of dollars and has expanded its influence around the world in Asia, Africa, the United States and South Korea, resulting in producers in many countries starting to invest in the creation of studios to produce short dramas to support the expanding market.

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Last year, the Chinese government also extended its crackdown to online content that presents pessimistic attitudes, particularly content that conveys "studying hard or hard work is futile," including content that promotes a sense of despair or boredom of the world.

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According to the China Cyberspace Administration, the main goal is to eliminate negative power and create a civilized and rational online environment amid conditions in which China is facing economic challenges such as unemployment and rising competition, which create great anxiety among the younger generation.

Source BBC