A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has urged the country's media to make it a priority and do a good job in reporting rescue efforts in the earthquake-hit southwest China.

Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, made the remarks at a conference on the issue of media reports on the earthquake on Tuesday. The country's leading media units, including the People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television, began dispatching correspondents immediately after the powerful earthquake occurred in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, at 2:28 p.m. on Monday.

China's General Administration of Press and Publications issued a circular on Tuesday, asking media to make timely and accurate report on quake-hit areas and victims to reassure the public.

The circular ordered media to deliver disaster relief information to the public, send care and encouragement of the Party and the government to victims, provide information service for victims, in a bid to enhance their confidence and courage to overcome the disaster.

Local governments should take care of reporters, and support them to file in-depth stories about disaster relief work, as well as cracking down on fabricated reports.

Publishing organizations in disaster-stricken areas should protect their equipments and work out reconstruction plans, especially plan for textbook publication, to ensure that every student has textbooks when classes resume.

(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2008)