A reporter from China Central TV, China's national TV station, was attacked Wednesday by the director and workers of a factory while investigating pollution problems.

Xu Xiangyu, a reporter with the News Center of CCTV, was stopped by the factory director and robbed of a video camera when he went to investigate pollution problems at Xuanbao Joint Cokeoven Plant, in Baode County, north China's Shanxi Province. The factory director threw away Xu's press card and ordered the factory workers to attack him.

About ten minutes later, the law enforcement group of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), who went to the county with Xu, arrived and prevented further disturbances.

Xu got his camera back with the help of the deputy magistrate of Baode County and the director of the county's Environmental Protection Bureau.

The State Environmental Protection Administration extended their regards to Xu and asked its law enforcement group in that county to protect the reporter and his right to investigate.

China's Reporter's Day fell on Nov. 8 and the state media jointly made a declaration to prevent corruption in news reporting and violations of journalistic ethics. However, infringements of reporters' rights is also a very serious problem.

Reporters in China enjoy a high status and are expected to speak in the public interest, but their coverage of negative stories also makes enemies.

(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2003)