British reporter detained in China live on air

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 15 March 2013

A British journalist and his camera operator were detained in Tiananmen Square while reporting live. The incident highlights the risks faced by reporters in China.

Summary

LONDON: A journalist and his camera operator were detained in Tiananmen Square live on British television on Friday, in what he described as a surreal but telling episode about reporting in China.

Viewers of the 24-hour British channel Sky News were treated to the bizarre sight of reporter Mark Stone being directed into a police van live from Beijing.

He reported live from inside the van, admitting that the Chinese officials with him - one of them filming Stone herself - probably did not realize he was speaking directly to London.

"Still in the police van, should be leaving in just a second for this rather surreal experience, which gives you a little insight into what can happen sometimes in China,” Stone said.

The team was then taken into a room where they were told to await questioning.

"We were here in Tiananmen Square filming, doing lives (live reports) through the day, now they've stopped us because of one word. We were talking about the 1989 protest, they didn't like that," Stone said.

The square is a popular tourist site near the regime's nerve center and the scene of 1989 democracy protests that were crushed by the Chinese authorities.

A police officer was filmed asking the Sky team to switch off their camera, saying they were now inside the Forbidden City and did not have permission to film there. - AFP

KEY POINTS:

• Mark Stone and crew detained during a live broadcast in Tiananmen Square.
• Officials expressed discontent with discussions about the 1989 protests.
• Stone reported from inside a police van, showcasing the surreal situation.
• The incident underscores the restrictions on press freedom in China.
• The team awaited questioning after being stopped from filming.