Chinese city officials issue a rare apology after authorities harass journalists on live TV

By SIMINA MISTREANU
Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — City officials in eastern China have apologized to local journalists after authorities were shown pushing them and trying to obstruct reporting from the site of a deadly explosion. In the rare acknowledgment of state aggression against journalists, the city of Sanhe, near Beijing, issued a public apology Thursday. Journalists were in Sanhe reporting on a suspected gas leak explosion that killed seven and injured 27 on Wednesday. Harassment of journalists — including foreign reporters — is common in China, but is almost never publicly acknowledged by the state.