Media ethics watchdog set up in 16 regions

China has established media ethics commissions in 16 provinces and cities, aiming to strengthen supervision on media outlets and punish media malpractices by encouraging public feedback.

The media ethics commissions were first established in five provinces and regions including Hebei, Zhejiang and Shandong in 2013 and expanded to 13 provinces and regions in 2014, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The commission is composed of about 20 members who are media representatives and people representing a cross-section of society.

Mei Ninghua, who chairs the Beijing media ethics commission, said that media malpractices include false reporting, paid news and vulgar advertisements.

The commission in Shaanxi has received 38 reports since July and dealt with 28 of them as of November 15, local officials said.