In recent months, various news agencies, newspapers, and radio stations have selectively and uncritically disseminated numerous reports and articles containing erroneous biases and ideological shortcomings. For example: instead of propagating the line of relying on the poor, consolidating the alliance with the middle peasants, and systematically and differentiatedly abolishing feudalism—in other words, the line of the proletariat uniting all working people, the oppressed national bourgeoisie, intellectuals, and other patriotic elements, including enlightened gentry who do not oppose land reform—to overthrow imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capital, and to establish a people’s democratic government of the People’s Republic of China—some outlets have isolatedly promoted the notion that “the poor seized power through struggle and now rule”; or that the democratic government is merely a government of the peasants; or that it should heed only the views of workers and the poor, while completely ignoring the middle peasants, independent laborers, the national bourgeoisie, and the intelligentsia. This constitutes a grave, principled error. Yet our news agencies, newspapers, and radio stations have nonetheless published such materials nationwide and broadcast them widely, without offering any critique of these errors. Although this kind of propaganda was not universal over the past few months, it has been quite widespread, creating an atmosphere in which many have come to mistakenly believe that it represents the correct guiding ideology. Indeed, certain inaccurate reports aired by the Northern Shaanxi Radio Station even led some to assume that they reflected views endorsed by the Central Committee.

Furthermore: (1) On the issue of Party rectification, the campaign to oppose both neglect and “class-based dogmatism” has sometimes lacked sufficient vigor, and in some areas there has even been promotion of the latter. (2) Regarding land reform, while some regions have effectively balanced the need to counter both procrastination and “leftist haste,” in many others the latter tendency has been encouraged, and materials praising “leftist haste” have even been published. (3) Concerning the relationship between leaders and the masses, although some areas have paid attention to opposing both commandism and tailism, in many others the slogan “let the masses do as they wish” has been unduly emphasized, leading to acquiescence in erroneous opinions—even those held by a small minority rather than by the broad masses—without critical evaluation, thereby undermining the Party’s leadership role and fostering tailism. (4) In the sphere of industry and commerce, as well as in the workers’ movement, serious left-leaning adventurism that persists from the past has either been praised or simply ignored.

In sum, while the propaganda work of the past few months has, to be sure, correctly reflected and supported the great struggles of the War of Liberation, land reform, Party rectification, production, and logistical support, contributing significantly to their success—and this correct work does indeed constitute the main body of our propaganda efforts—we must also acknowledge its errors and shortcomings. The defining characteristic of these errors is a pronounced tendency to the “left,” some of which involve a complete abandonment of Marxist–Leninist principles and a total departure from the Central Committee’s line.

We therefore call upon all Central Bureaus, Central Sub-bureaus, and their respective propaganda departments; Xinhua News Agency, together with its local branches; and all comrades engaged in newspaper work across the country, to conduct a thorough review of the propaganda work of the past few months in accordance with Marxist–Leninist principles and the Central Committee’s line: to build on our achievements, correct our mistakes, and ensure that the War of Liberation, land reform, Party rectification, and industrial development—the entire anti-imperialist, anti-feudal revolution—are brought to victorious conclusion. This review shall be primarily the responsibility of Xinhua News Agency, which is to submit a policy-oriented report in its own name to the Central Propaganda Department, detailing the findings.

Incidentally, it should be noted that local propaganda departments have rarely, if ever, sought guidance from the Central Propaganda Department on propaganda policies or reported to it, operating almost entirely on their own initiative. Similarly, the Central Bureaus and Sub-bureaus have not exercised tight control over propaganda policies, nor have they consistently requested instructions from or reported to the Central Committee. This situation must be changed.