(June 13, 1957)
Comrade Qiaomu⑶:
The Beijing Daily is better edited than the People’s Daily. It contains extensive coverage of critiques of reactionary statements by workers, peasants, students, and left-wing non-Party figures—material that is extremely rich. The writing is also more vivid than in the People’s Daily, and the layout is superior. Please take a look at all the reports on Page 2.
Mao Zedong
June 13
Please convene a meeting in the People’s Daily with a relatively large number of participants. Beforehand, ask them to read this entire second page once through, and then hold the meeting. Your editorial standards should be raised. The language still has something of the flavor of the eight-legged essay; for example, the conceptualized headline “How Should We ‘Treat’ Criticism?”⑴ does not strike one as particularly good, nor does the article as a whole escape an eight-legged tone. I hope you will reflect on how to improve.
Mao Zedong
June 13
[1] These two marginal notes were written on the front page of the June 12, 1957 issue of the Beijing Daily.
[2] Qiaomu refers to Hu Qiaomu, who at the time served as an alternate member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and as Mao Zedong’s secretary.

The title of an editorial draft in the People’s Daily was “Correctly Handling Well-Meaning Criticism.” Upon review, Mao Zedong changed it to that. This editorial was published in the People’s Daily on June 13, 1957.