ALBAWABA - Reuters has confirmed that it removed a video of an unusual talk between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping about organ transplants, living a long time, and living forever. During Beijing's Victory Parade on September 3, which marked the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War, a hot mic picked up the conversation.
Xi said in the video that in the past, few people lived past 70. Now, though, "at 70 you are still a child." Putin said that human organs could be transplanted over and over again and that "the longer you live, the younger you become— even achieving immortality." Xi went even further, saying that some people think people could live for 150 years this century.
Reuters first posted the full four-minute video and a 38-second clip on sites like TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn, calling the exchange a newsworthy event. But two days later, the agency got a letter from the legal team at China Central Television saying that they had broken the law and changed the facts.
Reuters quickly followed orders and took the video down from its website and newswire. It also told clients to stop sending it out. The agency stood by its reporting in a statement but said it had to pull the content because it no longer had permission to use copyrighted material.
Heather Carpenter, a spokesperson, said, "We are committed to respecting the intellectual property rights of others."
Footage Still Going Around
Even though Reuters' clear version is no longer available, other news sites still have similar content. CCTV put up a version with a voiceover and music, and RT put up a similar Bloomberg video with English subtitles. You can still listen to a short audio clip on Reuters' World News podcast.
More general worries about press freedom
The move has made people wonder about the independence of the editorial staff. Media experts pointed out that this wasn't the first time Reuters had to take down sensitive content because of outside pressure. In 2023, a court in New Delhi told the agency to stop looking into the Indian surveillance company Apeiron (APIN) for a short time. The investigation was only resumed after the order ran out.
Seth Stern of the Freedom of the Press Foundation and other experts warned that these kinds of actions are part of a worrying trend around the world. He warned that following government orders could lead to a "slippery slope" that would make more states pressure news organizations and could hurt the independence of international journalism.
