After doom and gloom, China's propaganda shifts gears on COVID-19

BEIJING: Once dominated by doom and gloom coverage of the dangers of the virus and scenes of pandemic chaos abroad, China's tightly controlled media has dramatically shifted tone as the country tentatively moves away from zero-COVID.

Long anchored to a hardline strategy of mass lockdowns, forced quarantine in centralised facilities and mass testing for millions, Beijing is dialling down curbs in the wake of nationwide protests calling for an end to lockdowns and greater political freedoms.

That policy shift has been accompanied by rapid changes in pandemic messaging in both state media and official statements - which now downplay the risk from the virus and blame local officials for over-zealous implementation of COVID-19 lockdowns.