广播听力：Some Constraints Removed on the Press in New Emergency Response Law

A draft emergency response law has been submitted to China's top legislature for a second reading.

The latest draft removes constraints on the media reporting on disasters or emergency situations included in a previous draft.

The prior draft, which was widely criticised, was put forward for a first reading at the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress last year.

It restricted the media from releasing information or reporting on the handling of emergencies and disasters without the permission of local authorities. Those that did so could have faced serious consequences including fines of up to to 100,000 yuan.

The provision sparked heated discussion amongst lawmakers. China Daily reports that many believe transparency is crucial to handling emergencies and that the media's contribution should be affirmed and encouraged.

Those advocating the new draft hold that the authorities should share information with the public and that giving the press more latitude will be conducive to this end.