Im imagining that most people wouldnt know a whole lot about what is really going on. Some journalist hands in a really great story only to have some middle management level guy look it over and say " well let you know"  then it goes onto a pile that is sent to an office in the back room that is dimply lit with one way glass.  

If it makes China look good, our little journalist gets a paycheck and a head nod and thats it.  If it makes China look bad, our poor journalist is  *gulp*  sent into the office.... never to be seen from again. 

Im sure thats exactly how it goes.

According to Wikipedia, China Daily (follows the official line tightly, with a polite, non-controversial and optimistic tone) hire expats on short-term for polishing the English version of the articles. So that's one way to peak an eye in the redaction room.

I spend 15 mn searching for it, but I couldn't find it... So you can blame me to say stuffs without convincing support ^^ I remember reading a detailed story of a woman working for a Chinese journal, for a fairly short time. They had dedicated censors, who would read the articles and would ask to not mention this, change that, etc.  Too pessimistic, too dark, too political, etc. The woman would often bumps on those imposed wall, She became closer to her censor. The censor was a 40-something woman, who had a vague idea that censorship was quite a harm, but would carry on anyway, because it's how she could earn a good income, and she felt like just a cog in the big machine. The censor would often be stressed by the pressures she had to face, between the journalist and her hierarchy.

In short, it's not a big evil machine of doom with scary power. It's more a boring administrative machine, carried on by bored, apathetic and vaguely scared drones.

CCTV News are hiring 

http://english.cntv.cn/20120118/112051.shtml

go for the anchor position, I would recommend watching both Ron Burgundy movies to prepare. 

@DrMonkey

I don't think it's a dark evil world either. I just think it would be interesting to see the processes that happen behind press censorship. I picture something like the scene in 'Goodmorning Vietnam' where they receive stories and just methodically choose ones that are suitable. Or something out of the book '1984'. 

@Scan

I think the anchor position would be really interesting. If only I had 10 years experience in the field. 

I'm saying it would be easy or you wouldn't have problems with your own beliefs but purely as an insight into the process, absolutely. 

I just wouldn't be able to keep track of all the lies.