Journalists from the China Media Group were pushed away when they went to report from the site of a natural gas explosion in Sanhe, Hebei province, on Wednesday, in which seven people were killed and 27 injured as of Thursday morning.

Local authorities issued a written apology later, attributing what the journalists had encountered to "poor communication skills… by our on-site personnel".

It is clear some officials still see journalists as "troublemakers". But by covering the situation on the spot, journalists can keep the people informed of the latest development of the incident.

Had there been no journalists reporting live from the spot, the public would have either had to depend on some official news release or on whatever rumor was circulating on social networking sites. While the former may be lacking in detail, the latter would have the potential to create disturbance. That makes the presence of journalists important.

The Sanhe incident should offer all local governments a lesson. During major emergencies, apart from rendering every effort to carry out search and rescue operations, local governments also need to facilitate media interviews. The authorities should not hinder journalists from performing their duty.