About 250,000 Chinese journalists will receive on-the-job training designed by the press authority to strengthen the professional practices of media staff.

All reporting staff with newspapers, news agencies, TV stations and other press organizations in the country will be required to undergo training, which will last for three months until the end of 2013, the State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television said Thursday.

A unified training program has been created by the administration, along with training materials and teaching videos, which will be provided for nationwide media organizations for free.

Training will focus on six subjects, including theories on socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Marxist view on journalism, journalistic ethics, laws and regulations, norms in news gathering and editing, and content on preventing false information, said the administration.

Media staff are also required to take an exam scheduled in early 2014 to obtain press cards, according to the authority.