What The Experts Say I

Cyber China: Upgrading Propaganda, Public Opinion Work and Social Management for the Twenty-First Century:

 

While the internet has connected people in china and completely changed everyday life as they know it, increasing net productivity and making it easier for businesses to function, its also posed a challenge for the Chinese government. The internet has made it possible for people all around the world to voice their discontent, and in extreme cases, such as the Arab spring, stage revolutions to overthrow governmental revolutions. For obvious reasons, this is something that the CCP wishes to avoid. The solution is to create systems that manage information flow. This doesn’t stop at simple ‘word based’ censorship, which, for example, blacklists any mention of ‘Tiananmen square’. It also works the other way around, funneling Chinese propaganda through state run news outlets. Any form of independent dissent is strictly monitored and prohibited, as the CCP has full control over the narrative.” Among the officialdom, concern about the volatility of a social media environment beyond regulatory control has made place for assertions of a ‘new normal’ (xin changtai) with more positivity and a cleaner cyberspace.” (Creemers, 2017, page 16).

Creemers, R. (2017). Cyber China: Upgrading Propaganda, Public Opinion Work and Social Management for the Twenty-First Century. Journal of Contemporary China, 26(103), 85-100. http://dx.doi.org.unyp.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/10670564.2016.1206281