The Chinese government operates a massive social media operation disguised as public opinion. This study provides empirical evidence that identifies 50c posts, revealing they don't engage critics but instead distract by promoting party narratives and avoiding controversy. Analyzing over 448 million fabricated comments annually demonstrates the regime's focus on changing the subject rather than debating issues directly.
Methodology:
Researchers developed innovative algorithms to distinguish government-created content from genuine user posts across platforms like Weibo.
Key Findings:
The dominant strategy is strategic distraction, not persuasion. Most 50c content glorifies China or supports communist ideology without addressing substantive debates.
Implications:
These results offer crucial insights into China's information control program and force a rethinking of 'common knowledge' in authoritarian contexts.
| How the Chinese Government Fabricates Social Media Posts for Strategic Distraction, not Engaged Argument was authored by Gary King, Jennifer Pan and Margaret E. Roberts. It was published by Cambridge in APSR in 2017. |
