China Digital Times

China news tagged with: Internet commentators (7)

• Eluding the Cat: Netizens on Investigative Committee Face Human Flesh Search

  

  Several prominent netizens selected by the Yunnan Provincial Publicity Department to the committee investigating Li Qiaoming’s death in detention - what has become known online as the ‘eluding the cat’ incident - have become the targets of suspicion and human flesh searches on the Tianya BBS forums.  Some forum members are questioning the netizen committee members’ independence and trustworthiness.  Others go so far as to call them members of the ’fifty-cent gang’.  From the Southern Metropolis Daily, translated by ESWN:

  The human flesh search has come up with the real identities of all the netizen representatives on the investigation team.  They all have media working experiences and backgrounds, and therefore they are regarded as people inside the system.  Some netizens have labeled them “fifty-cent gang members.”  In the virtual world of the Internet, “fifty-cent gang member” is a derogatory term for full-time or part-time commentators who speak out and lead Internet opinion while being employed and directed by the government.

  These accusations have caused doubts about the selection processes by the Yunnan province party publicity department of the investigative team members.  At the time, the Yunnan province party publicity department explained that the selection was done in two stages.  In the first stage, netizens without high name recognition on the Internet were eliminated.  In the second stage, the team members were randomly selected from the remaining names.

  [Netizen investigative leader] Tail End of the Wind [real name Zhao Li] rejected these accusations.  He told the reporter that he had left his old job [at Cailong Net, a portal for the local party newspaper Kunming Daily] many years ago.  He is presently an Internet editor for Yunnan TV Net.  Since he has not signed a labor contract yet, he does not even have a social security account number.  So he could not possibly be a member of the “system.”  He made a wager that if anyone can find out his social security account number, then that person can take all the money away.  He said that in frustration.

  » Read more
  • February 24, 2009 12:36 AM

• China’s Internet ‘Spin Doctors’

  

  From BBC News:

  China is using an increasing number of paid “internet commentators” in a sophisticated attempt to control public opinion.

  These commentators are used by government departments to scour the internet for bad news - and then negate it.

  They post comments on websites and forums that spin bad news into good in an attempt to shape public opinion.

  Chinese leaders seem aware that the internet - the only public forum where views can be freely expressed - needs close attention.

  Read more about the Internet commentators, or “Fifty Cent Party,” via CDT here and here.

  » Read more
  • December 16, 2008 7:24 PM

• China Substitutes `Spin’ for Suppression as Web Weakens Control

  

  Dune Lawrence reports in Bloomberg News:

  While the government has encouraged the rapid adoption of technology to enhance China’s global competitiveness, the increasing access also represents a growing challenge to a single-party state’s monopoly on power as the avenues for public expression multiply.

  … In a June speech during a visit to the Communist Party newspaper, People’s Daily, President Hu Jintao urged that the party and government “perfect our system of news release” and “actively set the agenda” for unfolding events, disseminating “authoritative information at the earliest moment” and “grasping the initiative in news propaganda.”

  Online Discussion

  Officials at all levels are following Hu’s advice, some by hiring people to nip negative online discussions in the bud. An Internet search turns up announcements like this one from Chongqing that explains their duties:

  “In order to further purify the Internet environment, Wanzhou District Internet Propaganda Leading Group has started setting up a Web commentator team,” the Feb. 21 notice says. “Commentators’ work includes online comment on articles, news threads, blogs, etc.” along with “relaxing” public emotion and “refuting rumors.”

  All this doesn’t mean the central government has abandoned its traditional techniques to tame the flow of information: It still blocks many Web sites focused on topics such as Tibetan independence and employs censors to track down and delete content it disagrees with. Cyber cafes, where many Chinese access the Web, must install filtering software, monitor users’ activities and record their identities under Chinese law.

  » Read more
  • November 17, 2008 10:55 PM

• Authorities’ Attempts To Bring Online Public Opinion Under Control

  

  Efforts by local and central authorities to control information and shape public opinion on the Internet are evolving. Three cases illustrating new tactics are below. The first is an example of a preemptive strike taken by local police in Guangxi who responded to netizens’ concerns over a traffic accident almost before they were posted. The second two translations demonstrate the new confidence authorities have in utilizing a team of “Internet commentators,” or so-called Fifty Cent Party, to sway public opinion online, much like viral marketing works in the private sector around the world:

  Last Monday, police in Wuzhou, Guangxi reacted to a netizen posting photos of an accident involving a police car by preemptively posting an assurance on the same BBS that the police were investigating the matter thoroughly.

  

  The following is a translation of the cyber police note above, which was posted less than two minutes after the photos went online, translated by CDT:

  » Read more
  • October 28, 2008 9:53 PM

• Chinese Bloggers on the History and Influence of the “Fifty Cent Party”

  

  The “Fifty Cent Party,” (”五毛党”) professional Internet commentators hired by provincial and local authorities, have become one mechanism to eliminate the online opinions that are critical of the government. Here is one example from Jiaozuo Daily in Henan province, posted by blogger Wang Xiaoshan, translated by CDT:

  In recent years, negative news reporting about police often appears on the Internet. This not only reduces public trust in the police, but also creates a serious image crisis for the public security organs. In order to effectively avoid exposure of negative reports while the police are on duty, Jiaozuo City Public Security Bureau established an emergency mechanism to analyze “public opinion.” This is an effective solution for the “bottleneck” in public security work.

  On the morning of August 10, 2007, because of a traffic dispute, one Internet user in Jiaozuo posted malicious slander about the police in an online forum, and many Netizens forwarded comments without knowing the truth. This had a direct impact on the image and reputation of the police. Ten minutes after the message was released, the internet commentator (Fifty Cent Party) invited by Jiaozuo City Public Security Bureau, discovered and promptly reported it to the public relations department, which immediately organized its network of more than 120 staff to post in the forum calling for the truth and setting the record straight.

  Twenty minutes later, the voices supporting the police became mainstream, and many netizens started to “denounce” the person who posted the original comment. The network is a success story of how the Jiaozuo police deal with online incidents involving their department.

  In June 2007, the Jiaozuo City Public Security Bureau recruited 35 Internet commentators from enterprises, institutions and organizations relating to the media, the families of police and supporters of public security work. The bureau also selected more than 120 police who have excellent writing skills and express themselves strongly to compose the Jiaozuo City Public Security Bureau Internet commentator team dealing with the timely detection, screening and reporting of negative information about the police. The team will immediately brief the public relations department, and issue a positive and timely message guiding public opinion. In addition, Jiaozuo City Public Security Bureau has also established mechanisms for issuing press releases and public security notifications about public opinion for the media’s internal use, to avoid negative reporting and a negative impact on the police.

  Blogger Beijing Wensan digs out the establishment of Wu Mao Party:

  “Fifty cents” (”五毛“） was first seen on some official documents. At the beginning of 2006 the Propaganda Department of Anhui Province revealed in their report: “Inspection of Propaganda and Cultural Work in Nanchang, Changsha, Zhengzhou” that “since October 2004, the Changsha Municipal CCP Committee Foreign Propaganda Office submitted to the principal leaders the publication “Changsha Public Opinion Express.” To serve their purpose, the Municipal Party Committee General Office, the Municipal Party Committee Party School, the City Committee Political Research Department, and other units have hired a number of Internet commentators and set up a commentator team, and promoted a network review inspection, assessment, and recognition system. Internet commentators earned a monthly salary of RMB 600. Their main duty is to closely monitor public opinion appearing on the internet, provide information and carry out targeted publicity network planning and Internet opinion guidance. Every week the commentators will have one focus, and make posts on China Web of the Spiritual Civilization, the People’s Web, Xinhua Net and 20 other popular domestic sites. Also they’ll blog text and pictures of Changsha City’s Three Civilizations Construction, and its related new approach, new achievements and new experiences. Besides the basic monthly wage, the commentators will receive extra payment from each post, which is counted at RMB 50 cents. That’s where “Fifty Cents” comes from.

  Hunan Province has been the pioneer in organizing the “Fifty Cent Party” and publicized the fruits of their labor to other provinces. They have submitted 800 messages per month to the provincial leaders. In addition to hiring full-time commentators, in 2006 the Propaganda Department of Hunan Province also advocated to the staff on the front lines of propaganda work that “everyone can make 50 cents.” This greatly increased the staff for Hunan’s “Fifty Cent” team, which is an invisible network in the world and forms a unique landscape.

  » Read more
  • May 15, 2008 10:19 PM

• Wanted To Hire: Internet Commentators for the Taizhou Government - ESWN

  

  ESWN has translated an article from Boxun on the required duties, qualifications, and qualities wanted for a new team of Internet commentators hired by the Taizhou government (original Chinese text here):

  The Taizhou city publicity department and Internet administration came up with a proposal to set up city- and county-level teams of Internet commentators. The newspaper editors’ committee asked that Taizhou Daily name two persons each from its news center, its editorial center and its supplement section and that the Taizhou Evening News and the Taizhou Commercial Press to name two each. The above forms the core of about 30 Internet commentators overall. What are the qualifications? [Full text]

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  • June 16, 2007 3:19 PM

• ESWN: Undercover Internet Commentators on the Chinese Internet

  

  ESWN has translated in full the Southern Weekend article about government agents posting comments undercover on Internet forums to help guide discussions. The original article has disappeared from the Southern Weekend site, but ESWN has reposted it in full. From the translation:

  According to the document “Practical ideas on Suqian City Internet opinion,” the City Committee Propaganda will establish the “Internet Administration Office” and “Internet News Administration Office” to manage the daily activities of the Internet commentators. There will be periodic communications meetings on news topics. At the end of each year, the job performances of the Internet commentators will be evaluated for the annual appraisals and feedback.

  The City Propaganda Department will offer training to the Internet commentators, and the classes will include Marxist theories about news, the Party’s propaganda policies, how to control the high points of Internet opinions, the state of development of the Internet inside and outside of China, etc.

  » Read more
  • May 21, 2005 9:49 AM

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