The pro-democracy news site iYouPort (@iyouport_news) tweeted the following propaganda directive:
All websites must prominently repost the feature page “2015 ‘Five 100s’ Online Positive Energy Selection Results.” Strictly control forum threads. (May 16, 2016) [Chinese]
Internet user voting has just ended for the 2015 “Best of Online Positive Energy Selection Campaign” (网络正能量精品评选活动), whittling down the top articles, images, audiovisual content, features, and “role models.” The finalists now move on to a panel of judges who will choose 100 winners from each category; hence the campaign nickname “Five 100s.” The phrase “positive energy” has been used by President Xi Jinping when calling on the media, artists and writers to promote Party ideology and avoid a critical tone in their work.
Content in each category will be judged for “actively transmitting positive energy addressing recent major policies, issues, activities, events, hot topics, and emergency situations.” Top contenders showcase such themes as inter-ethnic harmony, police and military helping civilians, and parents caring for their children. The most-voted photo shows a policewoman and a Uyghur man at an Eid al-Adha celebration in Xinjiang. President Xi Jinping features in four of the top ten videos.
The contest of optimism is sponsored by the China Internet Development Foundation, itself formed in the fall of 2015 under the auspices of the Cyberspace Administration of China. In September the foundation agreed to a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.
