Online rage hits mostly lower officials - Jeremy Goldkorn

Jeremy Goldkorn

Misuse of power incites online rage frequently, but those hit on the internet by angry netizens are mostly lower government agencies, tells internet analyst Jeremy Goldkorn at NBC News. The internet works as an alert for higher officials warning them something is amiss on a lower level. 

NBC News:

Jeremy Goldkorn, an expert on Chinese media and Internet culture, said local governments were increasingly held to account by higher authorities for issues raised on the blogosphere. 

“If they do not react, these lower level officials like city urban management police could lose their jobs,” he said. 

“The first reaction of these types of officials is just to try to cover up and distract attention from the case. Because of the speed and growth of the social media, it becomes more and more difficult for that kind of distraction happen,” he added.

More at NBC News.

Jeremy Goldkorn is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

This week, on Thursday 14 March, the China Weekly Hangout will focus on the media in Hong Kong. In the 1990s they were a beacon of hope, and Hong Kong one of few global news capitals. With Paul Fox of the HKU we will discuss the state of Hong Kong media. You can read our announcement here, or directly register at our event page. 

China's internet censors try to keep the internet in check, and many in China use so-called VPN's to circumvent those filters. But it is an ongoing struggle, told here at the China Weekly Hangout on December 20, 2012,  by Sam Xu, John R. Otto, Gabriel Rueck and Fons Tuinstra.  

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