2013 | Gary King, Jennifer Pan, Margaret E. Roberts
The article by King, Pan, and Roberts examines the Chinese government's extensive censorship efforts on social media, which are the most extensive in recorded history. The authors developed a system to collect and analyze millions of social media posts from nearly 1,400 different platforms across China before the government could censor them. Using advanced text analytic methods, they compared the content of censored and uncensored posts in 85 topic areas over time.
Contrary to previous beliefs, the study found that posts with negative or critical comments about the state, its leaders, and its policies are not more likely to be censored. Instead, the censorship is aimed at curbing collective action by silencing comments that could lead to social mobilization, regardless of their content. The authors argue that the government's primary goal is to prevent collective activities that are currently occurring or may occur in the future, revealing the government's intent to maintain stability and prevent chaos.
The study also highlights the rich source of information about the Chinese government's interests, intentions, and goals that is available in real-time through social media posts. The findings challenge the notion that censorship is primarily aimed at suppressing criticism of the state or the Communist Party. Instead, the data suggests that the government focuses on restricting the spread of information that could lead to collective action, whether it supports or criticizes the state.
The article concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for understanding Chinese politics and comparative politics, emphasizing the importance of empirical evidence in measuring government intent and the effectiveness of censorship strategies.The article by King, Pan, and Roberts examines the Chinese government's extensive censorship efforts on social media, which are the most extensive in recorded history. The authors developed a system to collect and analyze millions of social media posts from nearly 1,400 different platforms across China before the government could censor them. Using advanced text analytic methods, they compared the content of censored and uncensored posts in 85 topic areas over time.
Contrary to previous beliefs, the study found that posts with negative or critical comments about the state, its leaders, and its policies are not more likely to be censored. Instead, the censorship is aimed at curbing collective action by silencing comments that could lead to social mobilization, regardless of their content. The authors argue that the government's primary goal is to prevent collective activities that are currently occurring or may occur in the future, revealing the government's intent to maintain stability and prevent chaos.
The study also highlights the rich source of information about the Chinese government's interests, intentions, and goals that is available in real-time through social media posts. The findings challenge the notion that censorship is primarily aimed at suppressing criticism of the state or the Communist Party. Instead, the data suggests that the government focuses on restricting the spread of information that could lead to collective action, whether it supports or criticizes the state.
The article concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for understanding Chinese politics and comparative politics, emphasizing the importance of empirical evidence in measuring government intent and the effectiveness of censorship strategies.