Safety Valve or Pressure Cooker? Blogs in Chinese Political Life

Hassid, JH

Safety Valve or Pressure Cooker? Blogs in Chinese Political Life

Hassid, JH

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Publisher:: International Communication Association
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Communication, 2012, 62 (2), pp. 212 - 230
Issue Date:: 2012-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Hassid, JH	en_US
dc.date.issued	2012-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Communication, 2012, 62 (2), pp. 212 - 230	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0021-9916	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/22732
dc.description.abstract	Despite censorship, Chinese bloggers routinely uncover corruption, help solve social problems, and even pressure state officials to change policy. The power of online opinion is undisputed in individual cases, but the overall effect of blog discourse on Chinese political life is unclear. Do blogs relieve pressure for political change by allowing troublemakers to vent frustrations in a marginal medium, or are they integrated with the larger system of political communication in China, inspiring political activism and building communities of likeminded activists? Using large-scale content analysis and specific case studies, I argue that blogs serve as a "safety valve" on issues where the mainstream media set the agenda, and a "pressure cooker" on issues where bloggers get ahead of journalists.	en_US
dc.publisher	International Communication Association	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Communication	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1111/j.1460-2466.2012.01634.x	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Communication & Media Studies	en_US
dc.title	Safety Valve or Pressure Cooker? Blogs in Chinese Political Life	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	62	en_US
utslib.for	1902 Film, Television and Digital Media	en_US
utslib.for	2001 Communication and Media Studies	en_US
utslib.for	1903 Journalism and Professional Writing	en_US
dc.location.activity	ISI:000251377300009
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences/Social and Political Sciences Program
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.consider-herdc	true	en_US
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.volume	62	en_US

Abstract:

Despite censorship, Chinese bloggers routinely uncover corruption, help solve social problems, and even pressure state officials to change policy. The power of online opinion is undisputed in individual cases, but the overall effect of blog discourse on Chinese political life is unclear. Do blogs relieve pressure for political change by allowing troublemakers to vent frustrations in a marginal medium, or are they integrated with the larger system of political communication in China, inspiring political activism and building communities of likeminded activists? Using large-scale content analysis and specific case studies, I argue that blogs serve as a "safety valve" on issues where the mainstream media set the agenda, and a "pressure cooker" on issues where bloggers get ahead of journalists.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/22732