| ID | 182948 |
| Title Proper | Grassroots, Astroturf, or Something in Between? Semi-Official WeChat Accounts as Covert Vectors of Party-State Influence in Contemporary China |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Neagli, Jackson Paul |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This article explores a facet of the Chinese propaganda apparatus that has yet to receive sufficient academic attention: the murky ecosystem of “semi-official” party-state presences on Chinese social media. With a particular focus on WeChat public accounts, this investigation responds to two critical research questions: first, what differentiates official party-state social media presences from semi-official presences, and second, what unique role do semi-official WeChat accounts play in the contemporary Chinese propaganda apparatus? This article samples content published by five dyads of official and semi-official WeChat public accounts during the first fifteen days of June 2019. The results of this comparative, case-study-based discourse analysis support two conclusions. First, semi-official WeChat accounts posture as independent from the party-state in order to attract large followings and gain credibility. Second, semi-official WeChat public accounts operate as “astroturfed influencers,” enabling the Chinese propaganda apparatus to covertly manipulate online discourse with extraordinary efficiency. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of Current Chinese Affairs Vol. 50, No.2; Aug 2021: p.180-208 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Current Chinese Affairs Vol: 50 No 2 |
| Key Words | China ; Propaganda ; Censorship ; Xi Jinping ; Social Media ; Thought Work ; WeChat |