Pettersen Julia Master
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Renegotiating the Public Sphere Microblogging in the People’s Republic of China Julia Caroline Stelzer Pettersen Master Thesis Department of Media and Communications, Faculty of Humanities UNIVERSITY OF OSLO November 2012 1 2 © Julia C.Stelzer Pettersen 2012 Renegotiating the Public Sphere – Microblogging in the People’s Republic of China Author: Julia C. Stelzer Pettersen http://www.duo.uio.no/ Print: Reprosentralen, Universitetet i Oslo 3 Abstract The popular rise of Chinese microblogging tools has proposed new challenges and opportunities for both Chinese authorities and Chinese Netizens. This project explores how microblogging tools, exemplified by Sina Weibo, positions itself within the greater Chinese online sphere, and what limitations and possibilities can be identified within the content diffused across such a network. By applying a theoretical framework of the public sphere, Sina Weibo is argued to be a space that favors interaction across social and geographical boundaries within an easy to use infrastructure. Due to high-speed and a saturated format of posts of text, image and video, microblogs have a potential to spread information in small but meaningful packages. A content analysis of 281 posts regarding the Wenzhou train crash, and five leaked media directives regarding the same incident, identified microblogs to have an important yet limited agenda-setting function; important as it offers a meaningful alternative to traditional media outlets who remain more deeply subdued by content regulating directives, but limited in lack of significant offline consequences being observed, as well as overall issues of trustworthiness affecting the quality of content. As part of the same controlled and censored sphere as other off- and online media, Chinese microblogging applications are unsurprisingly discovered to have a clear limitation in overt censorship like blocking and removal of content. Nevertheless are microblogs also identified to offer high levels of flexibility within its controlled frames, where diverse and balanced expression on a variety of topics. 4 5 Acknowledgements I am first and foremost in deep gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Li Shubo for sticking by me through this entire process, and always making me feel like you believe in me. I am forever grateful for your valuable comments, preferably over a cup of coffee. Your knowledge on Chinese media is nothing short of awe-inspiring, and a true inspiration to me. Also I am in deep gratitude to Prof. Helge Rønning, for offering additional guidance in later stages of this project. I will certainly miss stepping in to your office stacked with books, for conversations that always left feeling both enlightened and optimistic. Any shortcomings of this thesis are surely my own, but any successes are all thanks to Dr. Li and Prof. Rønning. I am also eternally indebted to Orchid Liu and Song Wei for supplementing my own shortcomings in battle with the Chinese language with their extremely qualified and thoughtful translation skills. My dearest Marcus, thank you for your constant support and encouragement, for being the best friend a girl can have, and for invaluable help in every single aspect of life. Thank you Edda, my sister in spirit and heart for always sharing my joys and pains like they were your own. Thank you also to Lars aka The Swede for teaching me how important it is to always keep learning and improving. And Rikke, you are a gem, thank you for being one of the brightest, kindest and most inspiring people I know. My brother and sister, and their amazing families, I honestly cannot wait to finally get to spend some more quality time with you all. And finally, my parents Carola Maria Stelzer Pettersen and Arild Bjarne Pettersen Skjeggestad; this thesis is dedicated entirely to you. You amaze me in your eternal support and absolute unconditional love. There really are no words that can convey my appreciation and gratitude to the two of you. Thank you. 6 On July 23 2011 two trains crashed near the city of Wenzhou in the Zhejiang province of China. The stories of those who passed and those who struggled to survive are found within these pages. Behind numbers and descriptions, I hope you will sense the grieving heart and deepest condolences offered to those who left and those left behind, sent with deep respect from a humble student far, far away. 7 Content 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 The social Internet......................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Defining social media.................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Focus of study and research questions .......................................................................... 6 1.3.1 Rationale of thesis .................................................................................................. 6 1.3.2 Research questions ................................................................................................. 7 1.4 Outline of thesis ............................................................................................................ 7 2 Theoretical framework ......................................................................................................... 9 2.1 The public sphere .......................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Private vs. Public......................................................................................................... 12 2.3 The online public sphere ............................................................................................. 13 2.4 The off- and online public sphere in China................................................................. 15 2.5 Applying a public sphere framework .......................................................................... 18 3 Exploring ‘Chinanet’.......................................................................................................... 19 3.1 The Chinese Netizens.................................................................................................. 20 3.1.1 Who are they?....................................................................................................... 21 3.1.2 What do they do online?....................................................................................... 21 3.2 Internet with ‘Chinese Characteristics’ ....................................................................... 22 3.2.1 Containing online China....................................................................................... 22 3.2.2 Control and censorship......................................................................................... 23 3.2.3 Media Directives .................................................................................................. 26 3.2.4 Online monopolization......................................................................................... 27 3.3 Online culture.............................................................................................................. 30 3.3.1 Online Spoofs and Slang as Communication Tools............................................. 30 3.3.2 The Wu Mao Dang............................................................................................... 31 3.3.3 Rule of the Online Mob........................................................................................ 32 3.4 Microblogging............................................................................................................. 34 3.4.1 Chinese Microblogging........................................................................................ 34 3.4.2 Sina Weibo ........................................................................................................... 36 4 Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 38 4.1 Case Study as methodological approach..................................................................... 38 8 4.2 Designing a case study ................................................................................................ 39 4.2.1 Linking Research Questions to Data.................................................................... 40 4.2.2 Applied Methodology: Issues and Choices.......................................................... 43 4.2.3 Archival Research ................................................................................................ 45 4.2.4 Qualitative Content analysis................................................................................. 45 4.3 Methodological concerns ............................................................................................ 49 4.3.1 Trustworthiness and Ethics .................................................................................. 49 4.3.2 Translations .......................................................................................................... 52 4.3.3 Concerns of Quality ............................................................................................. 53 4.4 Getting Familiar with Sina Weibo .............................................................................. 54 4.4.1 The Wenzhou train crash as a single case ............................................................ 55 4.4.2 Constructing