Sarah Cook: China’s Media Forecast Is Bleak and Stormy
The Year of the Dog saw Chinese journalists and bloggers kept on a tighter leash than ever. President Xi Jinping and the ruling Communist Party moved aggressively to control reportingon threats to the economy, block or shut down popular social media applications, and reduce avenues for jumping the so-called Great Firewall’s censorship. The Year of the Pig, which starts on Feb. 5, doesn’t look much better—but could also see the start of some serious pushback globally, as the world becomes more aware of Beijing’s propaganda-fueled efforts to influence foreign audiences. Here are five takeaways for China’s information control strategies in the new lunar year.
