Publicness Of Chinese Micro-blogging Media

The year2011has witnessed hot debates and discussions in the cyberspace ofChina, where the micro-blogging service has become the center of the Internet publicopinion. The service, Sina Weibo in particular, is playing an increasingly important rolein enhancing information exchange and strengthening power supervision through publicopinion in Chinese society. To better understand this new web application, the authortries to explore its role and functions in one of last year’s hot issues—the WenzhouBullet Train Crash on July23,2011. He utilizes conceptual tools such as thepublicness of the media, public sphere theory to analyze the micro-blogging space. Healso tries to provide policy recommendations to develop and further tap its publicness.The paper is divided into following parts. Firstly, the review of domestic andinternational literatures on micro-blogging services and the public sphere is conducted.Secondly, core concepts are defined and research design is described. Thirdly, a typicalcase of the Wenzhou Bullet Train Crash is dealt with. The last part is the discussion andconclusions.Through case study, we found that there are diversified types of participants in thepublic debate of Weibo and that some elites in the real life are enjoying greater voices.We also found that Weibo is a new tool of mass communication and shows features ofpublicness. Discourses on the Chinese Weibo are of strong public concern, and are oftencritical of public authorities, a feature which is in line with words of Jürgen Habermas, afounder of the public sphere theory. Discourse polarization with sensations was alsofound in the Weibo space, which is a type of distorted communication and threatens thepulicness. We also discussed issues such as the centralization of discourse power andthe important role of Weibo as a news medium.In the end, we propose that in the Weibo space, sound interactions andcoordination should be promoted among discourses of public authorities, elites and thepublic. And measures should be taken to ensure the sound operation of Weibo, becauseit could be an effective tool of communication among public discourses.