"In the early days of the crisis, online vitriol was directed largely at the local authorities" says King-wa Fu, an associate professor at the 'Journalism and Media Studies Center' at the University of Hong Kong.
"But now," he says, "more of the anger is being aimed at higher-level leadership—and there seems to be more of it over all. So the Chinese government has shifted it's strategy to information control."
Mr. Xi called a restriction on "rumor-mongering" that weakens control efforts, at the Chinese Communist Party committee in charge of controlling China's legal system. Local officials attempt to shut down "online rumors" about the virus as well.
State-run news and media have been told to focus on stories about more positive virus relief efforts according to Chinese news organizations. Moreover, popular internet platforms have removed several articles/publications that state shortcomings in the Chinese government's negative responses or actions about the coronavirus outbreak.
Discussion Questions:
1. Why do you think Chinese authorities would want to censor negative statements about the virus even if they are true?
2. Why do you think the public would criticize the government for the virus outbreak?
3. Is it right to censor negative news about the virus outbreak?
In my opinion, while it is not uncommon for China to attempt to contain unfavorable information from their citizens, it is definitely not the right thing to do. While it is unfortunate the all the information about the virus may not be accurate, it is important for people to make their own decisions and judgements about what is right or not instead of the Chinese government doing it for them.
ReplyDeleteI think China leaders are shutting down negative statements about the virus because they don't want to cast a negative view on China as a whole. They don't want this virus to hurt their image as a country or to define them. The government is probably being blamed for the outbreak because people believe that they are letting it spread. I don't think it's right to censor negative news about the virus because people have to stay informed. However, I do believe that the media should focus more on the positives of the outbreak and the healing methods that they are developing.
ReplyDeleteWhile I sympathize with the frustrations of the Chinese government over the media and internet stirring people up into a frenzy, and recognize that the media and internet can spread panic without foundation, censorship is not the right way to deal with this. Instead, more work should be done to make the facts of the situation available to the public. Additionally, the public are most likely blaming the government for the breakout because they are actively trying to cover up the negative effects of it and they have the most authority and power in regards to how the outbreak is dealt with.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese government is clearly shutting down negative statements in an effort to protect the country's image, but with good reason. Rumors and false statements have spread into the minds of many people, especially in the United States, and people are beginning to fear the Chinese people as a whole. Immigrants are being harassed and avoided even if they are completely healthy and free of the virus. Additionally, the media has done a thorough job of spreading lies about China and the disease. It is obvious that any leader would want to avoid this for their country, but it is also important for the truth to be shared. It would be absurd to believe that the government is at fault for this outbreak, but many people do because they don't have access to the truth. If Chinese leaders stopped censoring the truth, this issue might be diminished, but other countries, especially the United States, need to respect China instead of making nasty jokes about its citizens. The mass hysteria caused by the media's spreading of false rumors is distracting from several more critical issues occuring in the United States and across the world (Australian fires, climate change, hunger, homelessness, the list goes on), nevermind other epidemics that are causing more deaths than coronavirus, such as influenza (the flu).
ReplyDeleteChina has a history of censorship, and the quickly spreading coronavirus puts China in a negative light. They want to keep a good image, not be perceived as not doing enough to prevent the spread and deaths caused by the virus. The media in general is exaggerating the story, spreading panic even though it is only killing people who are old or have weak immune systems, and the flu is having a much greater effect. However, China should not be censoring information regarding such a sensitive and developing topic, because the less accurate information is, the more conspiracy will be created and less progress will be made towards finding a cure.
ReplyDeleteThis isnt really out of chinas charater, but I think there is more to this virus. IF this virus does spread any further it could colaspse the china´s bid to build a trading empire and lead to mass instability in many countries trading with africa. THis virus could decide the futures of millions of people around the globe
ReplyDeleteChinese authorities probably want to censor information about the virus to protect China's image- they want to make it look like everything is under control when really, the situation is really chaotic. The public might blame the authorities for the spread of the virus if the media ended up blowing up the situation, and they might say they are not trying hard enough to cure the virus. It is not right to censor any news about the outbreak because the virus is harmful and the general public needs to be aware of the threat it poses so that they can take the necessary precautions to stay as safe as possible. If the public does not know exactly what is going on, they will be less capable of protecting themselves.
ReplyDeleteChina does seem to be shutting down some online rumors about the virus to save face, but also to not have people crazily running around worrying about the virus. Yes, this is a very serious thing going around right now, but just because someone gets it doesn't mean that they will have any harsher symptoms than the common flu. The bigger problem is the virus being able to rapidly spread, as it's an airborne virus, and infect others who have worse immune systems. I don't agree with necessarily hiding some of the harsher parts to this situation, but more of correcting the rumors and giving more statistical facts so people can get a better understanding of the seriousness of this virus so we don't overreact.
ReplyDeleteI think that Chinese authorities would want to censor negative statements despite them being true in order to prevent chaos and to keep a good image of China. However, it is not right to censor true statements, especially those who could be a threat to the rest of the world. Many people in China are angry right now about this censorship, especially following the recent death of a doctor. The doctor had discovered and spread the initial message of the coronavirus, but his message was soon censored by the government, although the virus was a immense threat. Hopefully, now with the knowledge of the virus out, the world can work to contain it.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cnn.com/2020/02/06/asia/li-wenliang-coronavirus-whistleblower-doctor-dies-intl/index.html
DeleteI think that blocking the negative news is not the correct way to respond to this disease. The negative news could help scientists discover a cure and a way to at least prevent it from spreading. China has censored information before, and it wasn't a good decision. They blocked many social media, including YouTube and various video games. Their way to "solve" problems is not beneficial for them, and the other countries. Stopping communication and information to spread in different countries could harm the rate at which scientists find a solution. Therefore, I think that blocking the news from the public is not a logical way to solve the corona virus disease.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the negative news shouldn't be censored, as this is a worldwide public health concern and any withheld information might be helpful in sizing up just how bad things really are. Keeping secrets about the number of people affected is not going to help at all in the long run, and will just end up getting more people sick. If the censorship continues, the Chinese government might gain a bad reputation instead of upholding their good image of China like they hoped to achieve. Being transparent about the whole issue will help everyone understand and realize the true severity of the issue, so we can be more prepared.
ReplyDeleteI think Chinese authorities would want to censor negative statements about the virus to prevent tainting their country's image along with the fact that China is a communist country so media can be altered to their benefit in their country so it makes it easier to censor the truth from china's citizens. It's not right to censor negative news about the virus outbreak because this is a global health concern and withholding info is not beneficial to anyone at this point.
ReplyDeleteI think that Chinese authorities censor negative statements about the virus because they want to maintain a good image for their country. I don't think it is right to do this because citizens of China and people around the world deserve to know all of the potential dangers the virus carries. Releasing the statements could possibly slow the spread, as people would be better informed about the virus.
ReplyDeleteCensoring negative news on the virus is both good and bad. By only allowing the good news to spread, the government is able to provide the public with a much more positive view on the situation. This can help keep order and peace, as citizens will not try and forcefully leave the country by rioting, etc. If people believe the situation is contained for now, then everyone can have a peace of mind. However, censorship does limit the negative news of the virus, which can explain what is happening with the virus right now (is it mutating, spreading to which cities, etc.) Some of this negative information can benefit the rest of the world, as well the country's own citizens, who can have a much larger insight to the situation and devise plans to avoid being contracted with the disease.
ReplyDeleteCensoring the news is good to make the outbreak seem less bad, but in some ways it is making it worse, since there is no available information on the spread of the virus.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the Chinese government is censoring specific details about the recent outbreak of the coronavirus because they want to ensure that their country has a good image. I do understand why they are choosing to censor this information because the government could easily get blamed for letting this outbreak get out of hand. However, I believe that the Chinese people have the right to know this information because it concerns their health.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese government has always tried to uphold a good image in front of the people even it means lying or censorship. By censoring the bad news it makes China seem better than they are. The public would definitely criticize the Chinese government because when the Coronavirus first emerged, the Chinese government did not act fast enough and even censored any reports as fake news. It is both bad and good to censor negative news because it can stop mass hysteria. It is also bad because the people have the right to know. It can help spread the virus if people do not have the right information. According to this article: https://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/05/14/sars.censor/ China also censored reports of the SARS outbreak. It is not surprising that China has tried to stop negative reports and will likely continue to do so.
ReplyDeleteI think the Chinese government has been preventing the spread of several details about the outbreak to prevent mass hysteria. If these statements are true, I think the general public should be notified beforehand so nations can work to prevent an even more catastrophic outbreak. The public would definitely criticize the Chinese government about the outbreak due to it's lack of control, management and minimal response which was late. I don't think it's right to censor information about the Corona virus outbreak because the world should know hats going on rather than having false rumors and speculations going out. There have also been several cases of Wuhan residents and Chinese doctors attempting to speak out and the Chinese government is doing everything in their power to silence them. This was the case of the Chinese doctor who passed away from the Corona Virus and he was one of the few medical professionals to sound the alarm early for a global disaster.
ReplyDeleteI think the Chinese leaders have been trying to shut down negative statements about the virus because they don't want the world to view China as a bad place. I think it's bad that China is trying to keep everything a secret because this also affects the world its it's better to know that they are facing.
ReplyDeleteCensorship has always been heavy in China. With this comes infringement of citizens' basic rights (which is a foreign concept to Chinese citizens anyway); they are divested of the power to remain informed about their country and its occurrences. This could lead to detrimental consequences, as a lack of information on the disease would result in a lack of awareness.
ReplyDeleteThere has always been censorship in Chinese media, especially surrounding topics that might de-value China's reputation. they want to keep this information out of the public eye simply because the mass hysteria resulting from it would create more problems and they don't want to seem bad. I think that is is completely horrible to censor facts about the virus as it basically leads to more ignorance and that could have more serious consequences down the road.
ReplyDeleteThroughout history, China has been infamous for censoring information, such as making certain words inaccessible for their citizens to search on the Internet; it is a clear violation of human rights, keeping citizens uninformed and silencing the media (though there are many other transgressions that could be listed). However, in this case, blocking negative news about Coronavirus outbreak may be a better course of action. This is not to say that the Chinese government is handling the situation well, since their censorship resulted in international obliviousness to the Coronavirus’s existance for a month after the outbreak started, and that was clearly a poor decision, considering the immensity of human lives that were at stake. Currently, it may be wise to order news and media to focus on stories that provide more details on positive virus relief efforts and make sure that they are, in fact, responding appropriately. Mass hysteria and panic leads to violence, and this needs to be subverted; already, people are stealing supplies, such as toilet paper, and the situation could worsen. Additionally, China understandably is trying to put up a good image to not only their public, but to the international community, who blames the country heavily for the Coronavirus, with some individuals in other countries taking it as far as becoming racist towards Chinese immigrants. Still, China is much at fault, and their authorities would be willing to censor negative statements about the virus even if they were true. Their track record exposes this.
ReplyDelete