Page 152 - Feasibility Study of New Media Technology on Constructing Online Public Sphere

Feasibility Study of New Media Technology
on Constructing Online Public Sphere

gradually cultivated the awareness of democracy and civil rights in Chinese society.

Compared with the physical forms of social campaign, the government changed its atti-
tudes towards online public participation from strict prohibition to possible tolerance. It
allowed opportunities for the public to debate and comment on social events and, mir-
roring the information regime theory, marked a cut-off point in China’s media history –
the beginning of the third Information Regime, the digital age. Technological develop-

ment offered easily accessible information channels, which brought new options in the
communication form between public and government. Together with the commerciali-
sation of the media industry, the products launched by the internet companies provided

a platform for people to express views and to exchange information. The Sun Zhigang
case was the unintended consequence when all these three conditions accidentally met.

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