Page 174 - Feasibility Study of New Media Technology on Constructing Online Public Sphere

Feasibility Study of New Media Technology
on Constructing Online Public Sphere

formation Technology and is registered with the Xiamen Network Security Department.

It is a legitimate company which aims to provide a platform for people in Xiamen to
interact and to exchange information. The PX plant event pushed it into the spotlight
from obscurity. The public is the ultimate beneficiary of Fish Community Forum as
it provides an online public sphere to interact on events that concern every Xiamen
citizen. However, this particular topic touched the objective of the local government

which caused a series effect on Fish Community Forum. In response to public opinion
and potential mass event, the government’s immediate reaction was to block the chan-
nel where the public opinion was formed. The expected function of Fish Community

Forum was to serve as a medium for the aggregation of public opinion and prompt ne-
gotiation between local government and the public. However, the government chose to
directly administrate the medium instead of responding to the netizens.
As the Interviewee 1 indicated, ‘the relationship between government departments
and internet companies is all about regulate and be regulated, manage and be managed,

comply and be complied’. Interviewee 2 supported the statement and summarised it as:
‘Internet companies are supervised and regulated by relevant functional govern-
ment departments. The relationship is like “dancing with shackles”. Internet com-

panies are always looking for a solution while walking on the edge of laws and
regulations. In fact, the traditional media and internet companies have to face the
same problem under this situation’ .
26
Since Fish Community Forum is a private company, it has no choice but to follow
the government’s instructions. It implies a model of government-media interaction in

which the government takes the leading role. From asking for guarantee letters, filtering
the content posted on the website to physical intervention of onsite inspections, it grad-
ually increased pressure on the company. According to Interviewee 2:

‘In recent years, it has been made clear that internet companies are mainly and
directly regulated by Cyberspace Administration of China, and they are also mon-
itored by Public Security Bureau, Ministry of State Security, The State Council
Information Office and other related official departments. The operation of inter-

26 Translation provided by the author.

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