Page 212 - Feasibility Study of New Media Technology on Constructing Online Public Sphere

Feasibility Study of New Media Technology
on Constructing Online Public Sphere

views. In terms of the questionnaire survey, it is collected randomly for those who have

knowledge or participated in the event. From the perspective of the ‘public’, it aims
to explore all kinds of participation in the Yihuang incident, and more importantly,
their attitudes and perceptions of public participation through We Media in such social
events. The semi-structured interviews target at practitioners in the internet media in-
dustry. From the perspective of media professionals, it investigates the profit-empower-

ing relationship between the public and media companies, as well as their professional
perceptions of whether can Weibo be seen as online public sphere.
Data analysis of the questionnaire survey is divided into four groups. The first

group of data corresponds to the role of social media in the face of a social event, i.e.
the instant and spontaneous dissemination of information and how it promotes the de-
velopment of a social event. The second group of data answers one of the main research
questions – the dynamics and forms of online public participation and how they are re-
flected in the Yihuang event. The third group of data deals with people’s perceptions in

public participation through We Media. The final group of data explores problems that
may occur during such online public participation of a social event.
In terms of the data collected from interviews, it is discussed in comparison to the

questionnaire survey to find out the similarities and differences between the two stake-
holders in using media as a channel to facilitate public participation. It also explores
considerations from the media side in providing the platform that caters both the needs
of consumers and government regulations, e.g., the flexibility in providing a virtual
space for public participation without touching the government’s bottom line, their pro-

fessional suggestions in the problems that may occur during online public participation
and possible solutions.

7.4.1 Social media as a vehicle for the instant and spontaneous dissemi-
nation of a social event

One of the survey questions asks respondents’ experience in using SNS. Figure 46
shows that of the people who know or participated in the Yihuang case; 77.30% have
registered and used Weibo, whereas only 25.50% of them have registered and used a

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