Injustice, corruption given greater national focus by online reporting, study finds
More people are using new internet tools such as microblog services and mobile internet to expose injustice and corruption, a study by mainland prosecutors has found.
Officials from the State People's Procuratorate, which organised the study released this week, said the new communication tools were becoming increasingly popular and important to make local corruption cases and courtroom controversies nationwide topics.
The study aimed to learn about public opinion related to corruption and governance, during the first half of this year. It looked at the number of reports, forum articles and blog posts about various events in the first six months, covering postings by media outlets and individuals alike.
It learned the public was using the internet to follow and discuss controversial judicial events such as the trial of Beijing lawyer Li Zhuang in Chongqing this year.
Li was sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison in February for fabricating evidence, but many fellow lawyers and internet users believed the verdict was flawed. They subjected Chongqing authorities to heavy online criticism for a couple of months.
The study found that Henan, where the greatest number of cases of injustice were exposed, and Guangdong - which had the most outspoken media outlets - contributed the most contentious discussion topics. Illegal evictions were the most common cases discussed online, and they have also led to tens of thousands of protests across the mainland in recent years.
Another issue drawing much attention is the increasing number of people being sent to mental hospitals for various reasons. Internet users complained that authorities failed to explain the rise in hospital admissions of people critical of the government.
The survey found that police were the object of the most negative comments from the public, followed by judges. Internet users lost confidence in the judiciary after reports of judges being involved in all kinds of scandals, including raping teenage girls, demanding bribes and illegally investing in coal mines. New media tools have changed the way traditional media cover corruption and injustice; many cases now are first reported in online posts.
The most discussed cases include allegations that improperly stored vaccine caused illnesses among children in Shanxi province.
The second most discussed case was that of a Guangxi tobacco official, whose diary describing sex with women and bribe-taking was leaked online, causing a national outcry.
