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Microblogging site Weibo reveals big changes after government rebuke
New layout emerges after week-long closure of trending topics section
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This article originally appeared on ABACUS
A key feature of one of the most popular social sites in China has returned after government pressure forced Weibo to close part of the site for a week.
In late January, the microblogging site shut down Hot Search, its trending topics section. The reason? State media said Weibo failed to censor content that contradicts with Communist Party values, including vulgar and pornographic materials.
Now Hot Search has re-emerged with a difference: State propaganda articles are given prominence above other trends. On Monday morning, an article from state media titled “Rural Revitalization in the New Era” sat on top of the actual ranking.
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That ties in with a new section added called “New Era”. The name appears to be a reference to President Xi Jinping’s political ideology, enshrined in the party constitution last year. This section consists entirely of government-friendly content with titles like “Building a World-Class Military” and “China’s Powerful High-speed Rail”. Each article links to a state-sanctioned Weibo account.
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