Gary King, Jennifer Pan, and Margaret E. Roberts of
Harvard University published their study in the American Political Science
Review in 2013. This particular study delves into methods of government censorship
– specifically those exercised by the Chinese government. From website banning
to keyword blocking, the authors took an impressively in depth look at Chinese
censorship methods and posts from the country’s various social media sites.
After analyzing all of this, they hypothesize that the Chinese government censors
posts with “Collective Action Potential”, or the danger of protests and
demonstrations. It makes sense that such a government would want to quash the
thing that, historically, has been the Achilles heel for many an authoritarian
regime.
But
then how did the Occupy Hong Kong movement slip through the censors? How did so
many people come together to demand democracy if it is so allegedly difficult
to express oneself through social media without being censored? Let me quickly
remind you that this study – although extensively researched, well-written, and
detailed – was conducted in 2012 and published in May 2013. I have no qualms
regarding the credibility and aptitude of these authors; however, the truths of
the past can be misleading when looking for the truths of today.
In
September 2013, just a few months after the aforementioned study was published,
China made Facebook available to a small area in Shanghai. Today Facebook and
other social media avenues are available to the citizens of Hong Kong, which
would explain the organization of a mass pro-democracy movement. Evidence of
the Occupy Hong Kong movement (often called the ‘Umbrella Revolution’) is
definitely visible online. People organize on Facebook to bring yellow ribbons,
umbrellas, and banners to various events, and you can even listen to their
unofficial anthem on YouTube.
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