ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at dynamic and the impact of Weibo on news in the context of China, while the democratizing role of social media has attracted a good deal of academic interest. The rise of Weibo offers a concrete case for examining the possibilities as well as the limitations of the public role of social media in authoritarian China, where all forms of media are tightly controlled. The chapter focuses on literature in Chinese and English and primary data from the author's own research. It provides a brief overview of the use of social media by news organizations and journalists and contextualizes their role in the system of media control in China. The public role of Weibo upsets the system of ideological formation, where the ruling Chinese Communist Party controls the production of news media content. Weibo is the latest platform on which Chinese internet users have participated in the news process.
