ABSTRACT
In contemporary Chinese society, food safety problems, as a typical form of modern risk, have increasingly become part and parcel of people's everyday life, and have brought about a pervasive sense of insecurity and uncertainty. Traditionally, mass media like newspaper and television have played a crucial role in defining and interpreting risk issues. The mass media system in China has long been viewed as the 'tongue and throat' of the party–state which serves to produce public consent and consolidate the political power of the government. Weibo, the Chinese microblog, has dramatically transformed the traditional patterns of public discussion in China, and has made itself the new centre of public opinion since its first launch in 2009. Mass media coverage on the cadmium-tainted rice incident constructed a grand narrative of 'risk under control' through disseminating reassuring yet superficial announcements and highlighting the positive role of the government.
