Transparency, Propaganda and Disinformation: 'Managing' Anticorruption Information in China

Journal of Comparative Law, 2018 Forthcoming

17 Pages Posted: 14 Jun 2018

See all articles by Ling Li

Ling Li

University of Vienna - Department of East Asian Studies

Date Written: May 30, 2018

Abstract

In her article ‘Transparency, Propaganda and Disinformation: “Managing” anticorruption information in China’ Dr Li Ling examines the quality of access to information—both fact and propaganda orientated—relating to corruption and anticorruption in China and how that affects understanding about corruption. The essay shows that the availability of corruption-related information has dramatically increased since 2012, largely as a result of not only expanded anticorruption efforts but also the introduction of various social media platforms. There have been improvements in the release of corruption-related laws and regulations and of information about important procedural decisions made during the disciplinary and judicial processes of individual corruption cases. However, provision of detailed information about specific decisions has been reduced, and limits on the access to the source of information controlled by governmental authorities makes it difficult for ordinary citizens to take an accurate and independent view of events. Moreover, while release to the public of accurate factual information remains limited, propagandistic anticorruption information is produced in abundance and circulated to the public with much greater intensity and growing sophistication. In the past five years, great efforts have been made by the Party to improve the acceptance of anticorruption propaganda and to increase the content diversity of anticorruption propaganda. The purpose of anticorruption propaganda continues to be a localization of problems of corruption by characterizing corruption offenders as trust-breaching and venal opportunists who have deserted the cause of the Party and fallen prey to beguiling bribers. Thus, the Party is able to portray itself both as a victim of the crimes of corruption and as a crusader against corruption, legitimately striving to have its moral image repaired and integrity restored.

Keywords: corruption, anticorruption, China, propaganda, transparency, disinformation

Suggested Citation

Li, Ling, Transparency, Propaganda and Disinformation: 'Managing' Anticorruption Information in China (May 30, 2018). Journal of Comparative Law, 2018 Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3187196

Ling Li (Contact Author)

University of Vienna - Department of East Asian Studies ( email )

Campus-Altes AKH
Spitalgasse 2, Hof 2, Eingang 2.3
Wien, 1090
Austria

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