Jump to content

50 Cent Party

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Wumao)

50 Cent Party
Simplified Chinese五毛党
Traditional Chinese五毛黨
Literal meaningfive-dime party
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinwǔmáo dǎng
Bopomofoㄨˇ ㄇㄠˊ ㄉㄤˇ
Wade–Gileswu3-mao2 tang3
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingng5mou4 dong2
Ziganwu
Simplified Chinese自干五
Traditional Chinese自乾五
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinzì gān wǔ
Bopomofoㄗˋ ㄍㄢ ㄨˇ
Wade–Gilestzŭ4 kan1 wu3
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingzi6 gon1 ng5
Internet commentator(s)
Simplified Chinese网络评论员
Traditional Chinese網絡評論員
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinwǎngluò pínglùn yuán
Bopomofoㄨㄤˇ ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄌㄨㄣˋ ㄩㄢˊ
Wade–Gileswang3-luo4 ping2-lun4 yüan2
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingmong5lok3 ping4leon6 jyun4

The 50 Cent Party, also known as the 50 Cent Army or wumao (/ˈwuːmaʊ/; from Chinese: 五毛; lit. 'five dimes'), are Internet commentators who are paid by the authorities of the People's Republic of China to spread the propaganda of the governing Chinese Communist Party (CCP).[1][2][3] The program was created during the early phases of the Internet's rollout to the wider public in China.[1]

The name is derived from claims such commentators were reportedly paid RMB¥0.50 for every post.[1][4] These commentators create comments or articles on popular Chinese social media networks that are intended to derail discussions which are critical of the CCP, promoting narratives that serve the government's interests and insulting or spreading misinformation about political opponents of the Chinese government, both domestic and abroad.[5][6][7] Some of these commentators have labeled themselves ziganwu (Chinese: 自干五, short for 自带干粮的五毛, zì dài gānliáng de wǔmáo, lit. 'wumao who bring their own dry rations'), claiming they are not paid by authorities and express their support for the Chinese government out of their own volition.[8]

Authors of a paper published in 2017 in the American Political Science Review estimate that the Chinese government fabricates 488 million social media posts per year, representing about 0.6 percent of the 80 billion posts generated on Chinese social media. In contrast to common assumptions, the 50 Cent Party consists mostly of paid bureaucrats who respond to government directives and rarely defend their government from criticism or engage in direct arguments because "... the goal of this massive secretive operation is instead to distract the public and change the subject."[4] Around 80 percent of the analyzed posts involve pro-China inspirational slogans, and 13 percent involve general praise and suggestions on governmental policies. To maximize their influence, such pro-government comments are made largely during times of intense online debate, and when online protests have a possibility of transforming into real life actions.[9] Despite the common allegation of the commentators getting paid for their posts, the paper suggested there was "no evidence" that they are paid anything for their posts, instead being required to do so as a part of their official party duties.[10]

History

[edit]
See also: Chinese information operations and information warfare

In October 2004, the local CCP Propaganda Department of Changsha started hiring Internet commentators, in one of the earliest known uses of professional Internet commentators.[11]

In March 2005, the Ministry of Education enacted a systematic censorship of Chinese college bulletin board systems (BBS). The popular "Little Lily" BBS, run by Nanjing University, was forced to close. As a new system was prepared to be launched, school officials hired students as part-time web commentators, paid from the university's work-study funds, to search the forum for undesirable information and actively counter it with Party-friendly viewpoints. In the following months, party leaders from Jiangsu began hiring their own teams.[12] By mid-2007, web commentator teams recruited by schools, and party organizations were common across China. Shanghai Normal University employed undergraduates to monitor for signs of dissent and post on university forums.[13] These commentators not only operate within political discussions, but also in general discussions.[12][13] Afterwards, some schools and local governments also started to build similar teams.[14][15][16]

On 23 January 2007, Chinese leader Hu Jintao demanded a "reinforcement of ideological and public opinion front construction and positive publicity" at the 38th collective learning session of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party.[17] Large Chinese websites and local governments have been requested to publish the sayings of Hu, and select "comrades with good political quality" to form "teams of Internet commentators" by the CCP Central Committee (中共中央办公厅) and General Office of the State Council (国务院办公厅).[12][18]

Negative reporting of local authorities has increased on the Internet since then.[19] In one instance described on the China Digital Times, the Jiaozuo (Henan) City Public Security Bureau established a mechanism to analyze public opinion after criticism of the police handling of a traffic incident appeared on the Internet. The Bureau responded with 120 staff calling for the truth to be revealed in line with the public opinion, which gradually shifted and eventually supported the police position, denouncing the original poster.[19][20] In the aftermath of the 2008 Weng'an riot, Internet forums were filled with posts critical of the local authorities; the China Newsweek later reported that "the major task of the propaganda group was to organize commentators to past [sic] posts on websites to guide online public opinions."[20]

In 2010, the Shanghai Communist Youth League's official website published a summary, saying that there were more than 200 topics by Shanghai Municipal Authorities' Internet commentators posted at People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Eastday (东方网), Sina and Tianya after many incidents in 2009, including the Lotus Riverside incident, the forced installation of Green Dam Youth Escort software, the Putuo Urban Administrative incident, the control of H1N1, the Shanghai entrapment incident (钓鱼执法), the self-immolation of Pan Rong (潘蓉), etc. It was praised by the Shanghai Internet Publicity Office.[21]

In December 2014, a Chinese blogger hacked into and published email archives for the Internet Propaganda Department of Zhanggong District in Ganzhou, including over 2,700 emails of 50 Cent Party Internet commentators.[22][23] For instance, on 16 January 2014, Shi Wenqing, secretary of the Ganzhou branch of the CCP, held a televised "Internet exchange" in which he answered questions from a local news website forum; 50 Cent Party commentators were instructed to post seven discussion points, such as (translated) "I really admire Party Secretary Shi, what a capable and effective Party Secretary! I hope he can be the father of Ganzhou for years to come."[24]

Range of operation

[edit]

The Ministry of Culture now holds regular training sessions, where participants are required to pass an exam after which they are issued a job certification.[12] As of 2008, the total number of 50-cent operatives was estimated to be in the tens of thousands,[25] and possibly as high as 280,000–300,000.[12][26] Every large Chinese website is instructed by the Information Office to create a trained team of Internet commentators.[12] The Cyberspace Administration of China (shortened as Chinese: 网信办) directly recruit and provide continuous training for internet commentators (Chinese: 网评员) to respond to online emergencies under new forms of public opinion dissemination channels on various social media platforms,[27][28][29] and state-owned entities regularly hold commemoration ceremonies for outstanding staff on the provincial and county-levels.[30][31][32]

According to the Chinese Communists' opinions of the recruitment of university Work Committee (tentative), the university Internet commentators are mainly selected from cadres or student cadres at the local CCP Publicity Department of universities, Youth League, Office of Academic Affairs, Network Center, Admissions Employment Department, Political Theory Department, Teaching Department and other units.[33]

The court of Qinghe District, Huai'an organized a team of 12 commentators.[34] Gansu Province hired 650 commentators, sorted by their writing abilities.[35] Suqian Municipal Publicity Department's first 26 commentators' team were reported by Yangtse Evening Post in April 2005.[36] According to high-profile independent Chinese blogger Li Ming, the pro-Chinese government web commentators must number "at least in the tens of thousands".[37]

A 2016 Harvard study estimated that the group posts about 488 million social media comments per year.[38][4]

According to an article published by Xiao Qiang on his website China Digital Times, a leaked propaganda directive, sent to 50 Cent Party Internet commentators, stated their objective was the following:[39][40]

In order to circumscribe the influence of Taiwanese democracy, in order to progress further in the work of guiding public opinion, and in accordance with the requirements established by higher authorities to "be strategic, be skilled," we hope that internet commentators conscientiously study the mindset of netizens, grasp international developments, and better perform the work of being an internet commentator. For this purpose, this notice is promulgated as set forth below:

(1) To the extent possible make America the target of criticism. Play down the existence of Taiwan.
(2) Do not directly confront [the idea of] democracy; rather, frame the argument in terms of "what kind of system can truly implement democracy.”
(3) To the extent possible, choose various examples in Western countries of violence and unreasonable circumstances to explain how democracy is not well-suited to capitalism.
(4) Use America's and other countries' interference in international affairs to explain how Western democracy is actually an invasion of other countries and [how the West] is forcibly pushing [on other countries] Western values.
(5) Use the bloody and tear-stained history of a [once] weak people [i.e., China] to stir up pro-Party and patriotic emotions.
(6) Increase the exposure that positive developments inside China receive; further accommodate the work of maintaining [social] stability.[39][40]

Terms

[edit]

There is an alternate official term for the Internet commentator, as well as several unofficial terms coined by netizens for them:

Chinese (Simp. / Trad.) Pinyin Literally in English Commonly in English Note
Official name (primary) 网络评论员 / 網絡評論員 wǎngluò pínglùn yuán Internet commentator Abbreviation in Chinese: 网评员 / 網評員 (wǎng píng yuán)
Official name (secondary) 网络阅评员 / 網絡閱評員 wǎngluò yuè píng yuán Internet examiner and commentator N/A
Unofficial term 五毛党 / 五毛黨 or simply 五毛 wǔmáo dǎng or wǔmáo Five-dime Party, or simply "five dimes" 50 Cent Party, 50 Cent Army. The most common name, used pejoratively.
Unofficial term 网评猿 / 網評猿 wǎng píng yuán ape that comments on the 'net N/A A pejorative pronounced identically with the Chinese abbreviation 网评员; wǎng píng yuán above, punning yuán (猿; "ape; monkey") for yuán (员; "personnel, staff member").
Other English terms 红马甲 / 紅馬甲, 红卫兵 / 紅衛兵 hóng mǎjiǎ, hóng wèibīng red vest, red guard[20][41] The Chinese translation for these English terms are rarely used.

Among those names, "50 Cent Party" (五毛党) was the most common and pejorative unofficial term.[42]

According to Foreign Policy, Chinese cyberspace is also noted for its ideological contests between "rightists" – reformists who advocate Western-style democratic reforms, versus "leftists" – conservatives and neo-Confucianists who advocate Chinese nationalism and restructured socialism. In this backdrop, rightists sometimes refer to leftists derogatorily as "50 Centers", regardless of their actual employment background.[9]

The Hong Kong-based Apple Daily reported that although a search for "五毛党" ("50 Cent Party" in Chinese) on a search engine produces results, most were inaccessible and had been deleted.[43]

Effects and opinions

[edit]

The 50 Cent Party's activities were described by CCP general secretary and Chinese president Hu Jintao as "a new pattern of public-opinion guidance";[44][45] they represent a shift from simply erasing dissenting opinions to guiding dialogue. In 2010, a contributor to The Huffington Post stated that some comments she received on one of her posts were from the 50 Cent Party;[46] she also stated that the 50 Cent Party monitors popular US websites, news sites and blogs and posts comments that advance Chinese governmental interests.[46]

David Wertime, writing in Foreign Policy, argued that the narrative where a large army of paid Internet commentators are behind China's poor public dialogue with its critics is "Orwellian, yet strangely comforting". Rather, many of the Chinese netizens spreading nationalist sentiment online are not paid, but often mean what they say.[9]

An analyst at the Wilson Center has noted that ethnic Chinese are more likely to be called wumao than other groups of people in the English-speaking world; she attributed some of this to racism.[47]

Counter measures

[edit]

Facebook and Twitter have been removing accounts and pages that are of "coordinated state-backed operation".[48] In June 2020, Twitter has removed 170,000 accounts which targeted 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests.[49]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Han, Rongbin (1 June 2015). "Manufacturing Consent in Cyberspace: China's "Fifty-Cent Army"". Journal of Current Chinese Affairs. 44 (2): 105–134. doi:10.1177/186810261504400205. ISSN 1868-1026.
  2. ^ Yang, Xiaofeng; Yang, Qian; Wilson, Christo (3 August 2021). "Penny for Your Thoughts: Searching for the 50 Cent Party on Sina Weibo". Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media. 9 (1): 694–697. doi:10.1609/icwsm.v9i1.14649. ISSN 2334-0770.
  3. ^ Steinfeld, Jemimah (17 December 2018). "The new "civil service" trolls who aim to distract: The government in China is using its civil servants to act as internet trolls. It's a hard management task generating 450 million social media posts a year". Index on Censorship. 47 (4): 102–104. doi:10.1177/0306422018819361. ISSN 0306-4220.
  4. ^ a b c King, Gary; Pan, Jennifer; Roberts, Margaret E. (27 July 2017). "How the Chinese Government Fabricates Social Media Posts for Strategic Distraction, Not Engaged Argument". American Political Science Review. 111 (3): 484–501. doi:10.1017/S0003055417000144. ISSN 0003-0554. S2CID 84837873.
  5. ^ Weiwei, Ai (17 October 2012). "China's Paid Trolls: Meet the 50-Cent Party". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  6. ^ Alex Linder (20 May 2016). "Chinese trolls write 488 million fake social media posts a year and don't even earn 50 cents for it". Shanghaiist. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  7. ^ Sterbenz, Christina (17 October 2014). "China Banned The Term '50 Cents' To Stop Discussion Of An Orwellian Propaganda Program". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  8. ^ Wong, Tessa (20 October 2021). "China: The patriotic 'ziganwu' bloggers who attack the West". BBC News. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Wertime, David (15 August 2024). "Meet the Chinese Trolls Pumping Out 488 Million Fake Social Media Posts". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  10. ^ Gallagher, Sean (13 June 2016). "Red astroturf: Chinese government makes millions of fake social media posts". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 7 September 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  11. ^ Publicity Department of Hefei (24 May 2006). "关于南昌、长沙、郑州宣传文化工作的考察报告 (An Investigative Report Regarding Cultural Propaganda Work in Nanchang, Changsha, and Zhengzhou)" (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 12 March 2021. Screenshot Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ a b c d e f Bandurski, David (July 2008). "China's Guerrilla War for the Web". Far Eastern Economic Review. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
  13. ^ a b French, Howard W. (9 May 2006). "As Chinese Students Go Online, Little Sister Is Watching". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  14. ^ 宿迁26名网评员今上岗 (in Chinese). sohu. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  15. ^ 关于进一步加强互联网管理工作的实施意见 (in Chinese). Government of Golog, Qinghai. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  16. ^ 巴中市人事局采取四大措施加强网络舆情监控 (in Chinese). Sichuan Provincial People's Government. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  17. ^ 胡锦涛：以创新的精神加强网络文化建设和管理 (in Chinese). xinhua. Archived from the original on 30 August 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  18. ^ 特稿：党布阵网络人民战争 (in Chinese). dwnews. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  19. ^ a b Nan, Wu. Chinese Bloggers on the History and Influence of the “Fifty Cent Party” Archived 13 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. China Digital Times. 15 May 2008
  20. ^ a b c Zhong, Wu. China's Internet awash with state spies Archived 6 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Asia Times. 14 August 2008
  21. ^ "市级机关团工委2009年度工作总结 (2009 summary of works of the Municipal Authorities Youth League Working Committee)" (in Chinese). Shanghai Communist Youth League official site. 20 January 2010. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2010. 2009年，市级机关网评员在市网宣办的业务指导下，先后参与了莲花河畔景苑倒楼事件、强制安装"绿坝"网络屏蔽软件、普陀区城管打人事件、甲型 H1N1 流感防控、"倒钩"执法事件、闵行区潘蓉自焚事件、地铁事故频发等以涉沪舆情为重点的网上舆论引导工作，在人民网、新华网、东方网及新浪、天涯社区等国内重点网站、主要商业网站、大型网络社区。发帖、跟帖、转帖200余篇，东方网评论频道录用各类网评文章20余篇，工作得到市网宣办的肯定。
  22. ^ Henochowicz, Anne (4 December 2014). "Thousands of Local Internet Propaganda Emails Leaked". China Digital Times. Archived from the original on 2 January 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  23. ^ Rudolph, Josh (10 December 2014). "Zhanggong Leaks: History is the Best Judge". China Digital Times. Archived from the original on 2 January 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  24. ^ Sonnad, Nikhil (18 December 2014). "Hacked emails reveal China's elaborate and absurd internet propaganda machine". Quartz. Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  25. ^ Bristow, Michael (16 December 2008). "China's internet 'spin doctors'". BBC News Online. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  26. ^ Fareed, Malik (21 September 2008). "China joins a turf war". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  27. ^ "加强网评队伍建设，柏乡县开展网评员培训活动" [Strengthening the online commentary team, Boxiang County conducts training activities for online commentators.]. The Paper (in Chinese). Cyberspace Administration of China, Boxiang County. 27 July 2023. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  28. ^ Liang, Fafei (19 May 2010). "网络实名制从网评员做起" [Implementing Real-Name Registration Starting with Internet Commentators]. China Youth Daily (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  29. ^ ""风雨无阻护扬州"抗疫专题宣传" ["Protecting Yangzhou Through Wind and Rain" Anti-Epidemic Special Publicity Campaign]. Yangtse Evening Post. 25 November 2021. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  30. ^ Zhang, Mingming; Zheng, Xianghua; Su, Wenna (23 June 2024). "山东财经大学举办舆情应对处置报告会暨优秀网站颁奖、核心网评员聘任仪式" [Shandong University of Finance and Economics held a Public Opinion Response and Handling Presentation, an award ceremony for outstanding websites, and a Core Online Commentators Appointment Ceremony.]. Dazhong Daily. Archived from the original on 24 June 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  31. ^ "杂多县举办骨干网评员、通讯员培训会" [Zadoi County held a training session for key online commentators and correspondents.]. The Paper (in Chinese). Cyberspace Administration of China, Zadoi County. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  32. ^ "全国20名骨干网评员，点赞孝昌30年成就" [Twenty key online commentators from across the country praised Xiaochang County's achievements over the past 30 years.]. Hubei Daily. 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  33. ^ "为认真贯彻落实《中共中央、国务院关于进一步加强和改进大学生思想政治教育的意见》（中发〔2004〕16号）和《教育部、共青团中央关于进一步加强高等学校校园网络管理工作的意见》(教社政〔2004〕17号)精神，牢牢把握网上舆论主导权，为我省高等教育改革发展稳定提供良好的舆论环境，努力构建社会主义和谐校园，现就加强高校网络评论员队伍建设提出以下意见。"
  34. ^ 清河法院组建互联网网评工作队 (in Chinese). Huai'an Intermediate People's Court. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010.
  35. ^ "甘肅將建650人網絡評論員隊伍引導輿論". Sina. 20 January 2010. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  36. ^ "宿迁26名网评员今上岗". Sohu. 29 April 2005. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  37. ^ "China's web spin doctors spread Beijing's message". Sydney Morning Herald. 12 May 2011. Archived from the original on 19 September 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  38. ^ "China 'flooding' social media with fake posts (20 May 2016)". BBC News. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  39. ^ a b Qiang, Xiao (25 June 2011). "Leaked Propaganda Directives and Banned "Future"". China Digital Times. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  40. ^ a b http://chinadigitaltimes.net/chinese/2011/06/网评员《上级通知》/ Archived 7 August 2024 at the Wayback Machine (in Chinese)[self-published source]
  41. ^ Elgan, Mike (8 January 2009). "How China's '50 Cent Army' Could Wreck Web 2.0". Datamation. JupiterOnlineMedia. Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
  42. ^ Garnaut, John (14 July 2010). "China's plan to use internet for propaganda". The Age. Australia. Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
  43. ^ "China hires, trains 'online commentators' to influence public opinion – daily". Apple Daily. 5 October 2007
  44. ^ Podger, Corrinne (21 August 2008). "China marshalls army of bloggers". Radio Australia. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
  45. ^ Bandurski, David (25 June 2008). "Propaganda leaders scurry off to carry out the "spirit" of Hu Jintao's "important" media speech". China Media Project. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  46. ^ a b Usha, Haley (4 October 2010). "China's Fifty Cent Party for Internet Propaganda". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 7 April 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  47. ^ "What's a WUMAO anyway? (mentioned at 1:28, 2:57)". Public Radio International. January 2020. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  48. ^ Lee, Dave (20 August 2019). "Twitter and Facebook block HK misinformation". BBC News. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  49. ^ "Disclosing networks of state-linked information operations we've removed". Twitter. 12 June 2020. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2020.

Further reading

[edit]
Retrieved from "http://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=50_Cent_Party&oldid=1243847979"