Case Study #2:
"The central television’s family name is the party" - Xi Jinping, Chinese President
There is no doubt Chinese president Xi Jinping is a firm believer in using censorship to sway Chinese citizens to his side, stating “all the work by the party’s media must reflect the party’s will, safeguard the party’s authority, and safeguard the party’s unity." While the regulations on the media have created political stability in the nation, and are a key reason the nation has seen drastic growth over the last few decades, they do maintain severe imbalances of power within society.
Interviews with Chinese citizens found that almost all of them believe their internet is free, with many even believing the pristine depictions of society found in Chinese media, with one citizen even stating "the Chinese apps have got everything." (Source: independent.co.uk). Unfortunately, denying much of the populace the ability to properly understand flaws within society makes reform significantly harder.
A graph from the study indicating most students interested in continuing to use circumvention tools had to be encouraged to do so in the first place.
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A study conducted by a student from Stanford University points out another issue with censorship in China, stating: "censorship in China is effective not only because the regime makes it difficult to access sensitive information, but also because it fosters an environment in which citizens do not demand such information in the first place." Students had to be encouraged and incentivised to use tools to bypass the firewall in order to gain any interest in using them, but once they did start using them on a regular basis, they felt there was a dire need to instigate reform.
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The firewall is essentially denying citizens much of the knowledge they need to understand the need for reform, and how to instigate the necessary changes. For the few who do understand the need for reform and are willing to instigate change, the lack of understanding within the rest of the populace will prove to be a major obstacle. In summation, the media in China is dominated by the voices of powerful government officials, portraying society in a pristine light, making reform harder by convincing many that it is unnecessary.