Features of the microblog and its role in the formation of a green public sphere in China: The case of 2015 Tianjin Explosions

Abstract

Abstract This article tries to take the case of the Tianjin explosions, which happened in 2015, as an example to address two questions. First, what are the features of the online microblog, as distinct from traditional media, in the context of contemporary China? Second, what is the role of new media (represented by the microblog), in forming the green public sphere in China? In the case of the Tianjin explosions, the first report was from a microblogger, minutes after the explosions. However, the traditional media did not report any news of the fire until four hours later, and subsequent related news was greatly regulated and manufactured by the central controlling agency. This delayed response and continued diversion of the incident invoked outrage among the public, who were kept updated by active microbloggers. From this brief research, it can be concluded that as netizen numbers grow and more agencies are added to netizens’ voices, the microblog obviously has become the indispensable new media platform in China, although it is still dismissed as an unreliable and valueless source by government officials. It indeed contributes to the formation of the green public sphere somehow, but the development of the green public sphere in China is still in its infancy.