Jingrong Tong|Landong Zuo
Weibo communication and government legitimacy in China: a computer-assisted analysis of Weibo messages on two ‘mass incidents’<sup>†</sup>
University of Leicester
article based computerassisted analysis weibo communications two recent mass incidents china offers model understanding online communications influence government legitimacy study explores discourse weibo discussions social protests impacts discourse may legitimacy chinese government digital environment weibo discourses two mass incidents suggest two modes online communication oneway communication local residents taken initiative twoway communication initiated local residents national elites different themes discourses touched suggest different types levels impacts weibo discussions government legitimacy precisely discourse critique current national political system china challenging government legitimacy one demands local changes online discourse haimen incident weibo even seen reinforcing government legitimacy therefore impact online communication government legitimacy relative depends specific cases understand power online communication requires us analyse nature online discourses specific cases examine within external social political contexts comparing one another contextual dynamics social problems tensions function indicator understanding type level impact online communication government legitimacy