Social evaluation of the mass incident in Shishou, Hubei

On June 24, 2009, the People's Daily published a commentary on current affairs, "Commenting on How the Government Responds to the "Microphone Era," as follows:

The murder of a young hotel cook in Shishou City, Hubei Province, has turned into a conflict amidst the fermentation of various rumors. The situation in Shishou is more complicated than some previous mass incidents, but the background is familiar.

Shizongyuan, secretary of the Guizhou Provincial Party Committee, summed up the urn-an incident during the two sessions of the 2009 National People's Congress by saying there were many rumors on the Internet at the beginning of the urn-an incident. But after the truth of the incident was disclosed through the media, the public's questions were answered. Insisting on information transparency is the most important reason for quickly calming the urnan incident. He also emphasized that it took the first time for key leading cadres to go among the masses to listen to their voices, as well as the use of public opinion to monitor and activate the accountability of cadres in order to quell the situation.

The Shishou case also began as a case of unnatural death, and police explanations were unsuccessful in convincing the families of the dead and the public in the face of many questions. For about 80 hours, the government's press releases were inarticulate on the one hand, and netizens used informal media to disseminate information and search for the truth on the other. According to incomplete statistics, there were only three press releases reflecting the government's position during that time; while nearly 500 related main posts appeared on one website's posting bar, and more than one video shot by netizens on cell phones appeared on some podcast sites.

The Shishou case has once again reminded relevant government departments and leading cadres how to properly respond to the new multi-channel, interactive situation of information dissemination and opinion expression in today's society. For a long time, the party and the government have attached great importance to the traditional media such as newspapers, television news propaganda and public opinion guidance, the government online and party newspaper news website construction has also made great progress, but to unify the mind to form a **** knowledge, there is still a lot of work to be done.

In the network era, everyone may become a channel of information, may become the main body of opinion expression. There is a figurative analogy that everyone has a microphone in front of them. This puts a higher demand on public opinion guidance. In the face of emergencies, it is not enough for the government and mainstream news media to simply release information, but they must also quickly understand and grasp the pulse of various new types of information carriers on the Internet, and quickly respond to the public's questions, which requires the government, especially the publicity department, to have the ability to quickly and accurately collect and study and judge public opinion. If you are absent, aphasic, or delusional on emergencies and sensitive issues, or even want to curb the "clamor" on the Internet, you will not be able to ease the situation and resolve conflicts, nor will you be in line with the spirit of the 17th National Congress, which guarantees the people's rights to information, participation, expression, and supervision.

On the platform of diversified social expression supported by the Internet and mobile communications, the government's voice and guidance of public opinion need to be higher and stronger than in the past. We have had successful experiences in this regard. During the emergency relief period of the Wenchuan earthquake, the government held one, sometimes several, press conferences a day, the mainstream media liberalized their news coverage, and new technology communication media such as the Internet, cell phones, radio, and satellite communications also played their roles in guaranteeing a high degree of transparency in the disaster situation and relief work. The result of information liberalization has greatly uplifted the national spirit and enhanced social cohesion, as well as raised the government's prestige and deepened the flesh-and-blood ties between the government and the people.

Transparency of information helps to enhance the credibility of the government, which is the revelation of the Wenchuan experience. During China's social transition, and in the face of intricate adjustments in interests, governments at all levels should play a role in promoting balanced expression and smooth communication of opinions and interests of all social strata, in promoting dialogue and communication between the cadres and the masses, and in paying attention at all times to listening to public opinion and resolving contradictions, so as to maintain social stability and healthy development.

On June 25, 2009, CCTV's "News 1+1" aired a program called "Shishou, why is it "out of control" again? In the program, the famous host, CCTV news commentator Bai Yansong believes: "Once when the government's voice can not take the initiative in the first dissemination of the time, you have to know that in the dissemination of us there is a law, any sound when the first time to occupy the minds of the people, regardless of whether it is the right or the wrong, you want to use the back of the new correct sound to cover it is It's a very difficult thing to do, you've become very passive. For a long time in the past, we often heard this kind of language, "The untruthful masses are in the minority of lawless people, or a minority of people with ulterior motives", let's talk about the majority, the untruthful masses should be the majority, shouldn't they? Since he does not know the truth, let him know the truth, this majority is not taken out? Besides, the use of the term "outlaw", since he is an outlaw, why did you not exercise the law to deal with him? Then it means that you do not have any evidence. Without evidence, what makes you think that you can call him an outlaw? This is some ridiculous argument. Let us talk about ulterior motives. May I ask whether there is such a conviction in law as ulterior motives, and if not, whether it is possible to convict a person because of his heart? How can you guess that he has ulterior motives? Even if he has ulterior motives, if he has not violated the relevant provisions of the law? How can you quote a conviction? Or are you convicted because of your guess? I also really hope that such language will not be repeated in the future, in a way, such language is actually illegal."