Despite Setbacks, What's on Weibo Is as Strong as Ever
At first glance, this year could be viewed in many ways as unexceptional, yet the first thing that struck us from conducting these interviews for The Year From Every Angle is that, by and large, 2018 was a year of progress.
The positivity and hope displayed among these seemingly disparate endeavors, including art, activism, mental health, and even the leisure pursuits, have arisen from communities quietly coalescing around a number of shared and strengthening goals and beliefs. Though some of those objectives fell afoul of the authorities, advancements over the last 12 months have laid a solid groundwork for what looks to be a fine year ahead.
Before we gaze forward, however, it’s time to read back on Beijing’s 2018 from (nearly) every angle.
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Name: Manya Koetse
Title: Founder and Editor-in-Chief, What’s on Weibo (whatsonweibo.com)
2018 in 5 words: Mobile, Digitalized, Cashless, Multidimensional, Credit-based
As the founder and the editor-in-chief of What’s on Weibo, Manya Koetse reports from the coalface of Chinese language social media, sharing insights to a devoted legion of readers about not only what’s happening in the Chinese media landscape, but also how China is represented abroad. Yet this July, her website was blocked in the PRC. “Luckily, many of our readers still have a way to find our website, but I also know there are many who do not have the means to access the site anymore.”
While disruptive and disappointing, the block did also generate media attention and motivated her to grow the site even further. Across the board, censorship is on the rise in China, but Koetse reminds us that Western giants like Google, YouTube, and Facebook are also displaying increasingly oppressive censorship rules. She cites Facebook blocking articles about homosexuality or transgender issues in China as a “shocking” development.
Back in China, the biggest trend she’s seen this year “is a growing gap between Chinese media consumers and state media … readers view traditional media much more critically than before.” They are also more likely to turn to bloggers and consume their news on mobile platforms. At the same time, however, state-run media is becoming tech-savvy, producing “cool” news narratives and short videos, for example. Yet for Koetse, human contact still trumps technology. She calls giving a talk about the 10-year anniversary of Weibo at The Bookworm as a 2018 highlight because it allowed her to meet many foreign and Chinese readers of her site. “I do most of the work for the website by myself, and it was incredibly motivating to realize that there are people out there who find the articles we publish valuable.”
When it comes to the world of Chinese social media, you just never know what will change tomorrow.
As for next year, Koetse refuses to be drawn. “When it comes to the world of Chinese social media, you just never know what will change tomorrow.”
This article originally appeared on the November/December 2018 print issue of the Beijinger magazine. Tap on the image above to access the full issue.
Photo: Wytse Koetse
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