微博在中国的互联网上十分流行，这对中国宣传机构的信息控制形成了新的挑战。微博可以使信息得到快速和广泛的传播，从而增加了国家宣传机器进行信息控制的难度。本文试图探讨微博可以在多大程度上帮助网民挑战政府对信息的控制。通过分析在新浪微博上收集的数据，本文发现微博对宣传工作的挑战有四种机制。首先，基于对微博上热门政治信息的分析，本文发现微博上的部分话语权由媒体转向个人，同时出现了一批对政府持批判态度的超级网民。其次，对于一些热点事件，微博与传统媒体的报道角度与侧重点不同，从而使得中国的政治信息更加多元化 。第三，虽然中央政府可以实现对微博的有效审查，但地方政府时常不能控制微博上的报道。第四，网民通过微博上的信息运动，可以将某些传统媒体不愿报道的事件问题化，这对中国传统媒体的自我审查形成了冲击。本文认为微博可以帮助人民挑战国家的信息控制。 / The micro-blog, with its huge popularity in recent years, poses a new challenge to the propaganda state in China. The micro-blog is able to spread information fast and reach a wide audience. The liberating potential of the micro-blog on the information flow is in conflict with the control efforts from the propaganda state. It is puzzling then the extent to which the netizens are able to use the micro-blog to counter the information control. Based on the data collected from Sina Weibo, this study finds the propaganda state is challenged by the micro-blog through four mechanisms. First, analysis of political posts demonstrates a partial shift of discursive power from media to individuals and a rise of critical super-netizens in the micro-blog. Second, the posts in the micro-blog report the controversial issues in a different way than the traditional media that contributes to the pluralization of political information. Third, the netizens are able to use the micro-blog to expose certain information that the local government would like to censor. Forth, the netizens are able to problematize certain issues through information movement that challenge the self-censorship of media. This study concludes that the micro-blog is able to empower the people in the battle between state and society on what is fit to know. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Yang, Shen. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-98). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES --- p.VI / Chapter CHAPTER I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- METHODS AND DATA --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- THE ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS --- p.7 / Chapter 1.4 --- THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY --- p.8 / Chapter CHAPTER II --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.10 / Chapter 2.1 --- THE PROPAGANDA STATE IN CHINA: STRUCTURE, MECHANISM AND EFFICACY --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2 --- THE INFORMATION DIFFUSION PROCESS IN THE MICRO-BLOG --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3 --- THE RESEARCH ON CHINESE INTERNET --- p.16 / Chapter 2.4 --- SOCIAL MEDIA AND AUTHORITARIAN STATE --- p.20 / Chapter 2.5 --- THE DEBATE ON TECHNOLOGICAL DETERMINISM --- p.21 / Chapter CHAPTER III: --- MICRO-BLOG AND POLITICS: AN ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL POSTS --- p.23 / Chapter 3.1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2 --- WHO WRITES THE POPULAR POLITICAL POSTS? --- p.27 / Chapter 3.3 --- CONTENT OF THE POPULAR POLITICAL POSTS --- p.28 / Chapter 3.4 --- WHO SPEAKS WHAT? --- p.30 / Chapter 3.5 --- HOW POLITICAL INFORMATION IS TRANSMITTED --- p.32 / Chapter 3.6 --- THE RISE OF CRITICAL SUPER-NETIZENS --- p.35 / Chapter 3.7 --- CHAPTER CONCLUSION --- p.38 / Chapter CHAPTER IV: --- COMPARING MICRO-BLOG AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA: CONTENT ANALYSIS --- p.39 / Chapter 4.1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.39 / Chapter 4.2 --- HOW MICRO-BLOG DIFFERS FROM TRADITIONAL MEDIA: FRAMING ANALYSIS --- p.45 / Chapter 4.3 --- CHAPTER CONCLUSION --- p.58 / Chapter CHAPTER V: --- MICRO-BLOG AND INFORMATION CENSORSHIP --- p.61 / Chapter 5.1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.61 / Chapter 5.2 --- THE CENSORSHIP PRACTICE IN MICRO-BLOG WEBSITE: MECHANISM AND EFFICACY --- p.62 / Chapter 5.3 --- EXPOSING INFORMATION THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT WOULD LIKE TO SUPPRESS --- p.66 / Chapter 5.4 --- EXPOSING INFORMATION THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT WOULD LIKE TO SUPPRESS --- p.68 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Case of “Watch Uncle --- p.68 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Summary and Discussion --- p.73 / Chapter 5.5 --- CHAPTER CONCLUSION --- p.73 / Chapter CHAPTER VI --- MICRO-BLOG AND SELF-CENSORSHIP --- p.75 / Chapter 6.1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.75 / Chapter 6.2 --- THE REPORTING OF CHINESE MILITARY IN TRADITIONAL MEDIA --- p.76 / Chapter 6.3 --- THE MILITARY VEHICLES SNAPSHOT MOVEMENT --- p.76 / Chapter 6.4 --- HOW NETIZENS PROBLEMATIZE THE ISSUE OF MISUSING MILITARY VEHICLES --- p.81 / Chapter 6.5 --- THE POWER OF THE INFORMATION MOVEMENT --- p.83 / Chapter 6.6 --- CHAPTER CONCLUSION --- p.85 / Chapter CHAPTER VII: --- CONCLUSION --- p.87 / Chapter 7.1 --- THE PROSPECT OF THE PROPAGANDA STATE --- p.87 / Chapter 7.2 --- THE POLICY IMPLICATION --- p.91 / Chapter APPENDIX 1 --- FRAMES USED IN THIS RESEARCH --- p.92 / BIBLIOGRAPHY: --- p.94

M. Tech. (Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / While more than half of the South African adult population are active microbloggers, the most common topics that are discussed include current affairs, sports and music entertainment. Nonetheless, there exists intrinsic fear about the credibility of digital content, which stems from the fact that there are limited standards for quality control in the microglogging sphere. Consequently, this apprehension exacerbates potential problems pertaining to ascertaining the reliability of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) communication. In this vein, this study seeks to investigate the salience of selected determinants on consumers’ perceptions about the credibility of microblog music reviews and future eWOM adoption. The sample comprised 485 self-reporting microbloggers residing in the southern Gauteng region of South Africa. The study applied a quantitative approach, whereas cross-sectional data were collected only once from the sample using a paper and pencil based self-administered questionnaire in 2018. Moreover, a positivist philosophy was followed, whereas hypotheses were framed from the credibility heuristics theory, posited as the underlying cues that aid consumers in the online credibility verification process. The formal protocol for research ethics were followed upon collecting empirical data, whereas the multi-item survey questionnaire was tested for reliability and validity. The hypotheses testing comprised an estimation of two regression models. From the findings obtained, it is evident that source credibility, information quality, homophily and prior beliefs confirmation are the four heuristics that pose a significant effect on the evaluation of microblog music reviews by consumers, yielding approximately 43.3 percent explanatory power on the overall credibility of microblog music reviews. Moreover, the second regression model proved the positive effect of microblog music review credibility on eWOM adoption, whereas the independent variable explains 30.7 percent of the variance in eWOM adoption. These findings point to the significance in applying the heuristics in evaluating microblog music reviews created by South African consumers. As such, the findings could assist both microblog administrators and marketing communication practitioners to better design the platforms to facilitate reader credibility evaluations about various products.