Sense or Sensibility? Netizens’ Choice of Social Media Comments in an Authoritarian Regime

Abstract While the Internet in China is subjected to heavy state regulations, Chinese netizens can still access online comments that deviate from official discourse on many issues. To prevent online discussions from getting out of hand, the Chinese government uses soft propaganda such as online comments to channel public opinions. Which type of online comments appeal to Chinese netizens? Using a survey experimental design, we examine the appeal of 4 distinct types of online comments on certain policies. We find that our survey respondents spend significantly more time in consuming emotional comments that deviate from official discourse. When it comes to the effect on attitude, however, we find that deviating-emotional comments are no more persuasive than deviating-informational comments. Our results call into question the effectiveness of China’s state propaganda in channeling online public opinions while highlighting the importance of alternative information in shaping public opinions in an authoritarian context.