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In 2008 the Hong Kong-based researcher David Bandurski determined that at least 280,000 people had been hired at various levels of government to work as "online commentators." Known derisively as the "fifty cent party," these people are paid to write postings that show their employers in a favorable light in online chat rooms, social networking services, blogs, and comments sections of news Web sites.
Many more people do similar work as volunteers -- recruited from among the ranks of retired officials as well as college students in the Communist Youth League who aspire to become Party members.
This approach is similar to a tactic known as "astroturfing" in American parlance, now commonly used by commercial advertising firms, public relations companies, and election campaigns around the world. In many provinces of China it is now also standard practice for government officials -- particularly at the city and county level -- to work to co-opt and influence independent online writers by throwing special conferences for local bloggers, or inviting them to special press events or news conferences about issues of local concern.
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visas straipsnis cia:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/03/26/ ... index.html