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From platform carnival to official discourse: How “truth” is produced in Chinese online news

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  • Jiayu Li
  • Shiming Hu

Abstract

How is “truth” sustained amid algorithmic and political constraints? This study explores the process by which “truth” is negotiated and stabilized in China’s online journalism. Drawing on Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and controversy mapping, we translate three cases to illustrate how online controversies evolve from public affect to institutional closure. The findings reveal that in Chinese digital journalism, diverse human and nonhuman actors jointly participate in the construction of truth. Digital platforms such as Weibo function as obligatory passage points that mediate between public participation and state regulation. While user content amplifies emotion and scrutiny, algorithmic visibility and bureaucratic inscription serve to stabilize discourse. These interactions demonstrate that truth is not discovered but co-produced across technological, institutional, and affective domains. Consequently, Chinese online journalism can be conceptualized as a techno-cultural assemblage in which human agency, platform logic, and governmental governance are continuously negotiated in the production of news and facts.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiayu Li & Shiming Hu, 2026. "From platform carnival to official discourse: How “truth” is produced in Chinese online news," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 21(6), pages 1-14, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0348284
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0348284
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Youzhong Wang & Daniel Zeng & Bin Zhu & Xiaolong Zheng & Feiyue Wang, 2014. "Patterns of news dissemination through online news media: A case study in China," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 557-570, September.
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