Twitter and Legal Activism in China



Benney quotes Jonathan Zittrain at the beginning of his article:
"The qualities that make Twitter seem inane and half-baked are what make it so powerful."


In discussing his year (2009-2010) of quantitative and qualitative analysis of Twitter posts he states that he came to two conclusions: “One is that the Chinese language and the nature of the Chinese Internet make Twitter a substantially different method of communication in China than it is in the West. The other is that Twitter has provided Chinese legal activists with new ways of disseminating their messages, and that these new forms of communication are broadening the scope of legal activism, both conceptually and geographically.”

His discussion of how the Chinese language impacts twitter is interesting but superfluous to my analysis. However, his analysis of the impact of Twitter on legal activists work is incredibly interesting. Benny  makes the point that doing a full analysis of all Twitter posts even over a year, even in China is impossible. So he analyzed the posts of individual legal activists.

In particular he noted that, "activist legal networks in China have historically been very small and geographically constrained." And that as a result organizing and speaking out were often punished. Thus, Twitter provided an outlet it does not serve in many western countries, however, he also made a conclusion that is applicable to legal activists in the west: "Twitter provides an alternative means of generating public interest in legal activism."



Benney, Jonathan. “Twitter and Legal Activism in China”. Communication, Politics & Culture, Vol. 44, No. 1, 2011: 5-20.https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=127165324261101;res=IELHSS> 


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