Coronavirus Live

...^ case in point: https://shimo.im/docs/JTrxH8wwxGyVd96r/read?scene=2&clicktime=1579768675&enterid=1579768675&source=timeline&dt_dapp=1&dt_platform=com.douban.activity.wechat_friends&from=timeline&isappinstalled=0 … this website is a crowd-source efforts to verify information re the virus.

...all these instances demonstrate how and how much non-govt orgs and individuals (aka, CIVIL SOCIETY) can be of help in public crisis. and yet, anyone who has been following chn politics & regulations on online info in recent years know what happened to those two words.

...my prediction is that we won't see much propaganda yet at this critical time but soon (probably sooner than it should be), this crisis would be touted as a case that showcases the strengths of chn's political system & determinations of (central) govt to protect its ppl...

...which i dont doubt, and there are some very good efforts, coordination, and timely responses by govts (see henan, zhejiang, and ministry-level responses etc)...

...but the qs are why are we supposed to only rely on govts? and for govts, why are they almost the only one to take the blame? had there been some well-developed CSOs, and a channel to work with them, there might have been less pressures on govts + a more effict response time

... as for media, from day one i have been pessimistic abt how the event may promote possible changes to chn's media environment and/or govt-media relations. i wish i can be proven wrong...

but looking at: (1) how police handles 'rumourmongers', (2) how some critical voices (e.g. criticizing wuhan leaders, and even higher-ups) are censored, (3) unverified directions on punishing employees of state media/hospitcals for speaking out, and ..

(3)the fact that gz-based media such as southern metropolis daily/southern weekly, which were the most outspoken media during SARS, remained quite silent this whole time, i dont think im wrong.