How Environmental Policy is communicated through Weibo in China: A Research based on the "PM-2.5 Case".

Since 2010, Weibo has played an indispensable role in political communication in public affairs in China. Hundreds of millions of Internet users are participating in the discussion political and social issues on Weibo. Political opinions on Weibo can sometimes make big changes on political issues, for instance, the policy making. Compared with the traditional ways of policy communication Chinese government used to apply, Weibo has provided a mutual communication model for both the government and the public. In this research, how this communication patterns work and the features as well as advantages are analyzed by studying at the PM-2.5 case, which is a typical case which combines government decision with public opinions in policy-setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]