How do Chinese officials use government websites to strategically manage their public image?

Insights from the Field

Chinese officials

government transparency

communication strategy

political career stage

How Chinese Officials Use the Internet to Construct their Public Image was authored by Jennifer Pan. It was published by Cambridge in PSR&M in 2019.

This paper analyzes a random sample of 1.92 million Chinese county-level government web pages to examine how online platforms are leveraged by local officials for self-promotion.

Research Focus:

Online government transparency initiatives in China serve as tools for lower-level officials to cultivate public perception, moving beyond regime–society interactions to explore communication dynamics within the bureaucracy.

Key Findings:

• Local officials strategically use their websites during different career stages:

• Early tenure: Emphasizing attentiveness and citizen concern (benevolent image)

• Late tenure: Highlighting achievements and competence (effective leader image)

Why It Matters?

This research reframes the debate on digital governance in authoritarian systems, revealing how information technology can facilitate internal political positioning rather than solely enhance state control.