Weibo and the making of Chinese networked publics: Witness, debates and expertise

Through the analysis of the online discourses about Weibo in the past and present, this article examines how the platform has taken part in the shaping of Chinese networked publics and public participation as it has been undergoing three stages of development itself: collective witness, ideological contention, and networks of expertise. The three stages reflect a major transformation of social media and digital culture in China, from the civic-minded public engagement and activism to the celebration of individual online fame and monetization of content creation. This transformation is taking place at the tightening state control of digital media, suggesting a blurring boundary between corporate and public interests under such circumstance.