Anti-rumor campaign picks up speed(2)

However, Tong Zhiwei, a professor at the East China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times that Lei's image had alternated given shifting visions of the man over time. "He was indeed portrayed on occasion in that fancy way to encourage domestic consumption," Tong said.

Although Lei Feng is no longer alive to take on the task of being an "opinion leader," those who fill the role now are often expected to fulfil certain expectations.

Dianzizheng, the head of a group that claims to hunt rumors on Weibo, said that "opinion leaders" such as Li Kaifu and Xue Manzi have often helped repost rumors, "especially obvious ones that should have been recognized."

Xue was also arrested on Friday for allegedly soliciting prostitutes, but details of the case remain unclear.

In any case, "opinion leaders" may need to be more careful about what they say in future.

Zhang Zhi'an, vice dean of the School of Communication and design at Sun Yat-sen University, pointed out that "opinion leaders" need to bear responsibility for what they say. "But as much as we should crack down on rumors, the government should also realize that people believe in those rumors because they have so few reliable sources of information," he said.

Call to action

Statistics show that there are over 19,000 verified Weibo accounts with followers exceeding 100,000 and about 3,300 accounts with over a million fans. These people are known as online celebrities, and their posts are often reposted hundreds of times by fans.

An Internet conference was held on August 10 in Beijing to urge this group of celebrities to take on more social responsibilities and play a more constructive role, as they have a notable influence on public opinions online.

Lu Wei, director of the State Internet Information Office, said at the conference that spreading the truth is one of the "baselines" for Internet celebrities.

The government expects them to uphold law and order as well as promote virtues and trust, said Lu, adding that celebrities should set an example of protecting the legal rights of citizens and denouncing any activities that harm the reputation and interests of other people.

"People like Qin must be punished, as they have contaminated the online environment," an anonymous Sina Weibo account with more than one million followers said, "and without the reposts by verified account, it is impossible for rumors to spread that far."

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, emphasized the critical functions and responsibilities of all departments in terms of publicity and ideological work in the country to ensure the "correct political direction" at a national conference held from August 19 to 21.

Xi also emphasized that the fundamental rights and interests of the people must be safeguarded in the process.