BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – When Chinese journalist Wang Keqin found himself cornered in the countryside two years ago by police who were trying to stop him looking into a rape case involving local officials, he looked online for help.
Wang, one of China’s most dogged investigative journalists, and his colleagues called a friend who posted constant updates about their stand-off with encroaching police to a Twitter-like microblog site. Authorities in Badong County, central China, were soon flooded with phone calls from citizens warning them not to detain or hurt him.
“The county public security bureau was overwhelmed by all the calls. It was like a wave of pressure. Weibo saved me that time, and I’ve also used it to save people being chased by officials,” he said, using the Chinese term, “Weibo,” for the microblogging services that have bloomed as platforms for sharing news, views, gossip and public outrage.
“For Chinese people, Weibo is creating an arena that is much more free than traditional media,” said Wang, who is well known for his painstaking reports on corruption and official misdeeds.
“It’s also turning more Chinese people into citizen journalists,” he said. “Weibo is already a massive force. It can’t be shut down, although they might
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