Regarding the Chinese
government’s attempts to rein in microblogging and television programming, the New York Times observed in 2011,
“Political censorship in this authoritarian state remains absolute.” It is
therefore perhaps all the more surprising that bloggers in China have been able
to post “whistle-blowing” reports at the expense (and embarrassment) of the
political elite. That this has occurred at all suggests that once a Jennie gets
out of its bottle, it is difficult to reverse course. This is the traditional
Western view. Using television programming as a case study, I submit that the
picture is actually more complex than the antiquated "black and
white" version may suggest.
The full essay is at "Chinese Censorship."
Source:
Sharon LaFraniere, Michael Wines, and Edward Wong, “China Reins in Entertainment and Bloggers,” The New York Times, October 27, 2011. 
