In the strictly controlled media world of China, "citizen journalism" is beating a way through censorship, breaking taboos and offering a pressure valve for social tensions.
In one striking example this month, the Internet was largely responsible for breaking open a slave scandal in two provinces that some local authorities had been complicit in.
A letter posted on the Internet by 400 parents of children working as slaves in brickyards was the trigger for the national press to finally report on the scandal that some rights groups say had been going on for years.
The parents' Internet posting was part of a growing phenomenon for marginalized people who cannot otherwise have their complaints addressed by the traditional, government-controlled press.
"The phenomenon of `citizen journalism' suddenly arrived several years ago," said Beijing-based dissident Liu Xiaobo (
"Since the appearance of blogs in particular, every blog is a new platform for the spread of information," he said.
Liu cited the example of a couple in Chongqing, who became known as the "Stubborn Nails" in April because they refused to leave their home until they received adequate compensation from the property developer who wanted them out.
They quickly became household names -- and symbols of resistance against greedy land developers and corrupt local authorities -- mainly thanks to Internet postings.
"That case was first revealed through blogs," Liu said.
Also in Chongqing, parts of the city were set on fire this month following the beating of flower sellers by the chengguan, city police charged with "cleaning up" the city's roads.
Witnesses to the beatings had appealed to local TV journalists, but nothing was broadcast.
The incident only became known outside the city thanks to photos and stories published on the Internet, sparking anger among China's netizens.
"It's fascism," said one, while another mocked: "The inhabitants of Chongqing are truly naive, the Chinese media is all controlled by the Communist Party, they decide what people know."
Facing the threat, Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) called in for the Internet to be "purified" and the government has since launched a number of online crackdowns.
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