As the coronavirus continues to spread, it has caused a loss of faith in the Chinese government among the youth population. People are starting to criticize the government over their handling of the virus and the spread of the coronavirus. People condemn the press around heroes of individual sacrifice while medical personnel are still lacking necessary supplies. There are photos of women shaving their heads in solidarity, but people are wondering whether they were coerced and why more men were not shown with this supposed solidarity.
There is one critical blog post titled “News Coverage Should Stop Turning a Funeral Into a Wedding,” showing the frustration among some of the population.
Daisy Zhao, a 23 year old Beijing resident, has said “The official media...has lost a lot of credibility.” She once trusted state media, but now is angry over the portrayal of the doctors who tried to raise the alarm over the coronavirus as rumormongers.
The propaganda machine of the Communist party in China is now facing its biggest problem yet. In being slow to warn the public of the virus and repressing people who tired to sound the alarm, they undermined its promise of security to the public in exchange for their personal security. This whole crisis has exposed the issues of being under an authoritarian regime, especially to the younger population. They see the danger of clamping down on free expression and past the facade of a omnipotent government that can get anything done.
Coronavirus Weakens China's Powerful Propaganda Machine
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