AFP

AFP

Thursday, 27 July, 2017 04:23

UPDATE Thursday, 27 July, 2017 04:23

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BEIJING | China, in the face of a censorship always more invasive, the bloggers concerned about their outspokenness sought refuge on the e-mail application:: they can autopublier and expect to win thousands of euros, thanks to tips from readers.

This is the case of Qiao Mu, an ex-professor and high official of the prestigious University of foreign languages of Beijing. Forbidden to teach since 2014 due to his articles, he now publishes on this e-mail software for smartphone.

Facebook and Twitter being blocked in China, :, with its 900 million users, and potential readers, has become the social network of choice for these bloggers untamed even though it remains closely monitored by the authorities.

I love my country and I want to change it. And if I want to reach the majority of the chinese population, I have to make do with censorship and writing in chinese, explains to the AFP Qiao Mu, a 47-year-old.

: Allows all users to publish articles on their public accounts. Other users can subscribe to them and, if they are satisfied, to pay their authors a gratuity ranging between 5 and 200 yuan (0.87 to to 36,45 $).

Qiao Mu earn at least 1000 yuan (189,57 $) per article. A considerable sum in a country where the average monthly salary is 6070 yuan (1123,03 $).

The ex-teacher has established a total of 15 accounts: since 2012, but most of them have been closed by the censors after the publication of chronic policies. Its three accounts that are still open meet 15 000 readers. When an article is blocked, it just copies on another account.

Sex and the City

Tactics that are now essential, at a time when intensifies the pressure on writers and scholars, since the arrival of the chinese president Xi Jinping the end of 2012.

In some way, (: allows) a democratization of the literary world. By rewarding the people that they like to read, internet users will create their own literary success, which allows to change the status quo of chinese literature, says Manya Koetse, editor-in-chief of Whats on Weibo, a site of the eve of the chinese social networks.

These freelance writers can also earn money by hosting ads on their public accounts.

Mi Meng, who writes with humor about the romantic relationships in the manner of the character of Carrie Bradshaw in the american series Sex and the City, has more than 10 million readers on:.

A hearing synonym of pactolus: to place an advertisement on its behalf, may cost up to 500, 000 yuan (93 335 $).

In 2014, Ye Weimin has left his post as a journalist for the weekly Nanfang Zhoumo after an offensive by the authorities against the newspaper based in Guangzhou, known at the time for its investigations incisors pushing the limits of censorship.

He now works in finance in Beijing, and sells online video tutorials of journalism education.

I didnt expect nearly 3,000 people to pay for my online course, said he.

I-censorship

In 2013, the authorities have stopped or closed the accounts of several columnists online famous.

And since the same year, chinese internet users face up to three years in prison for posts deemed defamatory re-posted over 500 times or viewed more than 5,000 times.

New regulations introduced in June 2017 also require online platforms, they get a permission to publish information or commentary on the government.

But this does not prevent Qiao Mu to test the limits of censorship: he has published an article about the death on 13 July of last year the chinese dissident and Nobel peace prize 2010 Liu Xiaobo.

I was just tribute to a man and his contribution to peaceful dialogue, but the article was immediately deleted, said Mr. Qiao.

If what I write is too political, no one will read it, and my account will be deleted. People want to be entertained, and know very well to read between the lines, he explains. To survive, Im self-censorship.

Follow this link:

In China, bloggers taunting the censorship through the applications - The Sherbrooke Times (blog)