Jennifer Pan (Stanford University)

By analyzing millions of social media posts from Sina Weibo made between Dec 2019 and Feb 2020, we describe the contours of public, online discussions pertaining to COVID-19 in China. We find that discussions of COVID-19 became widespread on 20 Jan 2020, consisting primarily of personal reflections, opinions, updates, and appeals. The largest bursts of discussion, which contain simultaneous spikes of criticism and support targeting the Chinese government, coincide with the January 23 lockdown of Wuhan and the February 7 death of Dr. Li Wenliang. Criticisms are directed at the government for perceived lack of action, incompetence, and wrongdoing - in particular, censoring information relevant to public welfare. Support is directed at the government for aggressive action and positive outcomes. As the crisis unfolds, the same events are interpreted differently by different people, with criticism focusing on the government's shortcomings and praise focusing on the government's actions.