Who Follows the Party? Celebrities’ Political Signaling on Social Media in China

• In Event: Digital Politics and Entertainment in China: From Repression to Influencers

Abstract

In China, celebrities can dominate public discourse and shape popular culture, but they are also under the state’s close gaze and subject to growing regulations aimed at disciplining celebrity behavior. Recent studies have analyzed how the state governs and co-opts celebrities to promote patriotism, foster traditional values, and spread political propaganda. However, little is known about how celebrities adapt to mounting state demands. To address this question, we analyze celebrities’ political signaling on social media. Among the 218 top celebrities in our dataset, 85.3% retweeted posts from official accounts of government agencies and state media outlets between June and November 2021 to signal patriotism and alignment with official values. However, there is substantial variation in the frequency of celebrities’ retweets. Regression results show that younger, female celebrities with more followers tend to retweet official posts more. Celebrities from Taiwan tend to retweet official posts substantially less compared to celebrities from the mainland and Hong Kong. The findings suggest that, despite operating in the same political environment, celebrities adapt to state demands differently. However, the state has captured the most influential celebrities, primarily those popular with younger generations, to more broadly promote its political agenda by leveraging celebrity influence on social media.

Authors

• Dan Chen, University of Richmond

• Gengsong Gao, University of Richmond