Public opinion guidance (Chinese: 舆论导向; pinyin: Yúlùn dǎoxiàng) is a term used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to exercise leadership over the media and public opinion so as to align with the CCP line.
[1] At the National Propaganda and Ideological Work Conference on 24 January 1996, CCP General Secretary Jiang Zemin proposed that "the political tumult of 1989, and the severe missteps in the leading of public opinion taught everyone in the Party an important lesson".
"[1] In February 2016, CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping gave a speech outlining his media policy, where he said media must "firmly adhere to correct guidance of public opinion" and "must hold the family name of the party".
[2] In September 2017, the Cyberspace Administration of China released regulations regarding the management of chat groups on social media services such as WeChat and Tencent QQ, which said "providers of information services through internet chat groups on the internet, and users, must adhere to correct guidance, promoting socialist core values, fostering a positive and healthy online culture, and protecting a favorable online ecology".
[3] According to the China Media Project, public opinion guidance is normally defined to have the following aspects:[1]