Grassroots officials vulnerable to 'public image crisis'
Updated: 2013-01-09 00:48
By XU WEI (China Daily)
|
||||||||
Village heads, county-level officials and law enforcement officers are among the officials most vulnerable to a "public image crisis," according to a report by a public administration expert.
The past year has seen more government officials rocked by scandals, according to Tang Jun, director of the crisis management center at the Renmin University of China and author of the 2012 Report on Image Crisis of Officials.
"After the scandals, authorities did not pay adequate attention to repairing the damage to the government's image, thus creating the impression for the public that there are more officials with similar problems," Tang said.
"Officials at the grassroots level are more vulnerable to public image damage because they often handle services to the people at the grassroots level and profit allocations," he said.
The report was based on a 2012 study on handling public image crises that was issued by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and research into typical public image crises that year.
"It draws lessons from the large number of cases in 2012. For officials, a public image crisis is risky and can cause an instant fall from power," he said.
Tang said 2012 was a year when the image of officials was under constant threat. Government bodies need to get better at dealing with the challenges that come from the Internet, especially when public image is brought into question.
Sex scandals, the exposure of unearned wealth, and involvement in family member's illegal activities are common sources of government officials' public image crises, the report said.
The report named 10 such crises involving officials in 2012, including a sex scandal involving Lei Zhengfu, former Party chief of Beibei district in Chongqing; and Yang Dacai, head of the work safety administration of Shaanxi province, who was removed from his post for serious violations of discipline after Internet users found he possessed a number of expensive watches.
Possessing luxury items and real estate are common traits of officials who face an image crisis.
Also, the Internet has become an important channel for exposing sex scandals involving officials.
Sex scandals and officials exposed as having vast wealth can instantly draw the attention of Internet users. The pressure they brought in Lei's case resulted in quick action from the government: Lei was removed from his position 63 hours after the first Internet post on the sex scandal.
"The Internet has proved a very influential channel for the supervision of officials. It has also influenced government policies through the pressure of social media," said Tang of the Renmin University of China.
"There have been many cases in which officials were confronted by rumors and libel, and the current government system does not seem prepared for this," he said.
News associated with the lives of government officials is more attractive to the media and the public, according to Luo Meng, an anti-corruption official with the prosecution authority of Beijing's Haidian district.
"Even though authorities make efforts in the initial period to refute rumors, the public still prefers to trust rumors," Luo said on Tuesday in an online interview with jcrb.com, the website of the Beijing-based Procuratorial Daily.
"The government needs to have plans that deal with cases of public image crisis. Many officials and authorities are unaware of how to deal with such crises, and it is an area we need to learn about and improve in," he said.
- Most civil servant come from ordinary households
- Public not satisfied with province civil servants
- 6 officials suspended after orphanage deaths
- Two officials probed in fatal school van accident
- Officials defend work on TV
- Senior CPC official stresses coalition with non-communist parties
- Courts told to treat officials impartially
- Official dismissed over affair
- Gansu cuts perks to officials
- Corruption rejected in official selection
- Li Na on Time cover, makes influential 100 list
- FBI releases photos of 2 Boston bombings suspects
- World's wackiest hairstyles
- Sandstorms strike Northwest China
- Never-seen photos of Madonna on display
- H7N9 outbreak linked to waterfowl migration
- Dozens feared dead in Texas plant blast
- Venezuelan court rules out manual votes counting
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
American abroad |
Industry savior: Big boys' toys |
New commissioner
|
Liaoning: China's oceangoing giant |
TCM - Keeping healthy in Chinese way |
Poultry industry under pressure |
Today's Top News
Boston bombing suspect reported cornered on boat
7.0-magnitude quake hits Sichuan
Cross-talk artist helps to spread the word
'Green' awareness levels drop in Beijing
Palace Museum spruces up
First couple on Time's list of most influential
H7N9 flu transmission studied
Trading channels 'need to broaden'
US Weekly
Beyond Yao
|
Money power |