Hug fans or follow celebrities? How nationalism is reinforced on Chinese social media

This study examines how nationalistic messages and sentiments propagate on Chinese social media, focusing on interactions between celebrities and fans. Analyzing more than 8 million Weibo microblogs and comments classified through machine-learning methods, the authors find that fans exert a stronger influence on celebrities than the reverse. Fans shape the nationalist narratives that celebrities subsequently amplify, and those within the state-conformist camp exert the greatest influence. The findings highlight the role of grassroots online communities in shaping nationalism in nondemocratic contexts.