iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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DER SPIEGEL @spiegel.de · 23/05/2026

Der Blogger Marc Hofer entdeckte zuerst ein unbekanntes chinesisches Überwachungstool – und dann sein eigenes Passfoto darin. Hier berichtet er über die Fähigkeiten des Programms und darüber, wie es sich anfühlt, selbst zum Ziel zu werden.

spiegel.de

China: Blogger berichtet, wie ein Überwachungstool ihn selbst erfasste

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Emily Feng @emilyzfeng.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Absolutely not surprising but a limited leak of a Chinese local surveillance platform drawing off an apparently large national one has a special drop down for tracking for tracking foreign journalists in China… including me. @netaskari.bsky.social found the data open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...

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Adam Scharpf @ascharpf.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Thrilled to see Making a Career in Dictatorship featured in The New York Times @nytimes.com My favorite line: “[The book] reads like what you might get if you crossed Hannah Arendt’s ideas about the ‘banality of evil’ with a business school guide on how to get the most out of low performers.”

nytimes.com

Actually, Democracy Dies in H.R.

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

My research found that the foreign press corps in China shrank from >700 in 2008 to 500 in 2021, & to 400+ in 2024. What’s less clear is how the makeup of the foreign press corps has changed - whether J-visa access is increasingly favoring ideologically aligned media. More: doi.org/10.1177/1940...

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Zeyi Yang 杨泽毅 @zeyiyang.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

BREAKING: The Chinese government pressured Zambia to screen + exclude Taiwanese speakers attending @rightscon.org, leading to the largest international convention on digital rights being canceled a week before it takes place, the host org @accessnow.org tells WIRED. By @telliotter.bsky.social + me

wired.com

The Chinese Government Just Got the World’s Largest Digital Rights Conference Canceled

Access Now, the group that organizes RightsCon, says Zambian officials asked it to exclude Taiwanese participants if it wanted the event to proceed as planned.

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PSA Autocracy & Regime Change Specialist Group @psaautocracy.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

🚨 We are now accepting submissions for two of our Specialist Group's Awards 🚨 - Best Paper Award - Best PhD Paper Award Rules: anyone can nominate – self-nominations are welcome! – a paper for these awards by emailing arc.psa.sg@gmail.com Deadline: 25 May 2026 Details on the rules👇

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Enjoyed being a part of this enriching workshop in @au.dk, thoughtfully curated and well organized by @rsenninger.bsky.social @winniexia.bsky.social @muzhou-zhang.bsky.social! It brought many sub-disciplines together under the theme of 'Information from Abroad' and I learned so much from all

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Excited to be part of this virtual event organised by APSG and the APSA Democracy & Autocracy section! I'll be sharing my work on global media and authoritarian regimes alongside fantastic panellists. Join us Thu, 9 April, at 18:30 CET / 12:30 EST. Register here: calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0...

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Congrats! 🫡 In our joint nomination, @jhlee1596.bsky.social & I detailed how @alexdukalskis.bsky.social combines rigorous academic guidance with genuine support for student well-being. Such a well deserved win (one of just two awardees) for the best mentor an early career scholar can wish for! 💐

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Wrapped up grading & my Media Politics under Authoritarianism module! Although we focused on autocracies, we discussed threats in democracies, like news avoidance & platform capture. Part of the solution lies in questioning our biases & resisting essentialism - traits I felt many students embodied 🙏

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

New paper out! Using a text scaling approach on 17,000+ Chinese state media articles (2014–2023), I examine how authoritarian regimes portray international media as external threats - and when this hostility intensifies. doi.org/10.1080/1356... Free (first 50): www.tandfonline.com/eprint/2MNPV...

tandfonline.com

Friends and enemies: external threats and the delegitimization of foreign media in China

There is substantial scholarship examining how states use negative propaganda and threat framing of outgroups to various ends, including popular mobilisation, diversion and scapegoating, and to del...

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lokman tsui @lokman.org · 03/12/2025

this is authoritarianism. "Beijing's insistence that sovereignty cannot be challenged has reshaped even the vocabulary of disaster. A call for answers can be reframed as agitation. Grief can be interpreted as defiance. Volunteerism can be treated as "gathering"." www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

abc.net.au

Hong Kong's grief meets Beijing's red lines

The blaze that consumed Wang Fuk Court burned for two days, but its political shock waves may echo for weeks, even months.

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Ryan Ho Kilpatrick 何松濤 @ryanhk.blue · 29/11/2025

Watching this play out in HK is a shock to the system, but to anyone who’s seen it happen time and again in the mainland, it’s also all too familiar and predictable. After any disaster, “stability maintenance” (維穩) and “stabilising public sentiment” (穩定社會情緒) are always foremost official priorities.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Shanghai friends: very special Concert Alert! Perhaps you already know that all our concerts with Japanese musicians in China were cancelled. But nobody has cancelled this Shanghai performance with the legendary Japanese Jazz drummer Toshio Osumi. So we are taking a chance.

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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

As part of a special issue of @iojournal.bsky.social w/ an amazing cast of scholars, Rebecca Cordell & I wrote a piece on the future of human rights given the rise of authoritarian powers and alliances. Check out "Authoritarianism, Global Politics, and the Future of Human Rights" open access here:

cambridge.org

Authoritarianism, Global Politics, and the Future of Human Rights | International Organization | Cambridge Core

Authoritarianism, Global Politics, and the Future of Human Rights - Volume 79 Issue S1

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UCD Politics and International Relations @ucdpolitics.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

Applications are now open for the UCD Iseult Honohan Doctoral Scholarship 2026. Closing Date: 30 January 2026 ✔️Covers full fees (EU and Non-EU) ✔️Provides a living stipend of €25,000 per year for up to four years ✔️Is open to EU and non-EU applicants 👇 www.ucd.ie/spire/study/...

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UCD Politics and International Relations @ucdpolitics.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Applications are open for two UCD Ad Astra Doctoral Scholarships💫 It covers: ☑️ Tuition fees (up to the non-EU rate) ☑️ A yearly stipend of €25,000 ☑️ An annual research budget of €4,000 Deadline: 6 February 2026 @elisaadamico.bsky.social www.ucd.ie/spire/study/...

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

None bar one student (who watched it 15 times) had heard of the show, but we ended up having a robust and fun discussion on whether it was better for the work to gain mainstream visibility or to stay obscure, and whether clever adaptation to bypass censorship is dilution and compromise (Fin)

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

And elsewhere, instead of confessing their love, they confess to being ‘lifelong confidants’. Plus! Under the pretext of paying respects to ancestors, they (sort of) went through traditional wedding rites

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Elsewhere in the show, they raise rabbits together (Rabbits are a gay symbol in China), and they also (sort of) raise an orphaned child together

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

4. Signs of devotion / loyalty to one another during the vandalism scene (there is plausible deniability because platonic friends can also be loyal to each other)

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

3. Gifting of chickens is a courtship / wedding tradition in some parts of China (and there is plausible deniability because the giver is drunk)

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

2. Instead of direct intimacy, there is a lot of wordless gazing

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Among the ways it's queer-coded whilst maintaining plausible deniability - 1. Physical contact – Holding, wrist grabbing

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

After some contextualization (on the Boys Love genre, on regulations around depicting same-sex relationships in CN mass media, on the basic storyline), the class (3rd- and 4th-year undergrads) watched this clip where a drunk Lan Wangji steals chickens for Wei Wuxian www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUrY...

youtube.com

【The Untamed】Highlight | Drunk Lan Wangji even stole the chicken?! | 陈情令 | ENG SUB

YouTube video by WeTV English - Get the WeTV APP

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

In my Media Politics under Authoritarianism class this week, we explored how to adapt a gay romance for Chinese TV whilst maintaining plausible deniability. We also discussed queer representation, feminism, & creative freedom. Showed students a clip of The Untamed. Their engagement made my week!

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

The findings carry implications for the integrity of global media in authoritarian contexts. Journalists broadly respond by concealing their activities or by conforming to localized restrictions, contributing to our understanding of how state power is quietly contested or reproduced. (3/3)

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Particularly notable are indirect channeling tactics, such as legal ambiguity that deter reporting by creating an atmosphere of uncertainty for both journalists and their sources. Also significant is the role of mobilized citizens in obstructing journalistic activity. (2/3)

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

My first solo-authored publication is out in The International Journal of Press/Politics! journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... Based on 50+ interviews with foreign correspondents in China, it explores how authoritarian media control operates and the responses it provokes. (1/3)

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samuelwa.de @samuelwa.de · 23/09/2025

“I tried to use purchase of a panda as a means of getting to China in 1963-4 while in Hong Kong. My wife’s uncle was chairman of the St. Louis Zoo and authorized me to spend US$25K if I could bring one back. As the NYTimes reported, the effort failed.”

jeromecohen.net

Return of the Pandas! — Jerome A. Cohen | 孔傑榮（柯恩）

By Jerome A. Cohen I cannot resist commenting on today’s biggest China news, even though I am sure this is not my first mention of those potent symbols of the PRC’s good will. I tried to use purchase...

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

Had a great first APSA conference! Vancouver was a superb host city with amazing natural beauty & food. I learnt lots from all the panels I went to, made new connections, & caught up with old ones. Am particularly inspired by novel approaches to researching hard-to-study contexts

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

In #Vancouver for #APSA today? David & I will present our paper which uses Taiwan as a case & examines the efficacy of misinformation frames there without exposing human subjects to harmful content. Ours is the Political Information & Communication in Taiwan panel, 4pm at West Level 2, West 217

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Teaching my own module this term: Media Politics under Authoritarianism. In our first class, we examined media’s role in society. Applying Hanitzsch's journalistic roles, students assessed that there aren't watchdogs and change agents in Irish media! Perhaps this is symptomatic of democracies?

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Helen Davidson @heldavidson.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

I reckon this from @emoontw.bsky.social on leaving Taiwan (and its media scene) is worth a read theeastandback.substack.com/p/my-great-t...

theeastandback.substack.com

(My) Great Taiwan Recall

One era ends, another begins.

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Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC @caoilfhionn.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

I’ve lost count of how often Chinese/Hong Kong authorities or CCP State media have called me a “so-called human rights lawyer” leading a “so-called legal team.” I often play ‘propaganda bingo’ to myself when I read aggressive HKSAR statements which slam me/my clients/NGOs/other States/newspapers. 1/

cambridge.org

The Use of ‘So-called’ as a Propaganda Device in China | Journal of East Asian Studies | Cambridge Core

The Use of ‘So-called’ as a Propaganda Device in China

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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Thanks so much @caoilfhionn.bsky.social for reading our @jeas-journal.bsky.social research @linettelim.bsky.social and i were struck by the phrase “so-called” in China’s propaganda and are happy (academically) and discouraged (normatively) that our findings cohere with your experience.

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

Happy birthday. At 60, you defy how a high HDI nation looks like, by being tropical, multi-ethnic, non-liberal, post-colonial, & lacking in resources. To paraphrase Rajaratnam, we've willed ourselves into being. & that's long before manifesting became a thing. Majulah, Singapura!

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

We find that a theme of rising importance is political rivalry with the US, & that challenges to sovereignty draw consistent usage of the terms. Of course, this rhetorical strategy isn’t unique to China; history is full of parallels. I learnt a lot from the linguistic insights of Yurchak & Klemperer

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

My first publication is now online at @jeas-journal.bsky.social ! @alexdukalskis.bsky.social and I apply quantitative text analysis to Xinhua articles containing the terms "so-called" & "所谓" to explore the ideas the Chinese govt wishes to discredit for different audiences doi.org/10.1017/jea....

doi.org

The Use of ‘So-called’ as a Propaganda Device in China | Journal of East Asian Studies | Cambridge Core

The Use of ‘So-called’ as a Propaganda Device in China

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

Delighted that my paper was selected for the 2025 Best PhD Paper Award @psaautocracy.bsky.social ! Thanks to the panel @emisimison.bsky.social & @scottrw630.bsky.social, to my supervisor @alexdukalskis.bsky.social for nominating me, and to @ucdpolitics.bsky.social for being a great intellectual home

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Emily Feng @emilyzfeng.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

“…The layoffs were announced while Rubio was traveling home from that trip. "After he used us, he fired us," one fired foreign affairs officer who focused on the South China Sea said. "It's mind-boggling." www.npr.org/2025/07/24/n...

npr.org

State Dept. cuts China experts as administration says countering Beijing top priority

The State Department has shuttered the team involved in South China Sea security, getting rid of top experts on the subject at a time when the administration says security in the region is a priority.

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Linette Lim @linettelim.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

Happy polling day. Posted mine early this week. Majulah.

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China Law Translate / Jeremy Daum @chinalawtranslate.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

🧵Happy to see continued attention on the ways that China harasses and surveils abroad-- hard to find the bandwidth today, but it remains a real issue that impacts people's lives. A few thoughts that I've raised elsewhere on how best to think about it and address it: www.icij.org/investigatio...

icij.org

Frequently asked questions about the China Targets investigation - ICIJ

What's transnational repression? Is China Targets based on leaked documents? What's a GONGO? These questions and more, answered.

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Josh Chin @joshchin.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

This is such a good read, and perhaps of educational value to Americans newly wondering what life under full-blown authoritarianism is like. From one of China's sharpest writers:

A screenshot of text that reads: "It’s not worth it, it’s worthless, and devoid of a sense of achievement. And it’s exhausting. The day shift is 11 hours and the nightshift is longer—13 hours. During the breaks, most of the censors sneak away to smoke and chat in the stairwell. Liu Lipeng doesn’t smoke and has nothing in common with the others to gossip about. Bored stiff, he logs on to a VPN service to circumvent the Great Internet Firewall of China and uses Google Earth to wander streets in unfamiliar cities, fantasising about the people there and their lives.

He often logs on to the Weibo webpage, not as a censor but as an ordinary user. On Weibo, his username is ‘Ordinary Fascist’ (普通法西斯). It’s a satirical name but Liu Lipeng is unsure whom it satirises."

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Sense Hofstede @sensehofstede.nl · 03/04/2025

US government bans government personnel in China from romantic or sexual relations with Chinese citizens – AP: ‘the policy, which was put into effect by departing U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns in January shortly before he left China.’

apnews.com

US bans government personnel in China from romantic or sexual relations with Chinese citizens

The U.S. government has banned American government personnel in China, as well as family members and contractors with security clearances, from any romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citize...

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