In the early morning on July 22, 2012, after the heaviest storm in Beijing in 61 years, People’s Daily kicked off the official microblog it started for the public. The government-run microblog, which is run by 8 government employees, responds to major incidents and problems more quickly than the People’s Daily print edition and is responsible for interacting with blog users in vivid and touching language. Facing the challenge of the wide spread of the new media, People’s Daily wants to have a say in public opinion. “We cannot hand over microblogs to others. We must take the initiative to speak out and post high quality writings.”
Source: Xinhua, July 31, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/lianzheng/2012-07/31/c_123499223.htm