How China is Influencing YouTubers into Posting State Propaganda

A combination of cash and intimidation is keeping online creators in China compliant, quiet, or kicked out of the country.

Franco isn’t a typical Chinese name. Which made the email that J.J. McCullough, a Canadian YouTuber and conservative columnist, opened last May all the more peculiar. “Hi McCullough, Just watched your videos, and we thought it would be a great to place our content, we wonder if you want to help us upload this video to your youtube channel? And for that, we will support your youtube channel for $500” [sic] read the email. Attached was a video which can charitably be described as pro-Chinese government content; a less generous description might be clumsy propaganda.

J.J. was confused. He’d never made any pro-Chinese videos and, in columns for the Washington Post, had previously written unfavorably about the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). J.J. refused the offer. The event was bizarre enough that he posted a follow up video on YouTube about it. After which his mysterious solicitor amended the request and provided a better, less-comically low-budget and obviously propagandistic video for consideration. His curiosity piqued, J.J. decided to string Franco along and agreed; but only if he could add an anti-CCP disclaimer to the beginning of each propaganda video. “It’s not like I’m open-minded about China. I’m not,” J.J. said in a Skype interview, “but I wanted to see how far…