On May 15, 2015, a notice entitled “Notice Regarding Recommending Backbone Internet Commentators and Backbone Freelance 50 Centers” (关于推荐骨干网评员、骨干“自干五”的通知) was posted on the Mianyang Normal University (绵阳师范学院) website. The Notice, issued by the Communist Party Propaganda Department, ordered the school to recommend three instructors and students with “a reliable political stance” to “engage in online public opinion guidance.”
The screenshot below shows the notice as it appeared before it was deleted.
Original URL: http://www.mnu.cn/tongzhi_view.asp?id=5932&cate=11 (Note: at the time of this posting it appears that page contains malware).
These screenshots show similar notices that were posted on (and subsequently deleted from) the websites of the Sichuan Medical College (四川医科大学) and the A Ba Teachers University (阿坝师范学院).
These screenshots show the A Ba notice was removed from the list of notices on the school's Propaganda Department's web page between June 8 and June 14, 2015.
Here is the full text of the Mianyang Normal University notice.
Notice Regarding Recommending Backbone Internet Commentators and Backbone Freelance 50 Centers
Issue Time: 2015-5-15 Browsed 1,738 Times
All General Party Branches, Subordinate Party Branches, and On-Campus Work Units:
In order to increase the speed at which the greater Internet public opinion is formed, carry out online public opinion work, comprehensively carry implement the rule of law in online spaces, comprehensively build a well-off society, comprehensively deepen reforms, comprehensively rule the nation in accordance with law, comprehensively implement Party discipline, put into effect the "Three Grand Development Strategies," push forward the "Two Great Leaps," and create a good online public opinion environment, in accordance with the requirements of the State Internet Information Office's "Online Public Opinion Guidance Task Force 2015 Work Execution Plan" and the provincial Department of Education's "Notice Regarding Recommending Backbone Internet Commentators and Backbone Freelance 50 Centers" you are hereby notified of the following matters regarding recommending our schools' online commentators.
1. Recommendation Criteria
(i) Possess a reliable political stance, be a model of complying with the Constitution and laws, and supportive of the Communist Party's leaders and path of Socialism with Chinese characteristics.
(ii) Possess exceptional political qualities, strong professional work capabilities, relative competence in writing, outstanding professional and scholastic achievements, and a certain degree of academic influence and social notoriety.
(iii) Possess a professional work style and good personal character, and voluntarily commit not to use their status as an online commentator to seek any commercial or other inappropriate benefits on behalf of themselves or any organization.
(iv) Possess Internet communication skills, familiarity with the special characteristics of Internet communication, and the ability to compose essays, field interviews, and offer suggestions and opinions regarding online commentary work on regular basis.
2. Recommendation Quotas
(i) Each work unit shall recommend one instructor and one student to act as backbone Internet commentators (secondary schools with students to participate in the recommendation).
(ii) Each work unit shall recommend one backbone "freelance fifty center," which can be either an instructor or a student.
3. Work Methodology
(i) Backbone Internet commentators and backbone "freelance fifty centers" will compose commentary, field interviews, and regularly engage in online public opinion guidance work.
(ii) Encourage backbone Internet commentators and backbone "freelance fifty centers" to open Weibo and Weixin accounts, and repost their works in a timely manner.
(iii) Backbone Internet commentators and backbone "freelance fifty centers" will help the provincial Department of Education and schools organize online public opinion guidance. The provincial Department of Education will utilize administrative measures, technical measures, and market forces to popularize famous experts and discussion forums.
4. Recommendation Requirements
Backbone Internet commentators and backbone "freelance fifty centers" have an impact on safeguarding the State's overall information security, so it is asked that the Party secretaries for each General Party Branch and Subordinate Party Branch take primary responsibility, and approach this with a high degree of political awareness to actively organize, strictly oversee, and earnestly recommend. Send electronic and hard copies of the recommendation form (signed and chopped by the responsible person) to 12036335@qq.com, care of Cai Wenting, telephone: 1388111164 (extension 61864) before May 21.
Attachment: Backbone Internet Commentator and Backbone Freelance Fifty Center Recommendation Form.doc
(Note: "Bring Your Own Food Fifty Center" is abbreviated to "Freelance Fifty Center." This term refers to those people who voluntarily work to counter defamatory rumors by posting rational and coherent data and information to poke holes in the falsehoods and win over the majority of the masses who don't understand the true situation. They do their part as positive social forces, and act as patriotic Internet users and cheerleaders for China's development.)
Communist Party Propaganda Department
May 15, 2015
关于推荐骨干网评员、骨干“自干五”的通知
发布时间：2015-5-15 浏览次数：1738人/次
各党总支、直属党支部，校内各单位：
为加快构建大网络大舆情全媒体工作格局，做好网上舆论工作，全面推进网络空间法制化，为全面建成小康社会、全面深改革、全面依法治国、全面从严治党，实施“三大发展战略”、推进“两个跨越”营造良好网上舆论环境，根据省网信办《网上舆论引导专项小组2015年工作实施方案》和省教育厅《关于推荐骨干网评员、骨干“自干五”的通知》要求，现就推荐我校网络评论员有关事项通知如下。
一、推荐条件
1．政治立场可靠，模范遵守宪法和法律，拥护中国共产党的领导和中国特色社会主义道路。
2．政策水平较高、业务工作能力强、有较好文字能力，专业成就和学业成绩突出，具有一定的学术影响力和社会知名度。
3．作风正、人品好，自愿承诺不利用网评员身份为个人或有关机构谋求商业利益和其他不正当利益。
4．具有网络传播技能，熟悉网络传播特点，能够经常撰写文章、接受采访，并对网上舆论工作提出建议和意见。
二、推荐名额
1．骨干网评员由各单位分别推荐教师1人、学生1人（有学生的二级学院参与推荐）。
2．骨干“自干五”由各单位推荐1人，教师、学生均可。
三、工作方式
1．骨干网评员、骨干“自干五”以撰写评论文章、接受访谈等方式，经常性开展舆论引导工作。
2．鼓励骨干网评员、骨干“自干五”开设微博、微信等账号，做好个人作品的及时转发工作。
3．骨干网评员、骨干“自干五”协助省教育厅、学校开展组织好网上舆论引导工作。省教育厅将利用行政手段、技术手段和市场力量，加大对知名专家、言论专栏的推广力度。
四、推荐要求
推荐骨干网评员、骨干“自干五”，关系到维护国家信息安全工作大局，请各党总支、直属党支部以书记为主要责任人，从讲政治的高度出发，积极组织、严格把关、认真推荐，于5月21日之前将推荐表的电子版、纸质版（负责人签字并盖章）发至12036335@qq.com，联系人：蔡文婷，电话：13881111864（短号：61864）。
附件：骨干网评员推荐表和骨干自干五推荐表.doc
（注：“自带干粮的五毛”，简称“自干五”。是指那些自觉自愿针对网络恶意中伤的谣言而自发有理有节地用数据资料戳破对方谎言以争取大多数不明真相者的群体。他们是为社会正能量点赞、为中国发展鼓劲的爱国网民。）
党委宣传部
2015年5月15日
