It goes without saying that China's freedom of speech record is one of the poorest in the world. Last year Reporters Without Boarders ranked the country at 168 out of 175 total countries and territories, reports the Time. Yet the internet revolution has made access to information easier, thus making it harder for government officials to control what the population consumes. Most Chinese people get their news from microblogs, as they don't trust the government owned media enterprise Xinhua. Many people turn to Yeeyan.org, a translating social network, which allows the Chinese to read content that was published in English. It seems that the harder the press and the people fight for journalistic freedom, the harder the government will try to contain it.

Last week Reporters without Borders announced that the Chinese government have mandated microblogging sites to self-appoint officials who will be responsible for censoring content. Likewise, mobile users who purchase a SIM card will have to register the chip to their name, which includes a photo copy of their identification. Current users of mobile phones have 3 years to register their SIM card with public officials "China's censors are giving themselves an additional layer of control," Reporters Without Borders states on their website. "The Great Firewall of China is getting human reinforcements to boost its effectiveness. But if they are held to strict performance criteria, it seems these commissioners are being assigned an impossible mission, given the volume of information circulating online for which they will be responsible."

China's reputation in journalism takes a further turn downhill regarding the recent treatment of investigative journalists. The Time reported that on August 29 Fang Shimin, a freelance journalist, escaped an attack which was most likely linked to his work. After studying Biology in the US, Fang decided to pursue exposing the truth concerning pseudo sciences in his home country. "In an ideal world, some more formal and organized watchdogs ... professional organizations or a governmental agency would be in place," asserts Fang. "But China does not have these, so individual watchdogs become essential." Unfortunately Fang and other journalists have been targets of violence, making investigative journalism nearly impossible in China.

None of the censorship events in China are shocking considering the country's reputation. Yet the digital age is causing a headache for China, as the state is struggling to maintain a tight control of censorship. Will the country be able to control the flow of information, or will investigative journalism and microblogging prevail?

Sources: Reporters Without Boarders, The Time