One Message, Multiple Functions: Local Propaganda as Bureaucratic Trace Management

This article explores how local government propaganda in China can function as a tool for bureaucratic management. I argue that certain propaganda primarily serves as public documentation of government activities and officials’ performance, enhancing bureaucratic transparency and credibility. This documentation is particularly important when leaders lack personal ties with subordinates and thus require independent verification of their work. However, prioritizing record keeping over public persuasion often produces rigid, unengaging media content, which I term “trace-management propaganda.” Analyzing 1.4 million WeChat posts from Chinese local governments, I demonstrate that trace-management propaganda significantly increases during official evaluation periods and is especially prevalent where personal connections between leaders and subordinates are weak. A difference-in-differences analysis further confirms that a lack of personal ties increases reliance on trace-management propaganda. These findings reveal that local government propaganda in China frequently fulfills both administrative and expressive purposes, providing new insights into state media dynamics and bureaucratic oversight.