"Cat One Cup" was banned across the entire network, and the frequent occurrence of chaotic script traffic has triggered new thinking

In the era of online information explosion, some self-media or MCN organizations may choose to make up scripts in order to pursue traffic, which has also aroused widespread social attention and discussion. This article interprets the recent events, let's take a look.

On April 12, the Hangzhou police issued a notice that the Internet celebrity "Thurman Cat One Cup" (real name Xu) was punished by the public security organs in accordance with the law for planning and posting a staged video "picking up Qin Lang's homework book in Paris" and suspected of spreading online rumors. At the same time, the director Xue and his company were also subject to corresponding legal sanctions.

While watching this incident, netizens could not help but feel "taunted" and asked questions such as "Who is creating the hot search?" The emergence of the "Qin Lang lost homework" incident not only attracted the attention of all sectors of society, but also prompted many MCN organizations to start self-examination and self-correction, and reflect on the chaos in the industry. Zhu Wei, deputy director of the Communication Law Research Center of China University of Political Science and Law, pointed out that the content of short video fraud varies, but the common point is that they convey wrong values, and gain traffic by misleading the public, causing confrontation and even some incidents that affect social stability, which is extremely harmful. [1] In addition, the incident was also commented on by CCTV: For some self-media, the truth is never important. Whether it is the original blogger or the netizens who later took advantage of the traffic, they actually have ulterior motives. [2]

So the question is, what is "scripted" traffic, why does it appear and become so popular, and what are its dangers? In this issue of Tencent Media Research Institute's case sharing, we will find the answers with you...

1. The whole story of the "Qin Lang lost his homework" incident

Based on the timeline leaked online, we sorted out the context of the entire "Qin Lang lost homework" incident:

● On February 16, blogger "Thurman猫一杯" released a video, claiming to have found the homework book of primary school student Qin Lang in Paris. The video instantly ignited the online public opinion field after it was released, and topics such as "Qin Lang lost his homework in Paris" quickly became hot searches. Data from a short video platform showed that the number of views of the topic #秦朗掉作业# reached 889.01w (data from Xindou).

● From February 16th to 19th, many netizens claiming to be "Teacher Qin Lang" and "Uncle Qin Lang" appeared in the video comment section, trying to take advantage of the "heat". Among them, "Uncle Qin Lang" started a live broadcast that attracted a large number of netizens to watch.

● On February 19, "Uncle Qin Lang" admitted to posing for the photo, his account was banned, and the related videos were removed. That night, "Thurman Cat One Cup" released a video saying that he had found "Mother Qin Lang" and had returned the homework.

● CCTV’s comments on February 20 once again pushed the matter to the top of the trending searches.

● On April 7, "Uncle Qin Lang" was administratively punished by the public security organs of Nantong, Jiangsu.

● On April 12, the Xihu District Branch of the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau issued a notice confirming that "Thurman猫一杯" was indeed suspected of spreading online rumors, and the public security authorities imposed administrative penalties on them and their company in accordance with the law. "Thurman猫一杯"'s multiple platform accounts were banned across the entire network, and the MCN agency behind it may also face platform withdrawal. "Thurman猫一杯" released an apology video, and the topic became a hot search again.

● April 13: The Ministry of Public Security announced typical cases of cracking down on illegal crimes such as online rumors, the first of which was the "Qin Lang Lost Homework" incident.

● April 15: Multiple e-commerce platforms showed that the OMETOO clothing brand under Maoyibei had ceased operations. At the same time, Zhiji Auto clarified that it had no official endorsement cooperation with Maoyibei.

From the whole incident, it can be seen that Mao Yibei and his colleagues planned and fabricated this series of videos in order to attract traffic and attention. This incident has also become a typical case of the chaos of "script traffic" and has been reported and analyzed by many media.

2. Why does the script traffic chaos arise?

The so-called script traffic refers to the traffic data such as visits, clicks, and views generated by attracting and gathering audiences or users through carefully written script content. However, some self-media bloggers or teams will use attractive, dramatic or controversial scripts to create topics and popularity through interpretation in order to gain "traffic", which has formed the chaos of "script traffic". These scripts may involve various plots and character settings, aiming to arouse the audience's emotional resonance or curiosity, thereby increasing their interactive stickiness.

However, with the rise of the short video and live broadcast industries, various chaos have emerged one after another, and the phenomenon of using "fake scripts" to earn traffic has occurred frequently. The "reading machine girl" who has been popular on the entire network in recent times has been pushed to the top of public opinion searches because of the "script manipulation" incident.

In March 2024, Gao Junyu, the well-known "Reading Machine Girl", posted a video saying that she had a rare brain tumor, which attracted the attention of many netizens and the popularity of her account soared.

However, careful netizens discovered that the clothing worn by the characters in the video posted on March 10 was inconsistent with the season, and it was suspected to be a "stock" video. On March 12, the Internet Illegal and Bad Information Reporting Center of Yuhang District, Hangzhou, issued a report: the video posted by the MCN agency Hangzhou Huoran Kailang Technology Co., Ltd. about "Reading Machine Girl" Gao Junyu revealing that she had a rare brain tumor and underwent surgery was a "stock video." On April 24, all of the "Reading Machine Girl" Gao Junyu's online accounts were changed to a muted or banned status. [3]

At first, netizens sincerely hoped that Gao Junyu would recover soon, but there was a dramatic turn of events. The mysterious operation of the "script" consumed the kindness and trust of the society. In addition, popular events such as "1,500 yuan to fish out a mobile phone in West Lake", "A man who graduated from a prestigious university was laid off and delivered food without telling his wife", or "Feeding instant noodles to the hospitalized mother-in-law" were also exposed as staged farces directed and performed by themselves in order to gain traffic. [2]

So, why did the chaos of script traffic arise? We have summarized the following points:

First, the demand for content creation has driven the generation of script traffic. In the operation of self-media and MCN agencies, high-quality content is the key to attracting audiences, increasing exposure and traffic. As a structured form of content, scripts can help creators better plan storylines and shape character images, thereby producing more attractive and entertaining content. Therefore, scripts have become an important tool for self-media and MCN agencies to create content, and script traffic has also risen.

Secondly, market demand has also promoted the growth of script traffic. With the rise of short video platforms and the increasing demand of netizens for content diversity, short video content such as short dramas and micro-films have gradually become an indispensable part of people's fragmented time with their compact plots and fast pace. Therefore, the demand for scripts by self-media and MCN agencies has also increased significantly. At the same time, some brands have also seen the commercial value of short video content, and have invested funds and resources in production and promotion, further promoting the development of script traffic. For example, Jiang Shiqi's team's series of short dramas such as "Constraints by Growth" and "A Beam of Sunshine and a Beam of Love" have all become the kings of short drama traffic with their fascinating story content and advertising implantation.

In addition, the support and promotion of MCN organizations are also important reasons for the emergence of the script traffic phenomenon. MCN organizations have mature creative experience and resources, and can provide creators with a better creative environment and support. They help creators improve content quality, increase exposure and traffic by providing script creation guidance, resource docking, marketing and other services. At the same time, MCN organizations also provide creators with more distribution channels and monetization opportunities through cooperation with other platforms, further promoting the growth of script traffic.

However, it is worth noting that the phenomenon of script traffic is not entirely positive. In order to pursue traffic and attention, some self-media and MCN agencies may rely too much on scripts and hype, thereby ignoring the authenticity and value of the content. This behavior not only harms the rights and interests of the audience, but also affects the healthy development of the entire industry. Therefore, while pursuing script traffic, creators and MCN agencies should also adhere to the principles of authenticity and integrity and focus on the quality and value of the content.

In summary, the emergence of the script traffic phenomenon is the result of the combined effect of multiple factors. Driven by factors such as content creation, market demand and support from MCN institutions, script traffic has developed rapidly.

3. The enlightenment of the "Qin Lang lost homework" incident to self-media and MCN organizations

"Thurman Cat One Cup", which originally had tens of millions of fans on the Internet, also paid the price for its "fake script" behavior. Not only was it banned from the entire Internet, but the MCN organization behind it also faced platform withdrawal. In addition, the clothing brand store under "Thurman Cat One Cup" ceased operations. From a financial perspective, the loss of "Thurman Cat One Cup" is very heavy, and the "Qin Lang Lost Homework" incident also brought profound enlightenment to self-media and MCN organizations:

First of all, for the self-media industry and MCN agencies, the scale of script traffic needs to be measured. It reminds self-media practitioners to adhere to the principle of integrity, convey value with real and positive information, and maintain a healthy network environment. At the same time, the incident also shows the rise of the power of netizens. They no longer passively receive information, but actively question and verify. In addition, MCN agencies should also conduct self-examination and rectification to avoid condoning or even planning false content in pursuit of traffic.

Secondly, from the regulatory perspective, relevant departments have begun to focus on rectifying the interpretation of "false scripts". In particular, those who create hot spots without any bottom line and create "information traps" that are false and true, and mix the real and the fake will be the focus of attention.

On April 29, the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission launched a two-month nationwide special campaign to "clear up and rectify the 'self-media' that seeks traffic without any bottom line." The key issues to be rectified are as follows:

1. Self-directed and self-acted fraud.

2. Use any means necessary to hype up social hot spots.

3. Set the topic based on generalizations.

4. Creating a persona that violates public order and good morals.

5. Abuse of “new yellow journalism”. [4]

Therefore, fabricating and spreading false information is a violation of the law and will be punished accordingly. For the public, this incident has also improved their ability to discern online information. The information on the Internet is complex and diverse, and the public needs to be vigilant and not trust unverified information.

Finally, from a more macro perspective, the "Qin Lang lost homework" incident has also promoted the reflection of the entire society. It reminds us that the Internet world is not a lawless place, and anyone's behavior on the Internet should be subject to legal and moral constraints. Only in this way can we create a real and healthy cyberspace and allow the media industry to achieve sustainable development.

Summarize

In general, the "Qin Lang lost his homework" incident is a typical case of false information dissemination in self-media. "Thurman Mao Yibei" and his colleagues fabricated false content and posted it on the Internet in order to pursue traffic and attention. The initiator of the incident, "Thurman Mao Yibei" and his colleagues, were also punished for their behavior. This incident has a profound impact on the self-media industry and the public. Self-media practitioners should adhere to the principles of authenticity and integrity, pay attention to content quality, avoid excessive pursuit of traffic and attention at the expense of content authenticity, and achieve long-term stable development.

References

[1]hhttps://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1795199794158451886&wfr=spider&for=pc

[2]https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/guna4M0ZluDNk5FlJlFlyQ

[3]https://news.ycwb.com/2024-04/25/content_52644971.htm

[4]https://www.chinanews.com.cn/sh/2024/04-24/10204756.shtml