Attack on Apple raises questions about Chinese media outlets

Weibo users immediately begun to speculate about the meaning of that last sentence, with some noting that an odd flood of negative posts about Apple appearing on the site after 8:20pm. Speculation soon spread that Mr. Ho had been supplied with the text by CCTV as part of coordinated campaign to smear the Cupertino, Calif. electronics maker online.

While there is no evidence to suggest Mr. Ho or anyone else was paid to post messages in support of CCTV’s allegations, the reaction on Weibo points to rising mistrust of the country’s state-run media outlets among Chinese Internet users, who have increasing access to alternate sources of information via social media.

Who’s behind the coordinated campaign? And are they in cahoots with the analysts and hedge fund managers who seem intent on driving down Apple’s stock value in the States?

I’m getting increasingly paranoid about all of this stuff.