Zhou reported on another influential news event in June 2007 when Xiamen citizens held a peaceful demonstration to oppose a chemical plant project, for fear of the pollution it would cause. Zhou was at the demonstration and sent regular live updates from his mobile phone to his Twitter webpage.

"Advanced technology and especially the Internet have greatly reduced the cost of news production and communication," Zhou told Beijing Review. Though he confessed that grassroots reporters are often poor in terms of their writing ability, he said they could often tell a story from a different and more intimate angle.

"I even draw my own conclusions in my reporting, which contradicts standard news reportage rules, but I think is allowed in personal coverage," Zhou said.

Zhou also went to the earthquake disaster zone as a volunteer for half a month during which he kept his blog rolling with updates consisting of words, photos and videos.

"They have the right to independently publish their reports, but the quality of their work cannot be guaranteed," said Zhao Zhili, a journalism researcher in Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences. "Grassroots journalism can be a supplement to the traditional media, though it is fractional, unverified and lacks depth," he added.