A survey in central China's Hubei Province showed that 80 percent of respondents believe the government should have online spokespeople as the Internet has become an important source of information.

More than 25,000 people took the survey, conducted online or by questionnaires handed out in streets by the Hubei Institute of Internet Communication, HB.QQ.com and iResearch Consulting Group.

The respondents hoped online spokespeople could be honest and quote facts and data rather than just empty talk, the survey found.

The province has almost 15 million netizens, half of whom stay online for more than five hours a day and 97 percent consider the Internet their main information source.