It takes years, even decades, to build a reputation but in an age of instant communication it takes just seconds to destroy it.

The last year has been no exception and the public has seen reputations tarnished, in a range of sectors, including media, judicial officials and education, with the speed of a mouse click.

No 1: Big Vs (Influential micro-bloggers)

Xue Charles Bi-Chuen, a Chinese-American investor who called himself Xue Manzi on Sina Weibo, was detained in August on suspicion of patronizing prostitutes. Xue had 12 million followers on his micro blog account, and he used to help shape public opinion with his sharp online criticism regarding headline-making incidents.

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No 2: Medical workers

On Oct 14, the Tianjin government said that Dumex China paid 116 workers in 85 local hospitals to promote their infant formula by handing out pamphlets and giving lectures to parents.

The government said it has confiscated the money and 13 medical workers were punished. Dumex, a French company that makes nutritional products for infants and children, apologized later for the incident.

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Infant formula bribery

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No 3: Judicial officials

In early August, Shanghai's top court suspended four judicial officials on allegations of patronizing prostitutes. The scandal came to light after an online video showed a group of court officials walking arm-in-arm with female karaoke partners at a resort hotel on June 9.

The Shanghai anti-graft agency said on its micro blog that the four officials included Chen Xueming, chief judge of the No 1 Civil Tribunal at the Shanghai High People's Court, and Zhao Minghua, deputy chief judge of the high court's No 1 Civil Tribunal.

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Shanghai judges sacked over prostitution scandal

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No 4: Headmasters

In May, a primary school headmaster and a civil servant in Wanning, Hainan province, were taken into police custody for allegedly sexually assaulting six female students.

In June, Yang Qifa, a 59-year-old headmaster of a primary school was sentenced to 18 years in jail for raping and molesting girls in Qianshan county in Anhui province.

A middle-school teacher in Hefeng county, Hubei province, was detained in September for allegedly having sex with at least eight female students, and one of the students got pregnant.