Today we met with employees of the Global Times, an English language Chinese newspaper, and the International Channel of Shanghai, an English language news television channel. In China, all mass media is state owned, but the nature of the arrangement between the state and the news organization is much more complicated than the typical view from the west. Both of the organizations we visited were profit driven. They were expected to earn a profit (some percentage of which went back to the Chinese government) and fund their own operations, like a normal corporation. I had expected that Chinese media, being state owned, would serve primarily as a mouthpiece for the Chinese government. However, both of the organizations we visited appeared to be similar to western media outlets in that their concern was what the consumer of the news is interested in. Neither organization receives guidelines or was forced to report certain stories for the central government. The major difference is that the government has the authority to have articles pulled if they cover certain sensitive topics. This seems like a major restriction on the effectiveness of the news, but technological trends counteract government censorship. The rise of microblogging websites (like Twitter in the United States) has made it harder for the government to control the spread of information. This has allowed traditional Chinese media outlets more freedom in the content they are able to cover, especially as their role is often to provide facts and dispel rumors. Interestingly, both organizations stressed social responsibility as a part of their mission. In the era of the 24 hour news cycle, I’m left wondering if the profit centered focus of the news organization is any less limiting than government censorship and control of the media.
Tags: China, Journalism, Public Media, Shanghai