Introduction
Hello everyone, I hope you are doing great today. As you all know, journalism has always been defined by the inherent value of information. Nowadays, to possess information is to possess power, and without it, a society is rendered mute. In this speech, I will talk about the journalism in China, the current media situation in the country and the taboos about the country’s media. I will also explain all key things that any foreign person may want to know about China’s media situation.
Media Situation in China
I understand that you may want to know what constitutes the current media situation in China. I will therefore start by introducing you to the common media in the republic of China which include TVs, newspapers, radio, and magazines. There are now more than 2,200 newspapers in Mainland China, up from just 42 in 1968, which were almost all Chinese Communist Party (CPP) publications (Wang, 2022). According to one government estimate, there are more than 7,000 magazines and journals in the nation today (Zeng et al., 2019). Between the mid-1960s and the mid-to-late 1980s, the number of daily and weekly newspapers and magazines in circulation quadrupled, reaching 310 million by 1987 (Wang, 2022). These numbers however understate the actual circulation since many publishers use their own networks for distribution rather than authorized channels and because they purposely inflate numbers to avoid paying taxes.
The annual Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RWB) this year has ranked China very poorly in list of countries with media freedom. The Chinese government has been termed as “the regretable distinction of leading the world in suppression of the Internet” by the organization (Wang, 2022). According to the 2021 Press Freedom Index, China ranks 177 out of 180 countries. The Chinese government restricts the press and the open Internet. Although the Chinese constitution guarantees citizens the right to exercise press freedom in a democratic setting, this freedom is constrained by the same constitution which forbids dissemination of state secrets.
Taboo of China’s Media
I will now shift my focus to the key taboos of China media. The Chinese government’s stringiest enforcement of all journalistic regulations is no longer necessary of non-governmental media organizations that are permitted to operate in the PRC (Svensson, 2017). Regulating organizations like the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) and the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), continue to impose strict guidelines on topics the government considers a taboo (Wang, 2022). These restrictions include but not limited to the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party (CPP), human rights in Tibet, the Uyghur genocide, and the banned religious topics such as the Dalai Lama and Falun Gong.
In May 2010, the Chinese government published its first whitepaper on the internet, which concentrated on the idea of internet sovereignty and demanded all internet users including foreign organizations or individuals to adhere to the laws and regulations. Chinese internet companies are now required to sign the Public Pledge on Self-Regulation and Professional Ethics for China Internet Industry, which contain even stricter regulations than those in the whitepaper (Svensson, 2017). Certain media sites such as Wikipedia, Facebook, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and several Google services that the government deems potentially dangerous are completely blocked or momentarily “blacked out” during times of controversy (Wang, 2022). Additionally, some elements of information seen to be a danger to political stability such as contentious images, videos and search phrases are forbidden.
Other Things that Foreign People Might Want to Know
In this presentation, I am also going to cover some of the key aspects related to the China media. For a long time, reporting in China has grown to be more challenging due to the Chinese government’s increased interference in the reporting of international journalists. Despite this tough conditions, reporters in China continue to produce outstanding content in the country. Being the world’s booming global power and second-largest economy, China has continued to produce the best work as far as journalism is concerned. There has also been excellent performance in the sports coverage, entertainment and movies which have featured in the global scene. Additionally, the China’s media has enhanced its cooperation with countries from Africa such as South Africa through the Sino-African Cooperation Forum (SACF) that was launched in early 2006. Through this platform, Chinese journalists have empowered African media by providing them with free training especially for the French speaking Africa journalists.
The country also created the China Media University in 2007 which equips both international and local students with necessary skills to feature in the international scenes. With the creation of SACF, a formalized approach to involve China communication enterprises meeting was held in Egypt whereby the Chinese media society pledged to fully support African media. National and global developments have played a vital role in enhancing China’s interest to institutionalize soft influences through the use of media. This has enabled the country to receive international recognition that prompted the consideration of Beijing as a host for the Olympics.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Chinese government has traditionally maintained tight controls over both conventional and new media in order to prevent any subversion of its power. Although it has tightened restrictions on press freedom as the nation’s power grows abroad, many of its residents still yearn for a free flow of information in the internet age. Additionally, the Chinese government has blocked certain media stations such as Facebook which are deemed as being dangerous. However, the regulatory measures governing Chinese journalism field is among the best in the world. Thank you for listening and may you have safe journeys to your respective destinations.
References
Du, R. (2019). Dancing with chains: A case study of data journalism in China. In Data Journalism in the Global South, 45(7), 109–123.
Svensson, M. (2017). The rise and fall of investigative journalism in China: Digital opportunities and political challenges. Media, Culture & Society, 39(3), 440–445.
Wang, H. (2022). Transformation or continuation? Comparing journalism in digital and legacy media in China. Journalism Practice, 16(7), 1431-1448.
Zeng, J., Burgess, J., & Bruns, A. (2019). Is citizen journalism better than professional journalism for fact-checking rumours in China? How Weibo users verified information following the 2015 Tianjin blasts. Global Media and China, 4(1), 13-35.