Department of Mass Communications, St Cloud State University, rmajid@stcloudstate.edu
Historically, analyses of change in mass media systems have tended
to draw upon a ‘dissident vs state’ framework, derived largely from
the western historical experience. In the case of China, a ‘state
vs market’ scenario has been superimposed on this basic framework,
in the context of which the Chinese Communist party-state is often
portrayed as a monolithic entity intent on promoting market-oriented
reform in China’s economic base, while keeping a tight grip on the
country’s mass media system and political superstructure. These dominant
analytical frameworks tend to mask a number of important dynamics
unique to Chinese history and society, that have played a significant
role in the mass media transformation process. The purpose of this
article is to outline a new conceptual framework incorporating these
unique dynamics. In particular, it is the contention of this article
that many of the changes in China’s mass media system during the
post-Mao period have been achieved by non-state actors, not in an
adversarial process vis-à-vis the state, but through what may be
called ‘creative renegotiation and expansion’ of new policy openings
initiated by the state. The success of these non-state actors, furthermore,
has been due to three major systemic factors: (1) the increasing
‘deideologization’ of the Chinese society set in motion by Deng’s
pragmatic policies; (2) the gradual functional shift on the part
of the local party cadres and bureaucratic authorities from ideological
supervision to entrepreneurial collaboration with private investors;
and (3) the increasingly common core of interest created by the media’s
commercialization among the party cadres, bureaucratic bodies and
media entrepreneurs and managers in extracting profits from the media.
%0 Journal Article
%1 akhavanmajid2004mmr
%A Akhavan-Majid, R.
%D 2004
%J International Communication Gazette
%K China Chinese_media market-oriented media_commercialization media_reform non-state_actors party-state
%N 6
%P 553
%R 10.1177/0016549204047576
%T Mass Media Reform in China: Toward a New Analytical Framework
%V 66
%X Department of Mass Communications, St Cloud State University, rmajid@stcloudstate.edu
Historically, analyses of change in mass media systems have tended
to draw upon a ‘dissident vs state’ framework, derived largely from
the western historical experience. In the case of China, a ‘state
vs market’ scenario has been superimposed on this basic framework,
in the context of which the Chinese Communist party-state is often
portrayed as a monolithic entity intent on promoting market-oriented
reform in China’s economic base, while keeping a tight grip on the
country’s mass media system and political superstructure. These dominant
analytical frameworks tend to mask a number of important dynamics
unique to Chinese history and society, that have played a significant
role in the mass media transformation process. The purpose of this
article is to outline a new conceptual framework incorporating these
unique dynamics. In particular, it is the contention of this article
that many of the changes in China’s mass media system during the
post-Mao period have been achieved by non-state actors, not in an
adversarial process vis-à-vis the state, but through what may be
called ‘creative renegotiation and expansion’ of new policy openings
initiated by the state. The success of these non-state actors, furthermore,
has been due to three major systemic factors: (1) the increasing
‘deideologization’ of the Chinese society set in motion by Deng’s
pragmatic policies; (2) the gradual functional shift on the part
of the local party cadres and bureaucratic authorities from ideological
supervision to entrepreneurial collaboration with private investors;
and (3) the increasingly common core of interest created by the media’s
commercialization among the party cadres, bureaucratic bodies and
media entrepreneurs and managers in extracting profits from the media.
@article{akhavanmajid2004mmr,
__markedentry = {[afeld]},
abstract = {Department of Mass Communications, St Cloud State University, rmajid@stcloudstate.edu
Historically, analyses of change in mass media systems have tended
to draw upon a ‘dissident vs state’ framework, derived largely from
the western historical experience. In the case of China, a ‘state
vs market’ scenario has been superimposed on this basic framework,
in the context of which the Chinese Communist party-state is often
portrayed as a monolithic entity intent on promoting market-oriented
reform in China’s economic base, while keeping a tight grip on the
country’s mass media system and political superstructure. These dominant
analytical frameworks tend to mask a number of important dynamics
unique to Chinese history and society, that have played a significant
role in the mass media transformation process. The purpose of this
article is to outline a new conceptual framework incorporating these
unique dynamics. In particular, it is the contention of this article
that many of the changes in China’s mass media system during the
post-Mao period have been achieved by non-state actors, not in an
adversarial process vis-à-vis the state, but through what may be
called ‘creative renegotiation and expansion’ of new policy openings
initiated by the state. The success of these non-state actors, furthermore,
has been due to three major systemic factors: (1) the increasing
‘deideologization’ of the Chinese society set in motion by Deng’s
pragmatic policies; (2) the gradual functional shift on the part
of the local party cadres and bureaucratic authorities from ideological
supervision to entrepreneurial collaboration with private investors;
and (3) the increasingly common core of interest created by the media’s
commercialization among the party cadres, bureaucratic bodies and
media entrepreneurs and managers in extracting profits from the media.},
added-at = {2008-06-01T16:51:41.000+0200},
author = {Akhavan-Majid, R.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/29aa8d6528e71b63ea7de9e61d5030556/acf},
description = {May08},
doi = {10.1177/0016549204047576},
interhash = {00cef38d517689621e9daef0f6660499},
intrahash = {9aa8d6528e71b63ea7de9e61d5030556},
journal = {International Communication Gazette},
keywords = {China Chinese_media market-oriented media_commercialization media_reform non-state_actors party-state},
number = 6,
pages = 553,
timestamp = {2008-06-01T16:51:43.000+0200},
title = {{Mass Media Reform in China: Toward a New Analytical Framework}},
volume = 66,
year = 2004
}