CRC China Insights Series: Contemporary Chinese Journalism

The Chinese media has changed greatly over the last 20 years, moving from government funding to a vibrant commercial market. From a base of only 188 newspapers in 1980, today there are nearly 2000 newspapers and countless other publications feeding Chinese consumers’ growing appetite for news.

This seminar will introduce participants to the landscape of contemporary Chinese journalism. The Chinese media is a critical and little understood part of Chinese society and politics, and over one half day the course will familiarise participants with the political challenges, economic opportunities, and daily ethical temptations that Chinese journalists face everyday.

Instructor

Dr Jonathan Hassid is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the UTS China Research Centre. He completed his PhD in political science at the University of California Berkeley in 2010. His dissertation concentrates on political resistance behaviour by Chinese journalists, based on 14 months of intensive research in China funded by a Fulbright fellowship. He has published on the Chinese media in China Quarterly, Asian Survey and elsewhere, and appears occasionally on Australian radio.

Goals and outcomes

• To understand the current economic and political structure of the Chinese media, as well as its history and background
• To explore the opportunities and challenges faced by contemporary Chinese journalists and media organisations

Topics

• Chinese media censorship
• Journalists’ strategies to resist or circumvent censors
• Journalists’ training and background
• Problems of corruption in the Chinese media
• Market structures of Chinese news companies
• Rules and regulations governing media content and investing
• The impact of the Internet on traditional Chinese media

This seminar is suitable for:

• Journalists and media professionals looking to operate in China media and the Internet
• Executives who are looking for a deeper knowledge in the politics and economics of media in China, including investment challenges
• Those who are interested in learning about the social structures and impact of the Chinese Internet
• Students interested in China’s journalism, politics, economics and the media

China Insights Series are run by the UTS China Research Centre, one of Australia’s leading institutions for the study of contemporary China. The Centre has formed strategic partnerships with leading China research centres around the world and welcomes collaborators from other universities as regular participants in Centre projects.