Liu Zixiong (Beijing, China)
Abstract
Globalization trends in media are accelerating. As a process, media globalization has changed the rules of international communication and the nation-state information environment. It has still affected the communication industry in each sovereign state. After reform and opening, China has taken an active participation in the globalization process, and the local media is also deeply affected by the wave of globalization. As the development path chosen in politics and ideological values is different from those western countries, China's media development pattern and trend has often been misunderstood by the outside world with many bias. In this paper, the author took the theory of globalization and media globalization, discussing how China's communication industry has been changed by external influences, and the Chinese government and the local media how to deal with these effects. Under the pressure of globalization and democratization, Chinese government adhered to national conditions and local characteristics, innovating democratic political system and information communication system with Chinese characteristics, responding to the challenges of globalization, changing concepts, adjusting the governance policy, constructed a set of open media regulation system, and created a unique public information system and the media industry system. Under the dual system of business and industry, Chinese media address the information as a binary attribute of ideology and commodity. On the one hand, in the case of effective government regulation, local media has adjusted the contradiction between the values of globalization and localization, carry out public information activities. On the other hand, Chinese media has actively participated in the global media market competition according to market rules, to increase the size, the quality and the international competitiveness of the media information industry. At the same time, the local media has also faced with accusations and pressure on commercialization and vulgarization of the communication content. As a conclusion, the author believed that China has made a remarkable achievement to reconcile the contradictions of globalization and localization. But Chinese government and local media still faces constant pressure of media globalization.
Keywords：Media Globalization; Glocalization; Chinese Communication Industry; Local Media.
Keywords：Media Globalization; Glocalization; Chinese Communication Industry; Local Media.
Media globalization is the recent hot topics in international academic circles, such as globalization and media, media and cultural globalization, globalization and local democracy, globalization and the post-colonialism, globalization and Americanization, deconstructing the myth of media globalization, etc. Obviously, media globalization has become a reality, its appearance, operating rules and it’s political, economic and socio-cultural impact has been accentuated. As the political system and media market is different, the impact of media globalization on each nation-state is not the same. In this paper, using the perspectives of those theories of globalization, glocalization and media globalization, and taking into account China's peculiar conditions and the special media market, the author presented and discussed how media globalization has influenced on local media in China.
1. Media Globalization VS Media Glocalization
1. Media Globalization VS Media Glocalization
What is media globalization? Tomlinson defined globalization as “complex connectivity, a process of space and time compression, and the phenomenon of long-distance interactions”.（Sparks，2009）Media globalization is a process that international media organizations dominated the information production and communication, and gradually developed a new communication ecosystem. It reflects that the media networks and global capitalism have been integrated in the ideology and economic. It means: Firstly, the transnational company is the dominant force in the global media market. Second, as a popular organizing form, the commercial media have been promoted around the world. Third, the information that produced by western media company flows to the global market through digital networks; at the same time, the reverse information flow (from developing country to developed country) is also exists. Fourth, people from everywhere shared the same forms of media, products, channels and landscape. Fifth, media management has a tendency to homogeneity all over the world. Six, the media globalization is followed by anti-globalization movement. (Zhao, Kaite, 2003).
Armand Mattelart proposed two concepts: globalisation de la communication and mondialisation de la communication. The former follows the business logic of positivism, globalization embodies the homogenization of business ideology. The latter comply with the cultural logic of the enlightenment, using the information flow to promote democracy, to serve for public service, to respect for differences, to fight for democratic rights and to promote public services (Zhu Zhenming, 2009). Based on the internal contradiction of the concept, Roland Robertson proposed the concept of “glocalization”，attempting to bridge the contradictions of the concept "globalization" . The "globalization" and "localization" have been treated as the double value of the ideal. To highlights the business logic means a western-centered globalization process, and we should adhere to the value of cultural sovereignty (Ouyang, 2005). Obviously, the globalization is actually a complex process, it embodies the values of diversification and heterogeneity, and to certain cultural sovereignty is really an important principle for each sovereign state.
Media glocalization means a reconstruction process, the global element and the indigenous elements interact, and bring a new media environment into birth. Thus, globalization is a driving force, the invasion of outside forces changed local media ecosystems, leading to the reconstruction of indigenous information industry, and showing the appearance of global integration. Glocalization is the result of globalization, rather than an absolute one-dimensional homogenization process, it’s a process simultaneously happened with both sides: homogenization and diversity, globalization and localization.
2. How media globalization affected Chinese communications industry.
Since the Reform and Opening, China has been integrated into the world, opening up the market, and interact with the western world in economic and other affairs. Till 11, December, 2001, it is an important step for China to became a member of WTO, which means China deeply involved in the global economic. Although China hasn’t committed to allow the foreign capital enter the press, radio, television and other media industries, it does not mean that entering WTO hasn’t affected Chinese media. China has gradually integrated into the global economic system and the information system, and China’s local communication industry also deeply involved in the global communication network.
(1) How global communications network invaded local information market in China.
Armand Mattelart proposed two concepts: globalisation de la communication and mondialisation de la communication. The former follows the business logic of positivism, globalization embodies the homogenization of business ideology. The latter comply with the cultural logic of the enlightenment, using the information flow to promote democracy, to serve for public service, to respect for differences, to fight for democratic rights and to promote public services (Zhu Zhenming, 2009). Based on the internal contradiction of the concept, Roland Robertson proposed the concept of “glocalization”，attempting to bridge the contradictions of the concept "globalization" . The "globalization" and "localization" have been treated as the double value of the ideal. To highlights the business logic means a western-centered globalization process, and we should adhere to the value of cultural sovereignty (Ouyang, 2005). Obviously, the globalization is actually a complex process, it embodies the values of diversification and heterogeneity, and to certain cultural sovereignty is really an important principle for each sovereign state.
Media glocalization means a reconstruction process, the global element and the indigenous elements interact, and bring a new media environment into birth. Thus, globalization is a driving force, the invasion of outside forces changed local media ecosystems, leading to the reconstruction of indigenous information industry, and showing the appearance of global integration. Glocalization is the result of globalization, rather than an absolute one-dimensional homogenization process, it’s a process simultaneously happened with both sides: homogenization and diversity, globalization and localization.
2. How media globalization affected Chinese communications industry.
Since the Reform and Opening, China has been integrated into the world, opening up the market, and interact with the western world in economic and other affairs. Till 11, December, 2001, it is an important step for China to became a member of WTO, which means China deeply involved in the global economic. Although China hasn’t committed to allow the foreign capital enter the press, radio, television and other media industries, it does not mean that entering WTO hasn’t affected Chinese media. China has gradually integrated into the global economic system and the information system, and China’s local communication industry also deeply involved in the global communication network.
(1) How global communications network invaded local information market in China.
The new media, represented by the Internet, have revolutionized geographic boundaries of nation-state, the Chinese access to the Internet outside the information flow drive straight to the core of the hinterland of China. The diverse, open, decentralized information become the most prominent global media landscape, through digitalization the Western media can enter the Chinese market. With the rapid growth in English reading population, the Chinese metropolis of high-end audiences can directly consume international information. The dissemination mechanism and transnational production of information on the Internet reduce the validity of information control, such as Cradio, a super-integrated software which is a blend of hundreds of digital radio stations all over the world, becomes a typical portrayal of media globalization, leading to closeness and various choices for audiences. In this context, as a product of the Cold War, Voice of America Chinese radio has become outdated, and finally to being out of position.
Information globalization of traditional media has been realized, western mainstream media, represented by the top five news agencies and BBC, CCN etc., rank dominant position in the international news coverage and become vital information source for Chinese media. In addition, according to ‘Measures for the Administration of the Landing of Overseas Satellite Television Channels’, overseas satellite television channels may, upon approval of Chinese government, land within the prescribed range, such as foreign-related hotels at the three-star level or above, and the foreign-related flats especially provided to foreigners as office or residence, and other specific ranges; despite a ban on playing programs against China's national interests, news information and consumption culture can be disseminated unimpededly.
With the enhancement of China’s international influence, more and more foreign media to open the Chinese version of the network information platform, directly facing the mainland elite groups, such as the Chinese network of the Financial Times, the Chinese network of The Wall Street Journal and Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore etc., not only have changed the Chinese elite's media consumption diet, but also directly affect the pattern of public opinion in China. The local media reporters and editors in China have also become increasingly integrated into international torrent, a lot of media to compile and translate Western media reports, such as the Global Times, Reference News, International Herald Tribune, etc.; so international public opinion can be conveniently, fast and effectively flowing into the local media market.
(2) The Influence of Media Globalization on Communication Regulation and Policy in China
Media globalization promotes the reform of management system of information dissemination in China. Media dual attributes of goods and ideology have an impact on the Chinese government's decision-making, on the one hand, wishing to participate in the process of media globalization and build strength in terms of economy and dissemination to counter the spread of Western communication industry; on the other hand, they want to defend the local characteristics of the propaganda system independence to ensure the ideological domain firmly controlled by official mainstream media. As a result, the Chinese government to explore how to differentiate the properties of propaganda department and information industry, the former to promote social benefits as primary criteria and disseminate local values; the latter operating in accordance with rules of market economy, and even into the capital markets.
Taking press and publishing industry as example. As the government formulates policies which are favorable for creating market players, press and publishing units tend to implement operational transfer into enterprises. During the period of "Eleventh Five-Year Plan"(2006-2010), the national operating books, audio and video electronic publishing units have been basically turned into enterprises except for a few ones which retain public welfare or are belong to military system. 1251 non-current event news publishing units implemented corporate restructuring and registered as enterprise legal persons, more than 10 million state-owned printing units and more than 3,000 state-owned Xinhua Bookstore transformed into enterprises. Due to the regional, cross-sectoral and cross-industry consolidation and reorganization, more than 100 press and publishing enterprise groups have been established. The government is boosting the process of marketization in press and publishing industry, actively guiding non-public and foreign capital in printing, copying, distribution and production of new media hardware and promoting qualified enterprises listed. In 2010, South China South Publishing & Media Group and many other media and publishing companies achieved market; the current total number of is 14. Promoting international merger, syndication and restructuring and supporting to run newspapers, magazines, agencies and companies can foster large publishing and media groups to participate in international competition and enhance international communication capacity.
In the promotion of market-oriented transition, the Chinese government is also seeking the balance between commercial and public services, through the construction of public service media to curb the penetration of market relations and commercial advertising in the communications industry and around (Zhao Yue Chi, 2003). For instance, in press and publishing domain the government implement a series of projects based on public finance, including key publishing project, Rural Library Project, press and publishing project of ethnic minority, Micro Reading project and Culture of Environmental Protection Project etc., to enhance public service capacity, construct urban and rural public service system of press and publication. Therein, the Rural Library Project in which the cumulative investment of more than 6 billion yuan, have built all sorts of rural libraries 390,000, benefiting hundreds of millions of farmers and protecting their basic cultural rights and interests.
(3) The Influence of Media Globalization on the Pattern of State-led News Media
Globalization is not one-dimensional in anything and everything, but demands a full heterogeneity of the international game. Tensions exist among the internationalization, globalization, and the defense of China's domestic characteristics. External forces want to integrate China into the track of global capitalism, but the Chinese government has to adhere to the local characteristics of political governance system. Therefore, a contest between intervention and anti-intervention never stop. In the political and ideological field, China adhere to the socialist road with local characteristics, so when facing globalization Chinese media experience paradoxical challenges due to the duality of itself as a commodity and ideology, i.e. not only creatively constructing a media industry system adapting to the logic of globalized market economy, but also adhering to the ideological function of the value of the local position, leading newsroom editorial philosophy and maintaining independent control of the public information system. China responds to the dynamic and pressure of globalization under the double value, which leads to a series of progressive reform initiatives in communications industry.
The Chinese government grabs the initiative of news dissemination and constructs the official information release and public opinion guidance mechanism. Media globalization leads to the change of government’s management concepts including improvement of governance capacity, access to information and expansion of information democracy. Internally, after the SARS crisis in 2003, 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, the 2008 Olympic Games and a series of far-reaching event, the party committee and government enhanced the transparency information system, through the timely press release to improve information transparency and protect the public’s right to know. After the SARS incident in 2003, the government began building a comprehensive system to promote press spokesman, modify Secrets Act, legislate the Ordinance of Information Disclosure, the country has gradually established a system of three levels of press releases, local government began to actively explore and promote suitable news release system for local conditions. In 2007, the 17th National Congress Report raised "to protect people's right to information, participation, expression and right to supervise"; President Hu further demonstrated the information opening, the people's right to know, to participate, to express and to supervise, " must be exercised in the sunshine, "" exercise democratic supervision over cadres ", in order to improve the socialist democratic politics. Currently, the government is actively promoting the party spokesman system.
Thanks to media globalization, China's domestic information environment presents a pattern of open and pluralistic. The impact of international public opinion and grassroots pressure is a major risk during the transformation of the society. In order to effectively guide the scale and direction of information flow, the Chinese Government has strengthened the research on public opinion to enhance the legitimacy of the ruling. In details, the country established a system of three levels of public opinion surveys for monitoring public opinion and timely feedback, meanwhile through official management of mainstream media effectively guiding public opinion, in response to the demands of democratization of governance.
At the same time, the Chinese government has begun to pay attention to international communication capacity. With the increasing involvement of globalization, China's modernization achievements have had a tremendous international impact. Western media has successively put forward the "collapse theory" and "threat theory", "opportunity theory", " China’s economic responsibility theory"," management theory "and" in the same boat theory "and so on. The image of China constructed by western media has a direct impact on China’s national interests. In recent years, "soft power" is an important theory of the Chinese government's, so it increasingly emphasizes on international communication capacity of the media in order to actively marketing the national image. November 2009, the Commerce Department-led shooting "Made in China" broadcasted on CNN and other media marketed "Made in China, Made with the world" theme. January 17, 2011, the State Council Information Office-led shooting "China's national image film" were played in Manhattan's Times Square, and then in CNN, BON (Blue Ocean TV). It is one step of the long-term project that the Chinese government uses public relations firms to improve China’s new image.
(4) Chinese Domestic Media’s Process of Globalization
(1)Globalization of the media market
As a late modernization nation, Chinese government on the one hand is eager to integrate into the globalization; on the other hand, it is alert to globalization jeopardize national security, strike stability, and dispel cultural subjectivity. With the enhancement of national power, Chinese media began to enter the overseas markets. Xinhua news agency, China's largest official news agency, for example, has more than 13,000 practitioners and branches in 130 countries and regions. In July 1, 2010, China Xinhua News Network Corp (CNC) set by Xinhua News Agency officially launched in English, trying to become China's CNN, which can broadcast news for 24 hours. In addition to English, it also plans to add Japanese, French and Russian news.
Some of China's strong traditional media actively explore overseas markets, such as Reader, Lady Friend and have made some achievements. Since 1996 Xinmin Evening News has been published in foreign countries and has occupied some overseas Chinese market. Evening News, Yunnan Daily and other newspapers by providing free source of information deliver their contents to the foreign partners to achieve win-win cooperation. Some Chinese media cooperate with foreign media companies by providing foreign language outputs, such as the Foreign Office Bureau’s China Today and People’s China etc. In addition, the Shanghai Daily, China daily, China Business Weekly and other media are distributed in foreign countries (Shi Feng, 2006). Since February 2009, the English version of China daily has also been published in the U.S. In June 2010, when the Washington Post announced the sale of Newsweek magazine, China Southern Newspaper Group and Chengdu B-ray Group were even intended to have cooperative acquisition of it.
CCTV (China Central Television) by broadcasting in Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic engages in international communication. In 2004, China International Television Corporation cooperated with EchoStar Corporation, the United States second largest satellite TV platform, to launch the "Great Wall satellite TV platform" in the United States, including CCTV4, CCTV9, Spanish and French channels, CCTV-Opera, entertainment channels, the China Movie Channel, Beijing TV, Dragon TV, Southern Television, Jiangsu International Channel, SETV International, Hunan TV (HTV), the Yellow River TV, Phoenix InfoNews and Pacvia TV etc.. In May 2009, the Blue Ocean television was finally launched. This is a first TV station that broadcasts 24 hours English programs which are about China and mainly self-made. Its satellite signal has been covering the entire North America, and is ready to cover the whole of Asia.
(2) The influence of globalization on ideas and business of local media industry
Multiple value dimensions of globalization also influence the Chinese media. On the one hand, to some extent, the Chinese government and media envy the strong position of European and American multinational companies, even if not fully agreeing with their values, but agreeing with their achievements made by marketization and commercialized model, so the neo-liberalist values had a huge impact on the Chinese business philosophy of the media industry. On the other hand, as another factor on the process of globalization, the idea of public communication, which balances the value of commercialism, also have influence on China’s media industry.
With the deepening of market reforms, multinational companies and cross-border advertising companies entering into China have a key role in the proliferation of consumption culture. With the penetration of multinational companies, a consumption culture of free-market has been cultivated in China in just 20 years, resulting in changes in the content of the media, affecting the function of the media, even which is considered the root cause of commercialization and vulgarization. In the promotion of consumption culture, through their attorneys—cross-border advertising companies and foreign media buying network in the domestic market, multinational companies also achieve the reconstruction of interests distribution pattern for Chinese media. Under the European and American models of advertising agent system, as a major spokesman for the multinational companies, foreign media buying network achieves control on China’s high-quality advertisers and local television media sources. It not only reduces economic interests of local television media, but also has a tendency to extend to content areas (Zheng Weidong, Zuo Han Ying, 2008).
In the China’s local characteristic communication policy, the local media is operated in accordance with dual values of cause and industry, showing a typical Chinese characteristics. In the area of news dissemination, news department engages in reporting and ideological propaganda in accordance with China’s local laws and discipline. Meanwhile, in the ideology non-related areas, sense of competition in the media market is unprecedented on the track of the logic of market. Except for a few official media, the most media have to depend on the commercial return from the intensive competition of the market so as to have to succumb to the logic of the market economy. Newspapers chase circulation, radio and televisions pursuit ratings and the Internet chases hits. All of them have entered the era of marketizaion. "Guangzhou Daily", for example, is a traditional party newspaper but one of the most successful newspaper with market-oriented operation. In 1996, it established the first newspaper group in China, which had one flagship newspaper, 15 subsidiary newspapers, 5 magazines and 2websites. In 2009, its average daily circulation was 1.85 million, advertising revenue was 2.2 billion yuan ranked first in domestic print media consecutively for 16 years and its brand value increased to 7.226 billion yuan. In 2007, Guangdong Jiuzhou Sunshine Media Co., Ltd. whose stake is controlled by the Group became the first listed media company in mainland of China.
As for the news department where has strong ideological property, the Chinese characteristic concept of propaganda news and the concept of western modernity news simultaneously play a role on reporters and editors. On the one hand, editing departments should report and comment according to the traditional practice; on the other hand, Western news professionalism and objectivity also affect the values of professional elites, democracy, transparency and supervision, such “universal values” also become career aspiration for these professional practioners. However, as for these where have no strong ideological property, the influence of “market-driven journalism” is more directly. The information production is fully compliant with the logic of globalized market. The orientation of demand production leads media content to show a strong commercial characteristic.
For instance, the proliferation of entertainment in Chinese local TV media is accused of vulgarization by cultural elites. Since the early enlightenment of commercialized programs, domestic TV stations have been learning and imitating the ideas and forms of abroad programs. Since 1996, China's local television show a gradually transformation in the entertainment field, from the initial soft entertainment variety shows, later a variety of reality shows, talent show, and to the present love and marriage show; as all successful commercial program types have been imitated and copied infinitely, the ratings became an important value-oriented rule in TV entertainment program.
3. China’s “Glocalization” and Problems at the Context of Globalization
Even if the Chinese government is unwilling to define its modern experience as “China model”, because it is far from successful and has not been fully proven to lead to the ultimate success of the development model, it still remains open to face the future. But there are no doubt that China’s achievements and experience is unique at the process of modernization. Since the Reform and Opening up, China has actively involved in the globalization process, facing the world civilization and reforming their own system and mechanism. Although economic success achieved by the Chinese model attracts global attention and gets a lot of kind words, in the political and ideological field, the difference, divarication and misunderstanding between China and the Western persist and continue to game. Therefore, the promotion of media globalization in China is more typical and full of inherent contradictions. The Chinese authorities not only feel the globalization simultaneously from both external and internal pressure and incentives, but also clearly recognize the need to adhere to the localization value to avoid the Eurocentric modernity model so as to construct the Eastern one with Chinese characteristics. Chinese authorities are learning to take full advantage of globalization to develop the media industry, expanding its economic strength, international communication capacity and the ability to participate in international competition. Meanwhile, under the “glocalization” values the Chinese government tries to reconcile the conflict of diverse values, explore how to maintain openness, absorb external cultural elements, rebuild local culture and maintain the safety of state ideology, cultural sovereignty and media ownership.
As participation in the globalization, China has already not avoided itself from this tendency. The conflict of diverse values it triggers cannot but leads to internal controversy. Liberalism, New Left and other values are present in non-governmental circles and their attitudes towards globalization are utterly different. But the Chinese government makes efforts to balance the inherent contradictions, through successful economic and social development, maintaining openness to effectively reconcile various conflicts and continuing to reform to adapt to the change brought by globalization. For instance, according to reforming communication policies, improving information transparency, constructing open public space, guiding public opinion, promoting the international levels of the media and advancing the measures of public, the Chinese government tries to transform the media's communication capacity and effects. At the same time, it opens up a non-political ideological information production so that the media can run and expand its scale in accordance with the industrialization model to participate in the international media competition. Therefore, China's global experience is typical "Global - Localization" model.
In accordance with the classical Marxist theory of the economic base determining the superstructure, how China adapts to the changing environment so that what kind of superstructure will be constructed is still an open question. As a developing country, how to effectively construct a successful “glocalization” model is still a challenge. Currently, the Chinese government has persisted in exploring a new development model different from the Western and constructing a media system suitable for itself. In fact, what kind of media system is not important, whether it is called neo-liberalism, or a new authoritarianism, as long as it can respond to local conditions, meet the public demands of democratization, solve local issues in the modernization and globalization, find a balance between commercialism and public value, perhaps it is the ultimate merit of the Chinese model. President Hu said: we want to build a socialist harmonious society that should feature democracy and the rule of law, equity and justice, honesty and fraternity, vigor and vitality, stability and order, and harmony between man and nature.
Of course, the Chinese news media clearly also face many problems. There exists imbalance between adapting to globalization and promoting localization, such as excessive commercialism and vulgarization in non-ideological content production, and profit-driven free-market doctrine allow some of the media into the loss of the ideal. So the value of public media has not yet fully been paid attention and no reasonable mechanisms have been derived from it.
Information globalization of traditional media has been realized, western mainstream media, represented by the top five news agencies and BBC, CCN etc., rank dominant position in the international news coverage and become vital information source for Chinese media. In addition, according to ‘Measures for the Administration of the Landing of Overseas Satellite Television Channels’, overseas satellite television channels may, upon approval of Chinese government, land within the prescribed range, such as foreign-related hotels at the three-star level or above, and the foreign-related flats especially provided to foreigners as office or residence, and other specific ranges; despite a ban on playing programs against China's national interests, news information and consumption culture can be disseminated unimpededly.
With the enhancement of China’s international influence, more and more foreign media to open the Chinese version of the network information platform, directly facing the mainland elite groups, such as the Chinese network of the Financial Times, the Chinese network of The Wall Street Journal and Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore etc., not only have changed the Chinese elite's media consumption diet, but also directly affect the pattern of public opinion in China. The local media reporters and editors in China have also become increasingly integrated into international torrent, a lot of media to compile and translate Western media reports, such as the Global Times, Reference News, International Herald Tribune, etc.; so international public opinion can be conveniently, fast and effectively flowing into the local media market.
(2) The Influence of Media Globalization on Communication Regulation and Policy in China
Media globalization promotes the reform of management system of information dissemination in China. Media dual attributes of goods and ideology have an impact on the Chinese government's decision-making, on the one hand, wishing to participate in the process of media globalization and build strength in terms of economy and dissemination to counter the spread of Western communication industry; on the other hand, they want to defend the local characteristics of the propaganda system independence to ensure the ideological domain firmly controlled by official mainstream media. As a result, the Chinese government to explore how to differentiate the properties of propaganda department and information industry, the former to promote social benefits as primary criteria and disseminate local values; the latter operating in accordance with rules of market economy, and even into the capital markets.
Taking press and publishing industry as example. As the government formulates policies which are favorable for creating market players, press and publishing units tend to implement operational transfer into enterprises. During the period of "Eleventh Five-Year Plan"(2006-2010), the national operating books, audio and video electronic publishing units have been basically turned into enterprises except for a few ones which retain public welfare or are belong to military system. 1251 non-current event news publishing units implemented corporate restructuring and registered as enterprise legal persons, more than 10 million state-owned printing units and more than 3,000 state-owned Xinhua Bookstore transformed into enterprises. Due to the regional, cross-sectoral and cross-industry consolidation and reorganization, more than 100 press and publishing enterprise groups have been established. The government is boosting the process of marketization in press and publishing industry, actively guiding non-public and foreign capital in printing, copying, distribution and production of new media hardware and promoting qualified enterprises listed. In 2010, South China South Publishing & Media Group and many other media and publishing companies achieved market; the current total number of is 14. Promoting international merger, syndication and restructuring and supporting to run newspapers, magazines, agencies and companies can foster large publishing and media groups to participate in international competition and enhance international communication capacity.
In the promotion of market-oriented transition, the Chinese government is also seeking the balance between commercial and public services, through the construction of public service media to curb the penetration of market relations and commercial advertising in the communications industry and around (Zhao Yue Chi, 2003). For instance, in press and publishing domain the government implement a series of projects based on public finance, including key publishing project, Rural Library Project, press and publishing project of ethnic minority, Micro Reading project and Culture of Environmental Protection Project etc., to enhance public service capacity, construct urban and rural public service system of press and publication. Therein, the Rural Library Project in which the cumulative investment of more than 6 billion yuan, have built all sorts of rural libraries 390,000, benefiting hundreds of millions of farmers and protecting their basic cultural rights and interests.
(3) The Influence of Media Globalization on the Pattern of State-led News Media
Globalization is not one-dimensional in anything and everything, but demands a full heterogeneity of the international game. Tensions exist among the internationalization, globalization, and the defense of China's domestic characteristics. External forces want to integrate China into the track of global capitalism, but the Chinese government has to adhere to the local characteristics of political governance system. Therefore, a contest between intervention and anti-intervention never stop. In the political and ideological field, China adhere to the socialist road with local characteristics, so when facing globalization Chinese media experience paradoxical challenges due to the duality of itself as a commodity and ideology, i.e. not only creatively constructing a media industry system adapting to the logic of globalized market economy, but also adhering to the ideological function of the value of the local position, leading newsroom editorial philosophy and maintaining independent control of the public information system. China responds to the dynamic and pressure of globalization under the double value, which leads to a series of progressive reform initiatives in communications industry.
The Chinese government grabs the initiative of news dissemination and constructs the official information release and public opinion guidance mechanism. Media globalization leads to the change of government’s management concepts including improvement of governance capacity, access to information and expansion of information democracy. Internally, after the SARS crisis in 2003, 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, the 2008 Olympic Games and a series of far-reaching event, the party committee and government enhanced the transparency information system, through the timely press release to improve information transparency and protect the public’s right to know. After the SARS incident in 2003, the government began building a comprehensive system to promote press spokesman, modify Secrets Act, legislate the Ordinance of Information Disclosure, the country has gradually established a system of three levels of press releases, local government began to actively explore and promote suitable news release system for local conditions. In 2007, the 17th National Congress Report raised "to protect people's right to information, participation, expression and right to supervise"; President Hu further demonstrated the information opening, the people's right to know, to participate, to express and to supervise, " must be exercised in the sunshine, "" exercise democratic supervision over cadres ", in order to improve the socialist democratic politics. Currently, the government is actively promoting the party spokesman system.
Thanks to media globalization, China's domestic information environment presents a pattern of open and pluralistic. The impact of international public opinion and grassroots pressure is a major risk during the transformation of the society. In order to effectively guide the scale and direction of information flow, the Chinese Government has strengthened the research on public opinion to enhance the legitimacy of the ruling. In details, the country established a system of three levels of public opinion surveys for monitoring public opinion and timely feedback, meanwhile through official management of mainstream media effectively guiding public opinion, in response to the demands of democratization of governance.
At the same time, the Chinese government has begun to pay attention to international communication capacity. With the increasing involvement of globalization, China's modernization achievements have had a tremendous international impact. Western media has successively put forward the "collapse theory" and "threat theory", "opportunity theory", " China’s economic responsibility theory"," management theory "and" in the same boat theory "and so on. The image of China constructed by western media has a direct impact on China’s national interests. In recent years, "soft power" is an important theory of the Chinese government's, so it increasingly emphasizes on international communication capacity of the media in order to actively marketing the national image. November 2009, the Commerce Department-led shooting "Made in China" broadcasted on CNN and other media marketed "Made in China, Made with the world" theme. January 17, 2011, the State Council Information Office-led shooting "China's national image film" were played in Manhattan's Times Square, and then in CNN, BON (Blue Ocean TV). It is one step of the long-term project that the Chinese government uses public relations firms to improve China’s new image.
(4) Chinese Domestic Media’s Process of Globalization
(1)Globalization of the media market
As a late modernization nation, Chinese government on the one hand is eager to integrate into the globalization; on the other hand, it is alert to globalization jeopardize national security, strike stability, and dispel cultural subjectivity. With the enhancement of national power, Chinese media began to enter the overseas markets. Xinhua news agency, China's largest official news agency, for example, has more than 13,000 practitioners and branches in 130 countries and regions. In July 1, 2010, China Xinhua News Network Corp (CNC) set by Xinhua News Agency officially launched in English, trying to become China's CNN, which can broadcast news for 24 hours. In addition to English, it also plans to add Japanese, French and Russian news.
Some of China's strong traditional media actively explore overseas markets, such as Reader, Lady Friend and have made some achievements. Since 1996 Xinmin Evening News has been published in foreign countries and has occupied some overseas Chinese market. Evening News, Yunnan Daily and other newspapers by providing free source of information deliver their contents to the foreign partners to achieve win-win cooperation. Some Chinese media cooperate with foreign media companies by providing foreign language outputs, such as the Foreign Office Bureau’s China Today and People’s China etc. In addition, the Shanghai Daily, China daily, China Business Weekly and other media are distributed in foreign countries (Shi Feng, 2006). Since February 2009, the English version of China daily has also been published in the U.S. In June 2010, when the Washington Post announced the sale of Newsweek magazine, China Southern Newspaper Group and Chengdu B-ray Group were even intended to have cooperative acquisition of it.
CCTV (China Central Television) by broadcasting in Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic engages in international communication. In 2004, China International Television Corporation cooperated with EchoStar Corporation, the United States second largest satellite TV platform, to launch the "Great Wall satellite TV platform" in the United States, including CCTV4, CCTV9, Spanish and French channels, CCTV-Opera, entertainment channels, the China Movie Channel, Beijing TV, Dragon TV, Southern Television, Jiangsu International Channel, SETV International, Hunan TV (HTV), the Yellow River TV, Phoenix InfoNews and Pacvia TV etc.. In May 2009, the Blue Ocean television was finally launched. This is a first TV station that broadcasts 24 hours English programs which are about China and mainly self-made. Its satellite signal has been covering the entire North America, and is ready to cover the whole of Asia.
(2) The influence of globalization on ideas and business of local media industry
Multiple value dimensions of globalization also influence the Chinese media. On the one hand, to some extent, the Chinese government and media envy the strong position of European and American multinational companies, even if not fully agreeing with their values, but agreeing with their achievements made by marketization and commercialized model, so the neo-liberalist values had a huge impact on the Chinese business philosophy of the media industry. On the other hand, as another factor on the process of globalization, the idea of public communication, which balances the value of commercialism, also have influence on China’s media industry.
With the deepening of market reforms, multinational companies and cross-border advertising companies entering into China have a key role in the proliferation of consumption culture. With the penetration of multinational companies, a consumption culture of free-market has been cultivated in China in just 20 years, resulting in changes in the content of the media, affecting the function of the media, even which is considered the root cause of commercialization and vulgarization. In the promotion of consumption culture, through their attorneys—cross-border advertising companies and foreign media buying network in the domestic market, multinational companies also achieve the reconstruction of interests distribution pattern for Chinese media. Under the European and American models of advertising agent system, as a major spokesman for the multinational companies, foreign media buying network achieves control on China’s high-quality advertisers and local television media sources. It not only reduces economic interests of local television media, but also has a tendency to extend to content areas (Zheng Weidong, Zuo Han Ying, 2008).
In the China’s local characteristic communication policy, the local media is operated in accordance with dual values of cause and industry, showing a typical Chinese characteristics. In the area of news dissemination, news department engages in reporting and ideological propaganda in accordance with China’s local laws and discipline. Meanwhile, in the ideology non-related areas, sense of competition in the media market is unprecedented on the track of the logic of market. Except for a few official media, the most media have to depend on the commercial return from the intensive competition of the market so as to have to succumb to the logic of the market economy. Newspapers chase circulation, radio and televisions pursuit ratings and the Internet chases hits. All of them have entered the era of marketizaion. "Guangzhou Daily", for example, is a traditional party newspaper but one of the most successful newspaper with market-oriented operation. In 1996, it established the first newspaper group in China, which had one flagship newspaper, 15 subsidiary newspapers, 5 magazines and 2websites. In 2009, its average daily circulation was 1.85 million, advertising revenue was 2.2 billion yuan ranked first in domestic print media consecutively for 16 years and its brand value increased to 7.226 billion yuan. In 2007, Guangdong Jiuzhou Sunshine Media Co., Ltd. whose stake is controlled by the Group became the first listed media company in mainland of China.
As for the news department where has strong ideological property, the Chinese characteristic concept of propaganda news and the concept of western modernity news simultaneously play a role on reporters and editors. On the one hand, editing departments should report and comment according to the traditional practice; on the other hand, Western news professionalism and objectivity also affect the values of professional elites, democracy, transparency and supervision, such “universal values” also become career aspiration for these professional practioners. However, as for these where have no strong ideological property, the influence of “market-driven journalism” is more directly. The information production is fully compliant with the logic of globalized market. The orientation of demand production leads media content to show a strong commercial characteristic.
For instance, the proliferation of entertainment in Chinese local TV media is accused of vulgarization by cultural elites. Since the early enlightenment of commercialized programs, domestic TV stations have been learning and imitating the ideas and forms of abroad programs. Since 1996, China's local television show a gradually transformation in the entertainment field, from the initial soft entertainment variety shows, later a variety of reality shows, talent show, and to the present love and marriage show; as all successful commercial program types have been imitated and copied infinitely, the ratings became an important value-oriented rule in TV entertainment program.
3. China’s “Glocalization” and Problems at the Context of Globalization
Even if the Chinese government is unwilling to define its modern experience as “China model”, because it is far from successful and has not been fully proven to lead to the ultimate success of the development model, it still remains open to face the future. But there are no doubt that China’s achievements and experience is unique at the process of modernization. Since the Reform and Opening up, China has actively involved in the globalization process, facing the world civilization and reforming their own system and mechanism. Although economic success achieved by the Chinese model attracts global attention and gets a lot of kind words, in the political and ideological field, the difference, divarication and misunderstanding between China and the Western persist and continue to game. Therefore, the promotion of media globalization in China is more typical and full of inherent contradictions. The Chinese authorities not only feel the globalization simultaneously from both external and internal pressure and incentives, but also clearly recognize the need to adhere to the localization value to avoid the Eurocentric modernity model so as to construct the Eastern one with Chinese characteristics. Chinese authorities are learning to take full advantage of globalization to develop the media industry, expanding its economic strength, international communication capacity and the ability to participate in international competition. Meanwhile, under the “glocalization” values the Chinese government tries to reconcile the conflict of diverse values, explore how to maintain openness, absorb external cultural elements, rebuild local culture and maintain the safety of state ideology, cultural sovereignty and media ownership.
As participation in the globalization, China has already not avoided itself from this tendency. The conflict of diverse values it triggers cannot but leads to internal controversy. Liberalism, New Left and other values are present in non-governmental circles and their attitudes towards globalization are utterly different. But the Chinese government makes efforts to balance the inherent contradictions, through successful economic and social development, maintaining openness to effectively reconcile various conflicts and continuing to reform to adapt to the change brought by globalization. For instance, according to reforming communication policies, improving information transparency, constructing open public space, guiding public opinion, promoting the international levels of the media and advancing the measures of public, the Chinese government tries to transform the media's communication capacity and effects. At the same time, it opens up a non-political ideological information production so that the media can run and expand its scale in accordance with the industrialization model to participate in the international media competition. Therefore, China's global experience is typical "Global - Localization" model.
In accordance with the classical Marxist theory of the economic base determining the superstructure, how China adapts to the changing environment so that what kind of superstructure will be constructed is still an open question. As a developing country, how to effectively construct a successful “glocalization” model is still a challenge. Currently, the Chinese government has persisted in exploring a new development model different from the Western and constructing a media system suitable for itself. In fact, what kind of media system is not important, whether it is called neo-liberalism, or a new authoritarianism, as long as it can respond to local conditions, meet the public demands of democratization, solve local issues in the modernization and globalization, find a balance between commercialism and public value, perhaps it is the ultimate merit of the Chinese model. President Hu said: we want to build a socialist harmonious society that should feature democracy and the rule of law, equity and justice, honesty and fraternity, vigor and vitality, stability and order, and harmony between man and nature.
Of course, the Chinese news media clearly also face many problems. There exists imbalance between adapting to globalization and promoting localization, such as excessive commercialism and vulgarization in non-ideological content production, and profit-driven free-market doctrine allow some of the media into the loss of the ideal. So the value of public media has not yet fully been paid attention and no reasonable mechanisms have been derived from it.
References:
Zhao yuezhi, Robert A Han Kaite. The paradox, Conflicts and Problems of Media Globalization and Democratization. Journalism and Communication Review, Wuhan Publishing House, 2003.
Colin Sparks. Globalization, Development and the Mass Media. Social Sciences Academic Press, 2008.
Zhu zhenming, "Globalization" and "Mondialisation" in International Communication: Armand Mattelart’s Opinions on international communication. Etudes Françaises. 2009, 4.
Ouyang Hongsheng. Mixed and Reconstruction: the Glocalization of Media Culture. Modern Communication. 2005, 2.
Shi Feng, Actively Promote the Chinese Press to Go Abroad. The Media Magazine. 2006, 11.
Zheng Weidong, Zuo Hanyin. Globalization and Media Interests: the Impact of Transnational Corporations on the Local Television Media. Journalistic University. 2008, 1.
Zhao yuezhi, Robert A Han Kaite. The paradox, Conflicts and Problems of Media Globalization and Democratization. Journalism and Communication Review, Wuhan Publishing House, 2003.
Colin Sparks. Globalization, Development and the Mass Media. Social Sciences Academic Press, 2008.
Zhu zhenming, "Globalization" and "Mondialisation" in International Communication: Armand Mattelart’s Opinions on international communication. Etudes Françaises. 2009, 4.
Ouyang Hongsheng. Mixed and Reconstruction: the Glocalization of Media Culture. Modern Communication. 2005, 2.
Shi Feng, Actively Promote the Chinese Press to Go Abroad. The Media Magazine. 2006, 11.
Zheng Weidong, Zuo Hanyin. Globalization and Media Interests: the Impact of Transnational Corporations on the Local Television Media. Journalistic University. 2008, 1.
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий