Morphology and typology of China correspondents: A habitus-based approach

Abstract

Drawing on Bourdieu's field theory and his key construct of habitus, this study examines the "Chinese habitus" and "journalistic habitus" of China correspondents, and proposes a habitus-based typology. Theoretically, this paper attempts to advance the construct of habitus as a conceptual framework for journalism and media studies. Empirically, based on a survey analysis of 101 journalists and in-depth interviews with 20 journalists, this paper maps out the primary and secondary habitus of China correspondents, and further analyzes how different Chinese habitus and journalistic habitus land China correspondents into a typology of four: Spiralists, Sporadics, Sinojournos, and Sinophiles. These different positions, as the paper argues, result in different practice of China correspondents-either to maintain or to challenge the existing power structure in the field of China correspondence. The implications of these results are discussed.

Future conceptual challenges of cross-border journalism

“…Whereas the power of the nation state is challenged by various arguments in the work of global and transnational journalism including arguments that the audience is hard to identify as local or national (Archetti, 2019), interconnectedness requires a rethinking of global journalistic epistemology (Cottle, 2011), and there are also voices (Zeng, 2018) that highlight forms of homogenization of professional ideology and practice among journalists across national boundaries.…”

How US newspapers view the UK’s NHS: a study in international lesson-drawing

“…Yet, US coverage of socialised rationing can also be seen as ahistorical, by failing to differentiate between when spending reduced waiting lists and when politically motivated cost cutting increased waiting times (Anandaciva and Thompson 2017). Such a consideration, often identified by a distant editorial elite, not only may well reflect the newspapers' ideological alignment, but also contrasts with positive local UK context and perception (Zeng 2018). Moreover, rationing and 'death panels' were often portrayed as part of a process characterised by soaring overuse and bulging bureaucracy, leading to ballooning costs.…”

“…News values can also be analysed using the notion of 'habitus'. This 'system of schemes of perception and appreciation of practices, cognitive and evaluative structures which are acquired through the lasting experience of a social position', it is argued, structures journalists' strategies and practices (Zeng 2018). While 'field theory' illuminates interrelationships within news organisations and how current affairs actors are situated and interrelate in the broader 'field of power' (Stones 2015;Schultz 2007).…”