Transitional Media vs. Normative Theories: Schramm, Altschull, and China

Framing Falun Gong: Xinhua news agency's coverage of the new religious movement in China

“…Even until close to the end of last century, Lambeth (1995) still insisted that China, like Cuba and North Korea, continued the Communist press system. Many scholars, however, question such outdated, ideologically biased characterization, arguing that the Chinese press during the post-Mao era has transformed itself into a nonnormative model (see Huang, 2003;Ostini & Fung, 2002). Others point out that since the 1980s, media organizations in China have reflected the ideological shifts implicit in economic reform and tried to define a new role for themselves in society.…”

“…Sometimes even if sources are quoted, some sound fishy and some simply repeat the official line. One article, for example, quotes a former follower as saying, 'Li Hongzhi has advocated truthfulness, benevolence and tolerance among his followers; actually he was only using these banners to disguise his ulterior political motives' ('Insiders criticize ', August 8, 1999). Perhaps when it comes to propaganda, the accuracy of the quotes is not as crucial as the message itself.…”

中国话语原则 = Principles of Chinese Communication

“…(e.g. Barabantseva, 2009;Brown, 2007;Dunford & Yeung, 2011;Hodge, 1998;Huang, 2003;Shambaugh, 2013;Hua & Guo, 2007). That does not mean, though, that China is now being understood in new, or fair, ways.…”

“…That is, mainstream theory of discourse and communication, including the conceptions thereof, has largely been blind or at least insensitive to culture (see De Burgh, 2000;Fairclough, 2012;Huang, 2003;Schnell, 1999;Van Dijk, 2012;Williams, 2005;Wodak, 2012;Zhao, 2008). It should be pointed out in particular that while their theory is routinely presented as universal, it is in fact Western in origin and orientation (Shi-xu, 2014: 1-17).…”

Press Freedom Under Siege: Effects of Market Forces, Government Controls and Journalism Practices

“…Nonetheless, in the past decade there has been a relaxation of media control with economic development and the "marketization" of the media, e.g. the inclusion of advertisements, entertainment, (HUANG, 2003), including some media privatization. But still newspaper editors can be punished for publishing "political errors", "fabricating stories" or "sensationalizing news".…”