The media industries in China (my home country) have always remained under discussion by the world’s top media researchers due to its suffocating structure and government’s strict control over its operation. There is no doubt that China’s media industries are considered to be the leading media industries in the world. However, the major problem with China’s media industries is that they are heavily influenced by socialism due to which a significant portion of media industries is closely monitored by the government. The media industry is lenient in case of advertising and distribution but the editorial content always remains under serious scrutiny. The independent coverage is allowed only in the circumstances if it is not a threat to the political or social stability. According to the international organization, Reporters without Borders the Chinese President Xi Jinping can be regarded as “planet’s leading censor and press freedom predator”. The report further states that Chinese government not only plans to dominate the news coverage of their own country but they also want to create an international media order that is “heavily influenced by China”. Beijing plays crucial role in preventing Chinese people from getting access to international news by adopting different strategies such as restricting the use of satellite receivers, using jammers for shortwave broadcasts, limiting the rebroadcast, and blocking the websites from which the people can get any sort of international news. As far as the Chinese news channels run by overseas corporations are concerned, they are blocked by the Chinese government in the mainland China because they are not state-owned channels. However, this does not mean that Chinese people do not have access to news websites in English language. They can access these websites but as usual, the Chinese government keeps a close watch on these websites and retracts the information that is against the policies of the Chinese government.
McChesney’s Democratization of Media
Through his definition of democratization of media, McChesney argued regarding a form of media that encourages empowerment of the public, promotes inclusiveness, and contains noncommercial and nonprofit components. Although China’s media industry is severely criticized for not allowing people the freedom to express their political views, there are some elements of Chinese media that fit inside the media framework introduced by McChesney. The media platform called the People’s Daily Online is a digital branch of the People’s Daily newspaper. The reason due to which People’s Daily Online democratizes the Chinese media is that despite being owned by the Chinese government, this online media platform contains the interactive feature. The People’s Daily Online not only provides news on different aspects of Chinese society but it also encourages its readers to provide their opinion on its news through social media. This media platform has its profiles on four different social media networks including: Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. By watching the posts of People’s Daily Online through these social media platforms, the Chinese people not only engage with each other but also leave constructive comments for the betterment of their society in the comments section of these social networks.
In addition to state-run media platforms, there are certain media platforms in China that have been introduced by the private entities. One such famous Chinese platform is Taobao Live that was introduced by Alibaba group. Taobao Live is an online streaming app that enables the retailers and customers to connect with each other. The live sessions conducted through the Taobao app not only offer the customers but also the brands with an interactive experience as they are able to sell their products while entertaining the customers.
Due to the hybrid model of media industries in China, McChesney’s concept of democratization of media is not fully applicable in this country but there are certain aspects of media organizations that do fall within the parameters of this concept.