Chinas Media Profile - Report Example

China’s Media Profile Name Institution Introduction The media is an indispensible communication platform in contemporary society. Its importance has been noted in economic development where it facilitates the transmission of business ideas and information that is vital for improving the economy. The media has also been the voice of the people, and thus improving democracy across various regions of the world. It also supports the process of governing by enhancing interaction between the government and its citizens. Furthermore, the media has greatly improved social interactions and communication by providing a platform where people can easily communicate to each other even across long distances. Despite of the immense benefits offered by the media, various issues have arisen due to the proliferation of the media in society. Nevertheless, it can be argued that the media is fundamental component of communication across the globe. This paper seeks to provide a media profile of China, which is one of the supreme economies of Asia. The scope of the analysis will be grounded on evaluating different forms of media in the country and their significance. The paper will also examine issues or problems that exist in relations to the various types of media. Lastly, the paper will examine the media regulation and censorship systems that exist in China. Radio The adoption of radio in China was initiated only after the power accession of the communist party. Before communism or what was referred to as the Kuomintang period, China had only a few small commercial radio stations, which only operated in large cities particularly Shanghai. Today, there is a rapid expansion of radio broadcasting in the country due to technological advancements and development of many cities. However, China is still learning to adapt to the increasing changes in the media, which has been instigated by the market economy. For instance, most radio stations that exist in China today are zealous to cooperate with foreign radio companies in order to acquire new ideas for producing programs that can satisfy the needs of the local listeners (Shirk, 2010). Scotton (2010) highlights that one of the significance of radio in China is its potential to enhance economic development due to the revenue earned by radio stations, essentially from advertising. In recent years, the revenue earned by radio stations has greatly increased. A case in point is the year 2000 where the average revenue earned by a radio station was approximated to be 20 million Yuan (US$3million). In the year 2004, the revenue earned by 12 Chinese radio stations was beyond 100 million Yuan (closely US$ 20 million). In 2006, the earnings derived from advertising increased by 18.2%. Also in 2008, the earnings of seven radio stations surpassed 200 million Yuan as the most profitable radio station in China; Beijing Peoples Radio gained the highest return of 560 million Yuan (US$ 80 million). Such profits by radio stations have boosted the Chinese economy. Another significance of radio in China is that it has the ability to cover a wider distance, essentially rural area, where Television signals can scarcely be reached. A survey conducted in 2001 revealed that 62.2% of people living in the village areas owned radios. A total of 467 million listeners lived in the rural areas. Nevertheless, the first radio station to cater for the remote areas was established in 2003 in the province of Shanxi. As years progress, numerous radio stations have been established in remote villages. This has facilitated the reaching of a wider audience, even in remote areas (Scotton, 2010). A major issue or challenge facing radio, as form of media in China, is tightened press and monitoring by the Chinese government. Zhang et al (2011) disclose the fact that media communication in China is an aspect that is strictly controlled by the communist regime, whereby the government can monitor the broadcasts of any press. As a result, radio broadcasting companies that are anti – China are bound to experience challenges when operating in the country. For instance, on 1st October 2011, the Voice of America’s (VOA) Chinese radio service went silent after the United States international broadcasting ended its broadcasting on Chinese airwaves and relocated to the internet. According to Zhang et al (2011) the termination of broadcasting on the Chinese airwaves by VOA China was attributed to increased Chinese government monitoring of the US linked radio broadcasting service. In addition the contending relationship between the United States and China also contributed to the closer of the VOA China radio broadcasting. Television Television in China is basically a huge industry in terms of total scale. The industry employs numerous people and also broadcasts information to people across the globe. Television in China is characterized by a small number of profitable media companies that are mainly based in big cities, such as Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. Currently, China has more than 2,200 television stations. The major categories of programs that are aired on Chinese televisions include entertainment, education, news and service and feature. An analysis of the percentages is indicated by the Chart (1.0) below. Chart (1.0) A significant contribution of television in China is that it has promoted the economic development of China. According to the study conducted in 2013 by Motion pictures and a film organization in China, the TV industry contributes approximately $15.5 Billion to the Chinese economy (Brzeski, 2013). The earnings derived from television are attained from both imports and exports. Chinese TV’s mainly export their programs, such as plays, to other Asian countries. However, China also makes exports to other regions of the world, such as the European Union, Middle East and the United States. Over the years, the earnings from exports attained from TV have been increasing. As indicated by the graph (1.0) there has been a steady increase in the export earnings from TV. For instance, in the year 2008 to 2009, Chinese TV plays experienced an enormous increase in the total value of exports. Graph 1.0 In terms of imports, there has also been an increasing growth of imports. For instance, in 2010 TV plays experienced a huge increase with a growth of US$ 100,000 to US$ 600,000 as indicated by graph (2.0). This occurred essentially with Korean dramas, such as ‘’Dae Jang Geum” which captured many Chinese viewers. The Chinese also have preference for Asian movies and TV series; as a result most of the imports earned from TV are usually from other Asian nations. In general, the export and import of TV programs in China has made the programs to be marketable economic goods, which have also promoted the economic growth of China (Italian Trade Commission, 2011). Graph 2.0 Television has also been a useful mechanism of educating the Chinese people essentially in the higher education level. Keith et al (2013) disclose that long distance higher education in China is usually conducted through the use of a special system that is aired through television. China was one of the first nations to use television for the purpose of higher education. During the initial years of 1960’s, immediately after the television broadcasting was initiated, China developed its first television universities (TVUs), which were mainly created in the capital, Beijing and also in other major cities. The TVUs have since expanded, for instance, in the last eight years a total of 1,291,833 students have enrolled in the universities and a total of 509,941 have graduated from the institutions (Keith et al, 2013). One of the major issues facing the television industry in China is the existence of structural flaws. Kops and Ollig (2007) disclose that the regional organization of television stations has greatly affected the operations of many TV stations in the country. More and more provinces in China set up TV stations in order to target their local audience, nevertheless the stations can only operate within their own localities. This limits the provincial TV stations from expanding their operations. A notable exception, however, is the Hunan Television Broadcast and Media Company, which is located in southern China. The station is a provincial station that controls 75% of the advertisements in the province. The company also used its advertising base to be listed on the Shenzhen Stock exchange market and also to set up a shell company in the province. Other existing TV stations in the provinces are still considered as weak broadcasters in markets outside their own locality. This is basically as a result of structural flaws, whereby TV stations that exist in provincial areas are considered as weak and thus there operations are limited. Censorship and strict government regulations is another challenge facing the television industry in China. The outlawing of TV programs is a common occurrence in China. TV contents that contest the political authority are in most cases considered inappropriate. As a result, the content is usually censured before being broadcasted. Lieberthal, (2004) highlights that although the task of the TV media is still perceived as mouth piece for political parties nevertheless; the media is a strong propaganda tool for the state, whereby the information given by the media has to reflect the ideology of the ruling party. Also, programs disseminated by the stations must involve the policies of the ruling party and its directives. Kops and Ollig (2007) further disclose that regulations that are set for the TV sector in China are usually very strict. For instance, all movie producers have to submit a standard copy of the film they want to produce before making the final release. New Media in China The internet is one of the new media that has captured China and also the rest of the world. China just like many other countries in the world has adopted the use of the internet in order to acquire the many benefits that arise from the use of such platforms. One of the benefits of the internet is the rise of social media, such as Facebook and which have facilitated an increase in social interactions among people. As opposed to other forms of media such as TV and Radio, social media offers people an opportunity to interact at personal levels. One of the key challenges facing new media, such as the internet in China, is the aspect of government censorship. According to Feng (2011), internet censorship in China entails blocking or obstructing of information that comes from outside China and also censuring information that is within China. In 2010, the Chinese government released its first white paper that underscored the concept of ‘’ sovereignty of the internet. The directive required every internet user in the country including foreign organizations to obey Chinese regulations on the use of internet, which include not accessing prohibited sites and also not leaking government information to the outside world. Beina (2014) highlights that; the move by the Chinese government to block the internet can be described as the infringement of the freedom of communication and speech. Regulation and Censorship systems in China The regulations and censorship system of the media in China is mainly grounded on strict media controls, through the use of approaches such as, shuttering websites or publications, monitoring system and the arresting of journalists , activists and bloggers who offer information that is anti- government. The Chinese government defends its move to censor the media with the argument that it is trying to balance the rising demand for information with the objective of maintaining power and controlling content that many might be harmful to its citizens. Nevertheless, human rights watchdogs group argue that the system of censoring the media is basically a violation of the right to press and communication. A watchdog group referred to as Reporters without borders ranked China to be 173 out of 179 nations of the world that has effective press freedom. Conclusion The media profile of Chinese provides a significant insight into the status of the media in the country. The paper has discussed three types of media which include; Television, Radio and new media essentially the internet. The findings of the discussion have highlighted that this types of media have been significant to China essentially in terms of advancing economic development, social interaction and also educating the people. However the paper also takes note of the fact that media censorship in China is an undertaking that has affected the free operation of media in the country. This is essentially because the censorship system infringes the right to press and communication. References Beina, Xu.(2014). Media Censorship in China. Council on Foreign Relations Brzeski, P. (2013). Film, TV Industries Contribute $15.5 Billion to China's Economy (Study). The Hollywood Reporter . Feng , B.(2011) . China’s Internet Censorship System. HRIC. Lieberthal, K. (2004). Governing China: From Revolution through Reform . York: Norton. Kops,M and Ollig, S.(2007). Internationalization of the Chinese TV Sector. LIT Verlag Münster. Keith, H, Magnus, J, Keegan, D. (2013). Distance Education: New Perspectives. Routledge. Italian Trade Commission. (2011). China television Industry market report. Scotton, J. (2010). New Media for a New China. John Wiley & Sons. Shirk, S .( 2010). Changing Media, Changing China. Oxford University Press Zhang,H, Dickey,D, Jackson, S.(2011). Radio Silence in China: VOA Abandons the Airwaves. The Heritage Foundation. Read More

Another significance of radio in China is that it has the ability to cover a wider distance, essentially rural area, where Television signals can scarcely be reached. A survey conducted in 2001 revealed that 62.2% of people living in the village areas owned radios. A total of 467 million listeners lived in the rural areas. Nevertheless, the first radio station to cater for the remote areas was established in 2003 in the province of Shanxi. As years progress, numerous radio stations have been established in remote villages.

This has facilitated the reaching of a wider audience, even in remote areas (Scotton, 2010). A major issue or challenge facing radio, as form of media in China, is tightened press and monitoring by the Chinese government. Zhang et al (2011) disclose the fact that media communication in China is an aspect that is strictly controlled by the communist regime, whereby the government can monitor the broadcasts of any press. As a result, radio broadcasting companies that are anti – China are bound to experience challenges when operating in the country.

For instance, on 1st October 2011, the Voice of America’s (VOA) Chinese radio service went silent after the United States international broadcasting ended its broadcasting on Chinese airwaves and relocated to the internet. According to Zhang et al (2011) the termination of broadcasting on the Chinese airwaves by VOA China was attributed to increased Chinese government monitoring of the US linked radio broadcasting service. In addition the contending relationship between the United States and China also contributed to the closer of the VOA China radio broadcasting.

Television Television in China is basically a huge industry in terms of total scale. The industry employs numerous people and also broadcasts information to people across the globe. Television in China is characterized by a small number of profitable media companies that are mainly based in big cities, such as Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. Currently, China has more than 2,200 television stations. The major categories of programs that are aired on Chinese televisions include entertainment, education, news and service and feature.

An analysis of the percentages is indicated by the Chart (1.0) below. Chart (1.0) A significant contribution of television in China is that it has promoted the economic development of China. According to the study conducted in 2013 by Motion pictures and a film organization in China, the TV industry contributes approximately $15.5 Billion to the Chinese economy (Brzeski, 2013). The earnings derived from television are attained from both imports and exports. Chinese TV’s mainly export their programs, such as plays, to other Asian countries.

However, China also makes exports to other regions of the world, such as the European Union, Middle East and the United States. Over the years, the earnings from exports attained from TV have been increasing. As indicated by the graph (1.0) there has been a steady increase in the export earnings from TV. For instance, in the year 2008 to 2009, Chinese TV plays experienced an enormous increase in the total value of exports. Graph 1.0 In terms of imports, there has also been an increasing growth of imports.

For instance, in 2010 TV plays experienced a huge increase with a growth of US$ 100,000 to US$ 600,000 as indicated by graph (2.0). This occurred essentially with Korean dramas, such as ‘’Dae Jang Geum” which captured many Chinese viewers. The Chinese also have preference for Asian movies and TV series; as a result most of the imports earned from TV are usually from other Asian nations. In general, the export and import of TV programs in China has made the programs to be marketable economic goods, which have also promoted the economic growth of China (Italian Trade Commission, 2011). Graph 2.0 Television has also been a useful mechanism of educating the Chinese people essentially in the higher education level.

Keith et al (2013) disclose that long distance higher education in China is usually conducted through the use of a special system that is aired through television.

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