China's New Media Milieu: Commercialization, Continuity, and Reform

Abstract

Abstract : As with most spheres of reform in the PRC, a central event in the development of China s media system was the redirection of the nation s development strategy following the Third Plenum of the 11th Central Committee in December 1978. At this meeting, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) decided to shift away from class struggle and toward modernization. This launched a period of economic reform and rapid development, featuring dramatic growth in most sectors of China s economy, including China s media sector. The papers in this volume discuss four fundamental changes which have, together, served to shape China s media environment: (1) the dramatic increase in the numbers and types of media outlets; (2) the expansion of information considered appropriate for public consumption; (3) the reduction of state subsidies and the introduction of market forces; and (4) the diversification of management structures.