CHINA: Media 'Not Yet Voice of the People'

By Li Tao

China's media landscape has changed drastically in recent years in which the country's rapid economic growth has had a major role to play. The reform and opening up and the subsequent relaxation of government regulations saw the birth of market-oriented media in China, after which even flagship Party newspapers began publishing profitable weeklies and dailies.

But still the future is pretty cloudy, says Qian Gang, former correspondent of the 'People's Liberation Army Daily'. Qian was a correspondent of the 'PLA Daily' when the mass media were essentially a means to political ends.

Now a writer, and director of China Media Project of Journalism and Media Studies Centre in the University of Hong Kong, Qian says: "There is yet to appear an independent newspaper or broadcaster that I believe could become the mainstream media in China." Looking at the potential of the mass media in China, Qian shows a clear preference for what he calls "public media".

"Some say the Internet will change traditional news reporting but I am cautiously optimistic. As a matter of fact, I do not advocate separating traditional media from 'new media' because they are mutually interdependent."

Qian concedes that the Internet, which connects millions of interactive web users, has immense power in some aspects of reporting, especially when events are shared by great masses of people.

"If the Internet had been as popular in 2003 as it is today, the SARS outbreak story would have become public much earlier, even though some officials still might have tried to resolve the crisis by working behind closed doors. But when exploring issues in greater depth, such as the vaccine scandal or mine accidents, which require professional expertise or which take place 'underground', the traditional media are still the major source of news."

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