Chinese media's influence growing in 21st century

Traditional media are already feeling the shift. The international re-launch of CGTN, China Global Television Network, marks a turning point in international broadcast journalism. The network, still known within China as CCTV (China Central Television), is expanding its international presence.

From the exposé of the AIDS “epidemic” in Central China’s Henan province to the mass corruption case in Chenzhou, Central China’s Hunan province, some of China’s largest scandals in recent years have been uncovered as a result of investigative journalism. In contrast to the adversarial Western “muckraking” model, this so-called “watchdog journalism” works closely with the government.

 As China continues its expansion across the international media landscape, some of the principles of Chinese journalism are also being reflected in the Western media.

China has long encouraged what it calls “constructive journalism”. Better known in the West as “solutions-focused journalism”, it is the idea that journalists should move beyond the distorted world view presented by breaking news, and focus on what is working in the world. The BBC explicitly endorsed this positive approach in 2016.

Many of the disruptive ideas emerging in China’s “new media” are world leading.

Mark Zuckerberg is not only picking up vocabulary on his visits to Beijing, some of new features of Facebook and WhatsApp are also lessons from ubiquitous Chinese social media platforms such as WeChat and Weibo.

This transformational shift is only just getting started. Last year, China moved up two places in Portland’s SoftPower 30, a ranking of countries’ soft power, based on a composite index measuring engagement, culture, government, education digital and enterprise.

As China continues to invest in its soft power assets, we can expect it to rise further up the ranks. Its media will be a key part of this. As the driver of a new era of globalization, international norms in media and reporting will continue to flow from West to East. Businesses and governments will need to learn Chinese. And learn fast.

(The author is the consultant at Portland Communications. Adapted from China Daily)

Editor: Eric Wang