How China-based foreign reporters' aggressiveness changed: The honeymoon effect of the Chinese government's media relations strategies

Abstract

This study analyzes how the aggressiveness of China-based foreign reporters when questioning Chinese officials changed as a function of the macrolevel international media relations strategies of the Chinese government. Over the past decade, the Chinese government has increasingly relaxed regulatory policies for foreign reporters and gained knowledge of modern public relations, particularly media relations. This study found that the level of foreign reporters' aggressiveness did not decrease in a linear fashion but rather displayed a ‘V’ shape. Implications for future initiatives by the Chinese government regarding foreign reporters are also discussed.