Mapping ‘Chinese Media Studies’: A Diagnostic Survey

Abstract

This article views Chinese media as a complex web of diverse academic disciplines and political perspectives, and provides a diagnostic survey of the various disciplines that deal with Chinese media. By clarifying and comparing the methodological characteristics of these academic disciplines, it attempts to prepare for interdisciplinary dialogue. It will pose questions such as what kinds of disciplines have become involved in the studies of Chinese media; what are the main focuses and the methodological characteristics; and what kinds of regional and historical characteristics exist in scholarship on Chinese media. The article maps ‘Chinese media studies' from four angles: the academic traditions of journalism and communication studies; politics and sociology; Chinese studies; and cinema and cultural studies. It views the main focus of each field respectively as: democracy and political economy of the media industry; civil society and network society; history and language; and culture and power. The disciplinary division cannot be so clearcut, as most works attempt to converse with other disciplines or are by nature interdisciplinary. Using disciplinary mapping allows one to identify the shaping power and distinctions of academic disciplines.