The Basic Characteristics of China's Mass Communication Structure and the Realistic Problems Ahead

Abstract

During the 10 years of the late seventies to early nineties, with Deng Xiaoping's modernization policy's establishment, excecution and improvement of economic reform and opening to the outside world, China has had many great changes which aroused attention all over the world in the fields of politics, economy, culture etc., and at present these changes are still being expanded quickly. It should be pointed out is that throughout the development and evolution process of this historical transformation from traditional society to modern society, whatever important social changes would undoubtedly make an old order, old formation face a new challenge or a new choice. It will exert a great influence upon its future development as well as on the inherent mass communication structure of China that is closely related with social development. It must look squarely at this new choice, and at the same time face up to all kinds of pressure. This thesis, firstly, from history development angle, gives a general relation and analysis on some of the basic characteristics of the inherent mass communication structure of China and historical reason of how it formed; then, on the basis of grasping and summing up the structure history, it puts the traditional structure in the present changeable social background of China, analizes some of the existing unreasonableness and urgency for a reform that must be carried out in this field, centering on the structure's contradiction and conflict with every aspect of the society. The thesis is composed of the following two parts: The first part: The Basic Structure of China Mass Communication It is reflected in three aspects: firstly, mass media has different function from that of western countries, such as propagandizing and educating people, mobilizing and organizing all kinds of social strength and keeping the political unity of the whole country, etc. Secondly, in the aspect of the direction of communication, it describes the intensifying communication from above to below and weakening communication from below to above and the deficiency of level communication. Thirdly, it discusses some of the characteristics of mass communication in operating and managing aspects. The second part: The Realistic Crisis of the Structure Ahead Starting from the view of economic, political and cultural changes and alteration of mass communication circumstance itself, the thesis points out the necessity and urgency for a reform that must be carried out in China's mass communication structure centering on the unadaptability of China's mass communication structure to the realistic society and various contradictions and conflicts it caused.