Working with a Dying Ideology: dissonance and its reduction in Chinese journalism

Abstract

Abstract This study adopts an ideological dissonance perspective to examine Chinese journalism within the confines of a dying ideology. Based on data gathered from in-depth interviews, field observations and document analyses from 1995 to 2000, it finds that much of the contradiction and ambiguity in Chinese journalism can be attributed to a struggle to reduce ideological dissonance as well as to the pulling forces of a burgeoning market economy. In this struggle, Chinese journalists adopt one of five modes to cope with the inevitable ideological dissonance: (1) living with dissonance in the public discourse universe; (2) striking a consonance with Communist ideology; (3) consonance in the public discourse universe but independent expression in the private discourse universe; (4) pushing boundaries in public discourse universe while keeping independent expression in the private discourse universe; and (5) radical reduction of dissonance by aligning with a different ideology and expressing deviant ideas in a different public discourse universe. Keywords: Key Words Chinese Press Dissonance Ideology Journalism Political Culture