Professionalization without guarantees: Changes of the Chinese press in post-1989 years

Abstract

Intended to stimulate interest in probing the interrelationship between the press and social change in China, this paper investigates some salient aspects of the changes of the Chinese press in post-1989 years and their implications for journalistic professionalization. It is argued that under the hybrid system of economic freedom and political repression, journalism as a profession, while benefiting from the changing information environment, suffers from persistence in the Maoist press theory and the nation-wide commercialization. It is further argued that press professionalization can hardly be guaranteed unless a more democratic and freer political climate emerges in China.