Chinese Newspapers and Investigative Reporting in the New Media Age

Abstract

Drawing on fieldwork at the Beijing News, this paper examines how emerging economic pressures facing newspapers, the increasingly draconian political climate under the new leadership, and the development of new media challenge Chinese investigative journalists. In order to remain competitive, the investigative reporting unit of the Beijing News has reshuffled its organization and readjusted its reporting strategy. The paper concentrates on the interplay between political and economic factors in defining the context of Chinese investigative journalism. It argues that studies of Chinese journalism should not only consider the enduring political control that trammels journalistic practice, but also pay attention to the impact of other factors, notably technological developments and economic pressures.

KEYWORDS:

• China
• economic
• investigative journalism
• new media
• newspapers
• politics
• technology

Notes

1 In aggregate, the first author Ke Li had formal interviews with 24 journalists, editors, and managers of the Beijing News. These included all of the 13 front-line investigative journalists, and the chief editor, deputy chief editors, and editors of the section. In addition, she interviewed the chief editor and deputy chief editor and President of the Beijing News, the advertising manager, the chief editor of the Center for Convergent Media, and the chief editor and editors of the Beijing News Research Center. She also interviewed three journalists from the Southern Metropolitan Daily. All of the individuals’ names have been changed to protect the anonymity of the people involved, but she witnessed all the scenes described in the paper and she conducted all interviews reported here.