After assuming his role as General Secretary of China's Communist Party and the President of China in 2013, Xi Jinping stated in a meeting on propaganda and ideology that the task ahead was to "______________ (tell China's story well, and properly disseminate China's voice)." It marked the beginning of an intensified global propaganda campaign. In stark contrast we have also witnessed in recent years an intensification of western media reporting about topics which typically are considered taboo in the Chinese domestic discourse.
This module will juxtapose 'official' and 'unofficial' narratives about China. Drawing on a wide range of domestic and international media sources you will go beyond the news headlines and learn to put media reports in their historical, political, social, and cultural contexts. Drawing on a wide range of analytical frameworks and heuristic toolkits you will be enabled to decode the official and unofficial narratives about China.
You will learn how to synthesize insights gained from official Chinese media, unofficial and more independent Chinese sources as well as international media reports about China. The topics and cases may vary every year, but typically will include foreign affairs and international relations; technology and business; cultural and creative industries, as well as social policy issues ranging from health, education to social security etc.
In addition to the semantic analysis of media reports this module will also provide you with a comprehensive introduction to key institutions of China's media system under the conditions of one-party rule. You will familiarise yourself with the interplay between political institutions and resulting media narratives.
- Tags
-
