Navigating
Globalization: An In-depth Analysis of China's Media Regulation in the Face of
Economic and Technological Transformation
Bernika Yustisiana Narang
Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia
Email: [email protected]
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ABSTRACT |
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Navigating Globalization, Media Regulation, Economic,
Technological Transformation. |
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The
research investigates the intricate interplay between globalization, the
dynamics of the media industry, and regulatory frameworks, with a specific
focus on China. Employing the literature review method, this study aims to
provide a nuanced understanding of how globalization influences media law,
regulation, and governance. It explores the repercussions of economic global
integration and technological advancements, with China as a case study.
Special attention is given to the multifaceted impact of globalization on the
complex fabric of media regulation in China. Economic globalization and
technological progress are identified as pivotal factors shaping regulatory
frameworks. The research not only examines challenges but also explores
potential opportunities for synergy between global forces and national
regulatory structures. The findings, including globalization's significant
impact on the media industry, especially in the Chinese context, especially
in the Chinese context, contribute to the existing knowledge by shedding
light on how nations navigate the delicate balance between global
interconnectedness and the preservation of distinctive media regulatory
landscapes. This study holds significance for scholars, researchers, and
policymakers grappling with the evolving global media landscape. |
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INTRODUCTION
Most people
often use globalization as the easiest way to illustrate the spread and
connectedness of a process of production, communication, and technology among
countries around the world
There are two significant impacts of globalization
on the media industry
Another major aspect of globalization related to
the development of the media industry is the development of new technology
Among the issues of globalization in the media
industry, there is an assumption that the impact of globalization could
decrease the function of the national form of media law, regulation, and
governance in a country
However, this assumption is not
universally applicable, particularly concerning the relationship between
national media regulations and globalization in China. Despite the Chinese
government's adjustments to media policies, China stands out for effectively
managing the flow of information and preserving its national forms of media
law. Unlike the anticipated erosion of national media regulations in the face
of globalization, China maintains a robust track record of upholding its
domestic media laws as foundational principles governing the media industry.
METHODS
The research methodology utilizes a
literature review with a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative analysis
of existing literature and regulatory documents with a case study methodology
RESULTS
Media Regulation in
China
Recently, the picture of media regulation in China
is not good compared with China’s media regulation before 1979. At that moment,
The Chinese media policy was clear enough as embodied in the Chinese Communist
Party (CCP). Since the growing need for the media industry to become
financially independent, the CCP lost its ideological control to them (Chan,
2002). The economic reform had an important impact on the content of the media.
This condition leads to decentralization, a huge range of content diversity and
a higher degree of journalist professionalism. Consequently, China's media
industry ignored media regulation, especially where economic gains were to be
made
Another
pressure for change comes from the development of electric media, such as the
Internet and mobile phones. It triggers a liberalization of the mass media in
China
The road for
Chinese media to become closer to freedom, independence, and transparency has
not been smooth. This is because the government has started reasserting the
media industry's political control. The Chinese government worries about the
international influences on society, making them try hard to revise the
regulations regularly.
Globalizing economy
Globalization
in terms of the economy refers to the rapid movement away from the national
market toward the global market to increase the spectrum of goods
China’s
decision to open the media market for private and foreign investment did not
eliminate the control of the China Communist Party over the media content
Despite experiencing
several kinds of change, these reforms do not bring any fundamental revision to
the media policy. One of the examples of the WTO's impact on media regulation
in China is allowing western movies to enter the Chinese film industry market.
However, there is still a strict limitation regarding the amount of the movie.
Under the new regulation, only 20 movies per year can be shown in the cinema.
In addition, the content of the movie will also be censored through the China
Film Group
Technological
pressure
The coming of new media has been growing faster
than the economic sector
The most interesting thing is how the changes in
technology in new media have affected reshaping media law, regulation, and
governance. A few scholars argue that the Internet will transform China become
a democratic nation and would lead to the loss of control from the government
to the flow of information
The Internet is a growing factor in the flow of
information in China. Many people in China and worldwide believe that the
Internet could bring openness and a freer flow of information to China
The other thing the Chinese government did to
regulate the flow of information in China is by filtering and blocking a few
sites on the Internet to deny users access to those kinds of foreign news,
human rights organizations and any sites that could lead society to object
The Internet regulation in China forced all users
to register with the Ministry of Public Security (MPS). The individual users
must fill out the police report form, which goes to MPS to set up an Internet
account, although they use computers in an Internet café. The new users must
sign a Net Access Responsibility agreement; the other words, they swear they
will not do something endangering the state, obstruct public safety or access
pornography sites. Finally, the dial-up account must have an ISP with information
and the permission number from MPS in their modem (Tan,1997).
Recently, the development of technology in new
media has impacted the restriction of content and Internet access in China,
which is more flexible than in the former era.
First, fewer than four government agencies have legalised
the interconnection with the international Internet. Second, there are four
administering organizations of Internet services, which are recognized as
diverse and competitive. Third, the blocking site is mostly attempted at
windows dressing, and the last change is the monitoring by MPS as a primary
warning. Recently, China unblocked several international news sites, such as
CNN, although the political site remains on the blocking list (Tan, 1997).
However, the changes in Internet regulation do not
mean that the form of the regulation is ineffectual. There are four examples of
people the Chinese government arrested because of the content of their writing
on the Internet. First, the AIDS activist Wan Yanhai
was arrested for writing related information about AIDS on the internet;
second, Du Daobin was Jailed for posting a call for
democracy. Moreover, four students were imprisoned for posting political essays
for eight to ten years. Finally, Zang Shengqi, along
with his two other friends, were arrested because of his report about
government repression of members of the catholic church.
Another rapidly growing media technology in China
is the mobile phone. In January 2004, the statistic shows that China has more
users of mobile phones compared to the United States. Text messaging is used
extensively in China for interpersonal communication. During the huge case in
China, The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) text message was the most
effective medium for Chinese people to share the important and often uncensored
source of information
CONCLUSION
In
conclusion, Globalization has a significant impact on the media industry. Many
people believe that Globalization has greatly impacted the national form of
media law; regulation and governance become more ineffective. In China, for
example, the globalizing economy and the development of new technologies have a
greater challenge to a national form and even overwhelm a nation politically.
Globalization, politics, and society are the main factors in policymaking. As a
capitalist nation, joining the WTO is the starting point to enter
globalization. However, China had to face several problems regarding the
changes in the media industry. WTO forced China to become more open to the
world by allowing the foreign and private to own the media companies.
The
development of new technologies is another factor in the changes in the media
industry. Some scholars predict that the coming of the Internet will bring
China to become a democratic nation. The Internet is the infrastructure for
society to access information worldwide better than traditional media.
Nonetheless, the Chinese government is working to develop better regulations to
control the flow of information on the Internet.
However, China has successfully controlled all media
content, systems, and organizations through its media law while simultaneously
increasing economic and political power development. The Chinese government
still has the power to control all the media, and those changes do not change
the fundamentals of media regulation.
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Copyright holder: Bernika Yustisiana Narang (2024) |
First publication rights: International
Journal of Social Service and Research (IJSSR) |
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