Durham E-Theses Governing China with the news television & national development in China since 1958 Dong, Steven Guanpeng How to cite: Dong, Steven Guanpeng (2009) Governing China with the news television & national development in China since 1958, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/2161/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Governing China with the News Television & National Development in China since 1958 Thesis submitted for the Degree of The copyrighl of this thesis rests with the author or the university to which it was Doctor of Philosophy submitted. No quotation from it, or Department of East Asian Studies information derived from it may be published without the prior written University of Durham consent of the author or university, and any information derived from it should be acknowledged. Steven Guanpeng Dong First submitted on 30 September 2007 Revised and Re-submitted on 31 March 2009 0 9 JUN 2009 2007 Copyright The copyright of this tliesis rests with the author. No quotation from it may be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. Declaration The material contained in this thesis has never been submitted for a degree in this or any other university. It is based on the author's individual research and has not been published before. Steven Guanpeng Dong 30 September 2007 Abstract Governing China with the News: Television and National Development in China since 1958 Steven Gunnpeng Dong This thesis is an historical study of the interplay between television news and politics in China since 1958. It examines the evolution of television news and political development in China, as well as the continuing innovations to the CCP's ideological system. Television in China has become the major source of social and political information and knowledge to facilitate development, at a time when China is experiencing its fastest development in the national economy. The Chinese television institutions now are far from a monolithic and unified propaganda machine, and have begun to play the role of a multifaceted creature undergoing a process of rapid transformation, with different parts of the body straining in different directions. Meanwhile, however, CCTV (China Central Television), which serves as the central hub of official information and social and political knowledge provision in the process of Chinese national development, is still mainly running according to the aims and agenda of the Chinese Communist Party and central government. Among China's journalists, the debate on the democratisation of journalism arises once again at a time when the social market economic system has been well established throughout the country. This thesis has involved the examination of a diverse range of sources, dispersed in several archives and libraries in the UK, US and China. Bibhographical research has been combined with fieldwork carried out among Chinese television journalists and senior managers in television stations. This work aims to contribute to a better understanding of the media and politics of modern China, adding a new perspective to the study of televised democracy and mediated politics in China. Contents 3 Copyright 4 Declaration 5 Abstract 8 Abbreviations 11 List of tables, figures and boxes 12 Acknowledgements 14 Introduction Governing China with the news: Television and national development in China since 1958 Including literature review, structure of the thesis and research methods 45 Chapter 1 Rise of the People's Republic and the birth of Beijing Television [1958-1966] 66 Chapter 2 Party journalism and the governing system under Mao [1966-1976] 79 Chapter 3 From BTV to CCTV: Television news since the Cultural Revolution [1976-1982] 97 Chapter 4 The rise of television and the decline of radio [1983-1992] 109 Chapter 5 The golden age of television: Commercialisation, journalistic corruption and political correctness [1993-2003] 123 Chapter 6 CCTV and the international playground [2003-2007] 144 Chapter 7 The Party and television news: Managing the news through "Thought Work" in modern China 163 Chapter 8 The journalists: Seeking strategies for survival and success 184 Chapter 9 The 24-hour news channel: Propaganda or telling the truth? 210 Chapter 10 Televised democracy and mediated realities: Discussions beyond the television news 232 Chapter 11 Governing China with news in an Internet age 259 Conclusion 264 Bibliography English 264 Chinese 280 298 Appendix-I List of people that was interviewed for this thesis, 2000-2005 304 Appendix-II Parallel Chronology: The evolution of television news and political development in China 312 Appendix-Ill Glossary Abbreviations CCP=Chinese Communist Party CCPCC=Chinese Communist Party Central Committee CDP=Central Department of Publicity (Propaganda), CCPCC CDO=-Central Department of Organisation, CCPCC SCIO=State Council Information Office This is also the CCPCC's Central Department of International Communications (CDIC). CDIC and SCIO are sharing exactly the same responsibilities, directors, personnel and offices. In daily operations, the Party and central government prefer to have the State Council name "SCIO" rather than CDIC. SARFT=State Administration of Radio, Film and Television The SARFT was formerly named differently as: MRFT=Ministry of Radio, Film and Television (1986-1998) MRT=Ministry of Radio and Television (1982-1986) SAB=State Administration of Broadcasting (1949-1982) SAPP=State Administration of Press and Publishing FM=Foreign Ministry MII=Ministry of Information Industry MOC=MLnistry of Culture MPS=Ministry of Public Security MNS=Ministry of National Security EPB=Environmental Protection Bureau PLA=People's Liberation Army BOCOG^Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games 2008 CNR=China National People's Radio CRI=China Radio International CETV=China Education Television FD=People's Daily and The People's Daily Group CD=China Daily and The China Daily Group Xinhua=Xinhua News Agency CNS=China News Service CCTV=China Central Television CCTV-1 (Comprehensive) CCTV-2 (Business and finance) CCTV-3 (Entertainment) CCTV-4 (International in Chinese) CCTV-5 (Sports) CCTV-6 (Movie) CCTV-7 (Agriculture and military) CCTV-8 (TV drama) CCTV-9 (International in English) CCTV-10 (Science and education) CCTV-11 (Classical opera) CCTV-12 (Society and law) CCTV-News (24 Hour news services) CCTV-Kids (Kids and youth) CCTV-Music (Traditional and classical music) CCTV-E&F (International in Spanish and French) XWLB=Xm Wen Lian Bo Gathering of News around China at 7:00 pm on CCTVl FR=Focus Report Daily Investigative Nexus of Hot Issues, 7:37 pm on CCTVl NP=Neivs Probe Weekly Investigative News Magazine, sharpest and critical TTT^Tell the Truth Talk Show of People's Everyday Life, Sunday mornings CCTVl OH^Oriental Horizon Breakfast News and Current Affairs Magazine, CCTVl BTV=Beijing Television STV=Shanghai Television SMG=Shanghai Media Group SOT=Shanghai Oriental Television DTV= (Shanghai) Dragon Television HNTV=Hunan Satellite Television Channel CAS=Chinese Academy of Sciences CASS=Chinese Academy of Social Sciences CPS=Central Party School NSA=NationaI School of Administration CSS=CentraI School of Socialism TSJC=Tsinghua School of Journalism and Communication CASS-IOJC=Institute of Journalism and Communication Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences CUC=Communications University of China Formerly the 'BBr=Beiiing Broadcasting Institute CNN=Cable News Network BBC=British Broadcasting Corporation VOA=Voice of America CBS=Columbia Broadcasting System C4=Channel 4, UK AJ=A1 Jazeera IT=Information Technology PSB=Public Service Broadcasting VCR=Video Cassette Recorder VOD=Video on Demand 10 Tables, figures and boxes Table 0.1 A typical party branch 20 Table 1.1 Top leadership of CCP since 1949 47 Table 5.1 Leaders of SBA-MRT-MRFT-SARFT 111 Table 7.1 How the CCP governs Chinese politics? 146 Table 7.2 How the Party governs the television network? 151 Table 8.1 The triangle model 174 Table 8.2 Stakeholders of a typical CCTV journalist in a news department 176 Table 10.1" Contrasting assumptions about press mission 215 Table 11.1" News consumption patterns in China 2001 and 2006, Beijing residents 245 Acknowledgements This dissertation and the study that underlines it would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of a great many individuals and institutions both in the UK and China. First of all, I am indebted to my initial PhD supervisor Dr. Michael Dillon, Department of East Asian Studies, University of Durham, whose interest and guidance enhanced my work enormously. No candidate could ever write a good dissertation without the careful attention and sustained encouragement of a dedicated committee in the department. I am therefore extremely grateful