Commercialization of the print media and selective party control in China

Abstract

This thesis examines the strategies used by two newspaper groups, namely, the Southern Daily Newspaper Group in Guangdong and Liberation Daily Newspaper Group in Shanghai, to appeal to readers. The central question is to examine why the former commits more serious reporting infractions than the latter. The hypothesis is that the seriousness of the reporting infractions depends on the strategies by the newspaper group towards the need to appeal to readers.The thesis contends that committing reporting infractions is one strategy, among others, used by certain publications under the Southern Daily Newspaper Group to appeal to readers. As a result, the reporting infractions committed are relatively serious and appear deliberate. Conversely, the publications under the Liberation Daily Newspaper Group are not known to commit reporting infractions as a strategy to appeal to readers. Hence, the reporting infractions committed are relatively minor and do not appear deliberate.