Global Media: Asia-Pacific Perspectives

This article discusses the emergence of global media and its impact on China. It explores the role of China Central Television (CCTV) and its attributes that distinguish it from other global media outlets. The article also discusses the influence of CCTV on the economic and political space of China, and how it has changed news coverage in the country.

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Community Development
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Global Media: Asia-Pacific Perspectives
In today’s era, the development of digital media systems has led to crucial changes in the
communication patterns of the society.1 The reinvention of the media systems can be collectively
termed as global media. Global media primarily refers to media networks whose nature is
global/transnational mostly in regards to geographical needs.2 With the emergence of
globalization, digital communication between different parties in the media market has
flourished. Global media basically gives information about current affairs, personal feelings or
weather reports. Global media can be in the form of newspapers, social media, radio, television
or the internet.
The emergence of a global media system is considered a recent development which
reflects the globalization of the market economy. Besides, global media not only plays a crucial
part in the overall expansion of the global corporate system but also support the needs of the
non-enterprises.3 The corporate expansion is majorly into new nations, market and regions.
Also, global media news and entertainment play role in the provision of informational and
ideological environment which assists in sustaining economic, political, and the moral basis for
having both a profit-driven social order and marketing goods. In all this, it is clear that global
media is a crucial component in global capitalism.
In China, global media was formed due to different reasons. To begin with, global media
was to serve the role of educating and informing. For example, newspapers and books have been
a suitable venue of spreading information since they are relatively cheaper and quicker to
produce.4 Besides, more students in China have been able to learn different things from different
regions gathered globally hence increasing knowledge and skills. Secondly, it would serve as a
public forum for the discussion of significant issues. Since the economic reforms in the 1980’s,
China has diversified its media. For example, China’s central television network, has been able
to reach about a billion viewers in China hence promoting the reporting of important events and
news both in China and around the world. Besides, the government’s dominance and control
over the media has resulted to the development of new ways to target people.
1 Litvinenko, Global media journal, 1.
2 Olausson, Explaining global media, 136.
3 Herrmann, Edward, and Robert, Global media, 10.
4 University of Minnesota. "The Evolution of Media.

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Thirdly, global media was crucial for providing entertainment to the public. Over the
years, the entertainment industry in China has grown tremendously. For example, China is
regarded as the second largest film maker after the US.5 Besides, China has become a profitable
film industry in the world since it has been thousands of thrilling and captivating films.
However, the success of the entertainment industry has been as a result of global media such as
the television and the internet. With the new technology in the entertainment industry, global
media has been instrumental for ensuring objectives are met.
Lastly, it would help act as a watchdog for the government. The Chinese Communist
party controls most of the news broadcasted therefore, the use of global media has been
instrumental in ensuring criticism by the party is reduced.6 For example, the introduction of the
people’s daily which is an English-language daily helped scrutinize what the government is
doing hence being able to determine its transparency.
Advancement in technology has been one of key factors that has aided global media to
thrive. Social media and cable networks have allowed information to be accessed more easily
hence gaining more traction in China. Secondly, the high number of people in China has been a
considerable factor that has allowed global media to thrive. This has allowed the diversification
of media in China hence more people being reached easily. Lastly, both political and economic
factors have a significant contribution to the influence of global media. For example, the trade
markets have thrived as a result of global media.
China Central Television abbreviated as CCTV, is a dominant television broadcasting
network based in China. CCTV was formerly known as Beijing Television having a portfolio of
about fifty channels which broadcast different programs. Besides, CCTV has a large audience of
about one billion viewers due to its large variety of programs such as news, entertainment,
drama, documentaries and social education. The television network is available in different
languages from Arabic, Korean, English, Mandarin, Spanish, Chinese, French, Russian and also
other ethnic minority languages.7
5 Kiprop, Largest Film Industries.
6 Radio Free Asia, State Control of The Media.
7 English CCTV, CCTV News.

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China Central Television both controls and engages the biggest viewership in China
thereby driving popular consciousness of events, entertainment and news. The television
broadcaster is a national monopoly since it has TV stations set up in city, county, provincial and
national levels. Besides, the central government performs oversights over CCTV by proving
guidelines and directives. Also, the CCTV has been granted exclusive coverage rights to both
international and national events.8 The Communist Party of China also leaks sensitive and
exclusive information to the China Central Television hence making it the best source for new
information and insights.
CCTV is also under fierce competition from other television operators that are not
subservient to the state. In addition, foreign channels such as the BBC, Al Jazeera, Fox News and
CNN also are a threat to CCTV. However, the state uses CCTV as agent of control but this is
changing over time. CCTV’s audience is now better educated and much aware of both the world
outside china and their own world.9 They are no longer helpless since they have become critical
masses. This means they are able to see corruption, class disparities, and the deteriorating
environment and hold the government responsible. Since CCTV is highly regulated by the state,
the TV broadcaster suffers from a reputation problem. This highly affects its presence in China
since even its employees find news from foreign networks more reliable.
However, amongst the reputation problem, CCTV has been growing its audience over the
years and this translates to the addition of revenue. Its different TV programs allow the company
to acquire audience ratings since everyday the various programmes attract more than seventy-
two million viewers. Most of the company’s revenue comes from advertisements and every year
the amount goes higher. For example, in the year 2010, the Chinese New Year Gala
advertisement generated a total of about seventy million euros.
In order to combat the competition, CCTV is on the forefront of reinventing its media
content. For example, the CCTV has introduced new programs such as financial shows whereby
both foreign politicians and wall street financiers are interviewed.10 This has improved the image
of the company as well as pushing the broadcasting of major CCTV programmes abroad. The
international audience covers not only overseas Chinese but other countries hence ensuring its
8 Zhu, Two billion eyes, 4.
9 Ibid, 5.
10 Richet-Cooper, CCTV, 1.2 Billion Viewers Strong.

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voice is heard around the world. For example, Arabic speaking nations can watch CCTV
basically in their language.11 The foreign audience adds more than six hundred million viewers to
the network hence CCTV is able to broadcast a positive image of China.
CCTV however has some attributes that distinguishes it from both mainstream local
media as well as global media outlets. To begin with, CCTV is controlled by the state. The
communist party of China has significant influence on the media company therefore limiting its
freedom in reporting news that paint a bad picture of the government.12 In addition, CCTV gets
some privilege from the government since the media company gets exclusive information in
events or issues that spark attention to the audience. On the other hand, other local media outlets
including Phoenix television, Xinjiang Television, Hunan Television, Tianjin Television, and
Shanghai Media group are not state controlled. This means they have some freedom to report on
news touching on the government.
However, in China, there are no media laws and rights therefore, many media outlets do
not have exclusive rights to report on information that might expose the government in a
negative way.13 This is because the government might attack the media outlet and get away with
it since the government has no opposition due to being a communist country. In comparison with
other global media outlets such as CNN, BBC, and Aljazeera, these global outlets are not under
any control by the state they operate from. For example, looking at CNN which is based in the
United States, the level of freedom they have in their reporting is high since the US is not
communist. They have their rights of reporting and this makes news much interesting.
Besides, since CCTV is state controlled, the media outlet receives negative comments
from both the public and its own employees. Even though it has slightly above one billion
viewers, their penetration is not quite deep since the public at times prefer foreign media
companies. Due to this factor, the other global media outlets such as BBC and CNN are
occupying a significant portion of the market and viewership in China.
On the second attribute, CCTV tries to report more on positive news since it avoids any
negative information that points wrongly on the government such as official negligence on
11 Richet-Cooper, CCTV, 1.2 Billion Viewers Strong.
12 Radio Free Asia, State Control of The Media.
13 Ibid.

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crucial matters.14 This is considered a typical Chinese style. On the other hand, other global
media outlets such as BBC and CNN report more on balanced news. For example, on the
reporting of the Tianjin explosion, CCTV focused more on the positive outcomes. This included
the firefighters rescue, and how the government would help the victims of the disaster. On the
other hand, BBC and CNN reported on the same issue with a comprehensive and wide range of
content. Each media outlet has its own framework of reporting news but the frameworks affect
the people perception.15 For example, since CNN magnifies the public’s dissatisfaction with the
state, the people’s doubt on the government continues to grow hence affecting the penetration of
the CCTV in China.
Lastly, CCTV broadcasts its news in different languages therefore being able to reach
many people at once. On the other hand, the local media outlets focus on Chinese language since
its more dominant in China. Global media outlets such as BBC, Aljazeera and CNN prefer
English since its more superior although Chinese has a large number of speakers. CCTV has
been able to attract viewers from different countries hence boosting its image and competitive
advantage globally.
Since the late 1970’s China’s television sector has been transformed hence being able to
bring forth globally diffused cultural forms in the media. CCTV was the primary television
network that pioneered this development. Since then, CCTV has had a significant role and
impact in China and globally. To begin with, since foreign media outlets such as BBC and CNN
tend to portray a dissatisfaction with the China government, CCTV has able to launch a global
platform that assists in rebranding China overseas. CCTV, by the help of the government of
China, launched the China Global Television Network in 2016 to aid in spreading China’s story
overseas.16 This new television network showcases China as a builder of world peace. The
broadcaster has incorporated different languages including Spanish, Russian, French, Arabic and
English and has production centers in both Washington, in the US and Nairobi, Kenya.
Through other media outlets owned by the state, China has been able to control what is
reported therefore being able to achieve the core mission of the media outlets which is acting as
the government’s mouthpiece. Besides in 2016, CCTV leased a huge display in New York’s
14 Shulin, international media reporting.
15 Ibid.
16 Osborne, China’s Global Media Empire.

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Times Square in order to display videos basically on China’ position.17 In addition, the media
outlet has been recognized as a global media outlet since it has employed a vast number of
journalists around the world hence shrinking the western media presence in a majority of
countries.
Secondly, CCTV has managed to influence the economic and political space of China.
By conducting different interviews on issues concerning politics and economics, viewers have
been able to understand how to deal with different issues.18 Besides, the government’s approval
on advertisement as a source of revenue for the state-owned media outlets has allowed the
companies grow. For example, CCTV has been able grow its both free to aired channels and paid
channels hence growing its capacity to remain the undisputed media outlet in China despite the
dissatisfaction posed by the citizens. Also, through the Communist Party of China, CCTV has
influenced China with exclusive information since they get information that other media
companies don’t have access to.19
Thirdly, through CCTV, entertainment has grown which is a crucial element in China.
For example, the various programs aired which include television shows and movies have made
the entertainment sector to be considered luxurious. This has deeply influenced the young
generation hence allowing the media outlet be considered a household name. Through these
developments, viewers have doubled up since the standard news reporting procedures have been
employed hence changing the traditional news broadcasting.20 CCTV has also been able to
compete effectively with other foreign global media outlets such as CNN, Aljazeera and BBC
among others.
Fourthly, through CCTV and other state-owned media outlets the government has
changed how news coverage is done. Through the tight measures that the government has
exhibited to media outlets that portray a wrong picture of the government, free reporting has
been disallowed in China. This is because there is no media law or freedom of speech.21
17 Osborne, China’s Global Media Empire.
18 Lull, James. China turned on: Television.
19 Wasserstrom, and Joseph, Acting out democracy, 24.
20 Zeng, Wenna, and Colin Sparks, Media, Culture & Society.
21 Wasserstrom, and Joseph, Acting out democracy, 28.

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According to Radio free China, more journalists fear carrying out their profession in a
meaningful manner hence at times news coverage at times is not as equal to other global media
outlets. The communist’s manner of ruling is highly affecting more media outlets in China
therefore reducing effectiveness of news reporting. This has been an issue that many media
outlets are fighting for since without freedom of speech and media law, journalism cannot be
effective as possible.
In conclusion, global media is has resulted to growth in different spheres of life. Not
forgetting culture, global media has allowed different cultures to be embraced and acknowledged
hence bringing inclusion. For example, cultural contents of even the minority groups have been
transmitted over the internet hence facilitating cultural associations and also diversity which
helps in developing interesting cultural activities. 22 In addition, global media has made the world
seem like a global village since global news has been easily accessible. For example, different
global media outlets including CCTV itself, CNN, BBC and Aljazeera have access to different
continents hence allowing news from different continents including business news and politics to
be easily available. The news has impacted on the economy of different countries since
something like the forex is dependent on politics and other economic factors. Global media is
still growing and in the coming years, new developments and advancement of news coverage are
anticipated hence allowing the media industry to grow tremendously. 23
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Herrmann, Edward, and Robert W. McChesney. Global media: The new missionaries of global
capitalism. A&C Black, 2001: 1-233.
Kaul, Vineet. "Globalization and Media." Journal of Mass Communication and Journalism 1,
22 Kaul, Globalization and Media, 6.
23 Stevenson, The transformation of the media.

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