The first in-depth, authoritative discussion of the role of the press in China and the way the Chinese government uses the media to shape public opinion

China's 1.3 billion population may make the country the world's largest, but the vast majority of Chinese share remarkably similar views on these and a wide array of other issues, thanks to the unified message they get from tightly controlled state-run media. Official views are formed at the top in organizations like the Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television and allowed to trickle down to regional and local media, giving the appearance of many voices with a single message that is reinforced at every level. As a result, the Chinese are remarkably like-minded on a wide range of issues both domestic and foreign.

Takes readers beyond China's economic miracle to show how the nation's massive state-run media complex not only influences public opinion but creates itExplores an array of issues, from Tibet and Taiwan to the environment and US trade relations, as seen through the lens of the Xinhua News AgencyTells the story of the official Xinhua News Agency along with its history and reporting over the years, as the foundation for telling the story

Doug Young is an associate professor in the Journalism Department at China's Fudan University in Shanghai. He has worked in the media for nearly two decades, half of that in China, where he witnessed the massive changes that have taken place in the country since the earliest days of the reform era in the 1980s. Most recently, he worked for Reuters from 2000 to 2010 covering the China story out of the agency's Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Taipei bureaus. Prior to relocating to China, he worked as a journalist in Los Angeles. A native of Washington, DC, he received his bachelor's degree in geology from Yale University and a master's degree in Asian studies from Columbia University. In addition to his current roles as teacher and author, he is a closely followed commentator on the latest Chinese business news and industry trends on his blog, www.youngchinabiz.com.

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

Chapter 1 The Agenda: Telling the Partys Story 1

Chapter 2 Spreading the Word: The Machinery 25

Chapter 3 Ultranetworked: Caught Up in Connections 45

Chapter 4 Reporters: The Partys Eyes and Ears 63

Chapter 5 Korea and Tibet: China Finds its Voice 81

Chapter 6 Cultural Revolution: The Ultimate Media Movement 97

Chapter 7 A Nixon Visit, the Death of Mao, and the Road to Reform: A Softer Approach 113

Chapter 8 The Tiananmen Square Divide: The Media Gains, Then Loses, its Voice 131

Chapter 9 Falun Gong: Guerilla Coverage Returns 155

Chapter 10 A Bombing in Belgrade and Anti-Japanese Marches: The Nationalism Card 171

Chapter 11 SARS: Dont Spoil Our Party 189

Chapter 12 The Beijing Olympics and Sichuan Earthquake: Rallying Points 205

Chapter 13 Google in China: Editorializing 225

Afterword 241

About the Author 245

Index 247