ENCOUNTER SEMINAR

“Swine flu virus or news virus: How do Chinese

media work in a commercialized environment?”

Speaker:  Prof. LI Xiguang

Distinguished academic, leading journalist and radical thinker

Tsinghua University, China. Journalism and Communication Dept.

        Date:     Wednesday 7th April, 201

Time:     12.30pm-2.00pm

Venue:    MHW_A7.3  Harrow Campus

       Tea/Coffee Provided

An opportunity to meet LI XIGUANG

• Prominent media scholar in China, first Dean of Media at Tsinghua and Dean of the International Media Institute of Xinan University of Policy & Law
• Fluent in English
• Former Research Fellow at the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University and Visiting Fellow and Science Writer on the Washington Post.
• Originally a theoretical physicist, his last journalism post was Head of the Political Desk of Xin Hua News Agency.

Professor Li is also happy to discuss the handling of the Tibet issue in the media, China’s soft power and any other issues of interest to media scholars

About the Speaker:

 LI XIGUANG

Distinguished academic, leading journalist and radical thinker

• Prominent media scholar in China, first Dean of Media at Tsinghua (‘China’s Cambridge’) and Dean of the International Media Institute of Xinan University of Policy & Law
• Fluent in English
• Former Research Fellow at the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University and Visiting Fellow and Science Writer on the Washington Post.
• Originally a theoretical physicist, his last journalism post was Head of the Political Desk of Xin Hua News Agency.

Professor Li Xiguang’s influence upon media education and media handling in China has already been considerable, and over time is likely to be profound, as is his influence on the academic study of the media.

In China the media and journalism have been taken seriously as academic subjects since the 1920s and today the connections between media departments, media professionals and the political leadership are usually close. Tsinghua’s is in a pivotal position.

Professor Li burst onto a conservative scene with radical vim. He has pioneered the re-formation of media handlers throughout the establishment, so that they understand the value of journalism in promoting good government and civil society; he brought sensitive topics such as Aids, homosexuality and commercial influences on journalism into the public domain, insisting that journalists be able to research and write on these subjects. He has introduced the notion that journalists must be aware of human rights and spread the idea tirelessly. He has worked with international news organizations such as Bloomberg, Ogilvy and Reuters to improve knowledge and skills.

The (Tsinghua) Center for International Communications Studies (CCIS) of which Prof Li is the Director, is a high-level research centre that plays a prominent role in producing information about the Chinese media.  He is a senior professor in what has very rapidly become one of the leading Universities in this field in China.  Tsinghua is one of six universities permitted to run a doctoral programme in media, and one of only three officially recognised as having a National Key Discipline in Journalism and Communication Studies.

中国传媒中心年会 

中国软实力

  英国威斯敏斯特大学  中国人民大学

伦敦    威斯敏斯特大学    摄政校区  2010年4月8/9日

        中国经济实力的迅猛增长已悄然更新了中国的国际影响力。奥巴马的中国之行，G2格局的有效建立都印证着这样一个得到国际普遍认同的事实：今天，中国正在世界经济格局中扮演着核心角色。追溯历史，经济实力的腾飞总是伴随着国际文化影响力的提升——足球，好莱坞以及卡拉OK都是便随着大国经济腾飞而走向世界的 “舶来品”。毫无疑问，中国的经济地位将会同样影响中国文化的全球传播。
 
          中国及世界各国都已认识到了这一趋势。中国政府推出了“走出去”的战略，旨在全球推广中国语言、传播中国文化、发展中国媒体。同时，曾满足于向西方购买节目或模仿西方节目样式的中国的广播电视界，今日也正蓄势进军国际市场，他们的角色已悄然变为卖家。
 
         我们热诚的欢迎诸位共同关注这一动人心魄的进程。本届年会我们有幸请来：

演讲人：李希光        清华大学 

 清华大学校务委员、新闻与传播学院常务副院长、国际传播研究中心主任、艾滋病综合研究中心副主任、健康传播研究所所长、巴基斯坦文化传播研究中心主任、教育部新闻学科教学指导委员会副主任、联合国教科文组织中国新闻教育专家组召集人。兼任军事科学院三战论坛研究员、国防大学三战中心专家、中国疾病预防控制中心性病艾滋病专家。曾任新华社高级记者、《华盛顿邮报》科学记者、哈佛大学新闻政治与公共政策中心研究员、联合国教科文组织丝绸之路青年学者、中国科学院理论物理所研究实习员。近期撰写或主编的专著有：《走出媒体污名》、《发言人教程》、《控烟报道读本》、《人权报道读本》、《转型中的新闻学》、《软力量与全球传播》、《艾滋病媒体读本》等。曾在《华盛顿邮报》、美国《科学》杂志、《求是》杂志等发表过有影响的文章。获奖：联合国艾滋病防治特殊贡献奖、北京市高校教学名师、北京市优秀教师、国家精品课奖、全国十大教育英才、国务院特别津贴奖励、清华大学学术新人奖、清华大学优秀教学奖、清华大学良师益友、首届全国百佳新闻工作者、中国新闻奖、中国国际新闻奖等。目前主持国家重大课题《舆论引导力与社会舆情预警系统研究》和国家重点课题《中国文化软实力发展战略研究》。
出版的专著
1.《畸变的媒体》，李希光著，复旦大学出版社，2003
2.《新闻学核心》，李希光著，南方日报出版社，2002
3.《媒体的力量》，李希光、赵心树合著，南方日报出版社，2002
4.《找故事的艺术》，李希光等合著，清华大学出版社，2003
5.《全球新传播》，李希光主编，南方日报出版社，2002
6.《下一代媒体》，李希光主编，南方日报出版社，2002
7.《变形的新闻屋》，李希光著，四川人民出版社，2000
8.《妖魔化与媒体轰炸》，李希光第一作者，江苏人民出版社，1999
9.《中国有多坏》，李希光著，江苏人民出版社，1998
10.《妖魔化中国的背后》，李希光第一作者，中国社会科学出版社，1996
11.《找回中国昨日辉煌》，李希光著，国际文化出版公司，1996
12.《梦幻尼雅》，李希光文，林永健摄影，民族出版社，1995

具有代表性的论文目录
1.ICT and the Demise of Propaganda in China, the Global Meedia Journal, fall 2003
2.Web Revolutionises China’s Media, South China Morning Post, September 27,2002
3.Great Sound Makes No Noise, Shorenstein Center for Press, Politics and Public Polity, Harvard University （www.ksg.harvard.edu/presspol/publications/papers.htm）2000
4.The Inside Story of Demonizing China, Contemporary Chinese Thought, Winter 1998-99/Vol.30,No.2, The Inside Story ,M.E. Sharp
5. Scientific Misconduct: Chinese Researchers Debate Rash of Plagiarism Cases, Li Xiguang and Xiong Lei, Science 1996 October 18
6. 新闻构架与国家利益：北约轰炸中国使馆媒体报道研究 《国际新闻界》（核心刊物），2000（1）
7.谁在设置中国的议程？中美撞机媒体报道研究《新闻与传播研究》（核心刊物），李希光、秦轩，2001（3）
8. 美国媒体报道中国非典研究 《新闻与传播研究》（核心刊物），2003（2）
9. 新闻事实论 《国际新闻界》（核心刊物），2001年第3期（总103期）
10. 传媒人才不等于新闻人才 《新闻界》（核心刊物），2002.5（总第205期）
11. 谁在设置国际冲突报道框架 《中国记者》（核心刊物），2002（9）
12. 影响美国媒体报道中国的主要因素 《中国记者》（核心刊物），2002（3）
13. 网络媒体生路在何方？《现代传播》（核心刊物），2001（5）
14. 阿尔卑斯归来话传播 《现代传播》（核心刊物）2001（2）
15. 非西方媒体如何在全球化时代营造自己的品牌？《新闻实践》（核心期刊）2003（9）

专著章节
1.Who is Setting the Chinese Agenda? The Impact of Online Chatrooms on Party Presses in China，Li Xiguang, Qin Xuan and Randolph Kluver， Asia Dotcom: Asia Encounters Internet, Routledge, 2003
2. Creeping Freedom in the Chinese Press, China’s Century, forwarded by Zhu Rongji, John Wiley & Son(Asia) Pte Ltd,

主要兼职（国内外主要学术团体的兼职）
2001年迄今 香港大学 客座教授
2003年迄今 南京大学 兼职教授
1999年迄今 四川大学 客座教授
1999年迄今 中国人民大学《国际新闻界》副主编
2000年迄今 国务院台办海峡两岸研究中心 特约研究员
2001年迄今 国务院新闻办咨询专家组 成员
2001年迄今 国务院台办媒体专家组 成员
2003年迄今 国家社科规划办项目评审专家组 成员
2003年迄今 国家科技部软科学项目专家评审组 成员
1996年迄今 中国科技新闻学会 常务理事
2002年迄今 ”Global Media Journal”(美国普度大学) 编委
2001年迄今 中国记协 特邀理事
2003年 中国新闻奖 评委
2006年迄今 教育部新闻学学科教学指导委员会副主任

获奖情况
北京市精品课（2003年）、清华大学优秀中青年教学奖（2001）、清华大学“良师益友”奖（2001）、首届全国百佳新闻工作者（中国记协，1995）、中国国际新闻奖一等奖（国务院新闻办，1996）、中国新闻奖学术论文二等奖（中国记协，1997）、全国优秀科技新闻奖（1990年，国家科委）、国家自然科学基金委荣誉证书（1992年）、中国科学院科星奖一等奖（1992）、中国科学院科星奖一等奖（1994）、中国科学院科星奖一等奖（1996）、中国科学院科星奖一等奖（1998）、中国科学院“丰产奖”（1998）、“杜邦杯”中国优秀环境新闻奖一等奖（1996，中国记协、国家环保局）、“杜邦杯”中国优秀环境新闻奖一等奖（1998，中国记协、国家环保局）、全国地震优秀新闻一等奖（1991，中国记协、国家地震局）、“海上丝绸之路考察荣誉证书”（1991，菲律宾教科文组织全国委员会）、 “华盛顿邮报优秀访问记者证书”（1995，阿尔佛莱德基金会颁发）、“布哈拉荣誉市民证书”（1991，乌兹别克布哈拉市市长）、“香港回归报道表彰”（1997，国务院新闻办）、“邓小平逝世报道表彰”（1997，新华社党组）、新华社优秀学术论文（1996，新华社）、“中华环保世纪行”一等奖（1997，全国人大环资委）。
　　
简历
1978年9月-1982年7月 南京大学外文系英美语言文学 文学学士
1982年8月-1985年8月 中国科学院理论物理所 研究实习员
1985年9月-1988年7月 中国社会科学院研究生院英语采编 法学硕士
1988年8月-1990年7月 新华社对外部 记者
1990年7月-1992年8月 联合国教科文组织“丝绸之路”项目 青年学者
1992年9月-1995年5月 新华社中央新闻采编室 副主任/主任记者
1995年6月-1995年12月 美国《华盛顿邮报》 访问记者
1996年1月-1998年12月 新华社政治文化编辑室 主任/ 高级记者
1999年1月-1999年6月 哈佛大学新闻政治与公共政策中心 研究员
1999年8月迄今 清华大学国际传播研究中心 主任/教授
2006年1月迄今 清华大学新闻与传播学院 常务副院长 

倪宁   人民大学 

         新闻学院常务副院长，教授，博士生导师。学校图书馆馆长、文化科技园管委会副主任、国家清史纂修领导小组办公室副主任, 中国广告协会学术委员会副主任。《广告传播学》（合著）、《广告学教程》曾获得中国人民大学优秀科研成果奖；《新闻教学实践的组织与管理》、《报纸编辑学课程教学法研究》等三项北京市优秀教学成果奖获奖成员。2004年全国十大广告学人之一。被教育部连续三届聘为新闻学学科教学指导委员会委员，中国广告主协会咨询专家。 

近期专著：

《广告新天地》

《广告学教程》

《广告学教程》（第二版）

《广告传播学》（合著）

《广告精点》（合著）

《广告学》（合著）

《广告学概论》（合著）等

《广告学教程》

 近期论文：

《试析我国期刊广告经营的现状与发展》

《试论我国新闻教育的流变及其启示》

《试论电视节目赞助的决定性因素》

《报业经营应该怎样做》

《知识经济催促媒体创新》

《试论新闻媒体的信息交流》

《经济低谷中的日本报纸广告》

《语言观在传播中的地位和作用》

 张小玲        诺丁汉大学

注册参会或询问会议相关信息，请联系：h.cohen02@westminster.ac.uk

                                                       会议相关信息，请浏览：http://chinamediacentre.org/ 

Thursday 8 and Friday 9 April 2010

Location: University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London

Registration: The Conference is open for registration now.  The deadline for registration is April 1.

Please contract Helen Cohen H.cohen02@westminster.ac.uk for registration form.

Speakers:

Prof. Li Xiguang, Tsinghua University,China

Prof. Ni Ning, Renmin University,China

Dr. Zhang Xiaolin, Nottingham University

Programme

The Conference Programme will be available to check soon.

If you have any questions about the conference, please contact Helen Cohen H.cohen02@westminster.ac.uk.

picture left: Beijing Times 2-03-2010

Headlines 

• Chinese Premier urges people to read more
• Losing Google would hit Chinese science hard
• Google chief sees outcome “soon” in China row
• Google has freedom to quit or stay: Chinese minister
• Millions of Spring Festival messages sent online 
• Inside the burned-out TVCC building
• China court throws out “Avatar” plagiarism case

 Chinese Premier urges people to read more

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called on the public to spend more time on reading during an online chat Saturday. Wen said reading matters much to the quality and prosperity of a nation. “A nation which is not interested in reading is with no future,” he said.

 A survey conducted by the Chinese Institute of Publishing Science last April showed that 61.2 percent Chinese were not satisfied with their reading conditions, and 65.1 percent respondents said they read few books. Wen once said he hoped young people can read books on subway. “Now some young people have really started to do this,” he said. ( Xinhua 02 -03-2010 )

 Losing Google would hit Chinese science hard

More than three-quarters of scientists in China use the search engine Google as a primary research tool and say their work would be significantly hampered if they were to lose it, a survey showed on Wednesday. Google’s future in the country is uncertain following a row with Beijing, but Chinese scientists asked by the Nature journal how much they rely on Google said it was vital for finding academic papers, information about discoveries or other research programs and finding scholarly literature. “Research without Google would be like life without electricity,” one Chinese scientist said in the survey, which asked more than 700 scientists for their views.

 Google, the world’s top search engine, said in January it had uncovered sophisticated China-based attacks on human rights activists using its Gmail service around the world. Google said other firms had also been affected, and after checks into the attacks, the company had decided it was no longer willing to tolerate censorship on its Google.cn search engine. Google also threatened to shut its China offices.

In the survey, 84 percent said losing Google would “somewhat or significantly” hamper their research and 78 percent said international collaborations would be affected. “The findings are very typical of most countries in the world,” says David Bousfield, an analyst at Outsell, an information and publishing consultancy. “Google and Google Scholar have become indispensable tools for scientists. David Nicholas, an Internet researcher in London, said science in China would not come to a halt without Google, but the search engine had “has transformed information-seeking behaviors in academic communities.” Losing such an important research tool would significantly compromise scientists efficiency, he said in a comment in Nature. (Reuters24-02-2010)  

 Google chief sees outcome “soon” in China row

Google expects an outcome soon from its talks with China over a censorship and hacking dispute, Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said on Wednesday.

 Google threatened in January to shut its Chinese Google.cn portal and to pull back from China, citing problems of censorship and a hacking attack from within the country. “I’m going to use the word ’soon’, which I will not define otherwise,” Schmidt told journalists at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit. “There is no specific timetable. Something will happen soon,” he added, without elaborating. Chinese officials have said they were working with Google to resolve the dispute.

Google shocked business and political circles when it declared on January 12 it would stop censoring Chinese search results, and said it was considering pulling out of the country.

In Washington, a second Google executive said the world’s largest search engine had not changed its decision to stop censoring its Chinese language search site in compliance with Beijing’s dictates even if it means leaving that market. Nicole Wong, the firm’s vice president and deputy general counsel, told the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee that Google would stop censorship and “(if) the option is that we will shutter our .cn property and leave the country, we are prepared to do that.”

Wong told the congressional hearing on U.S. cyberspace policy that Google’s decisions on dealing with Chinese hacking and censorship were taken by American executives without the involvement of employees in China. But she said Google was moving cautiously, in part out of concern for its hundreds of Chinese employees. She urged lawmakers to ensure that the U.S. government presses international Internet openness as a priority in diplomatic, trade and development policies and work with like-minded governments to craft rules to ensure free flows of information.

The top U.S. trade official said the government was studying whether it could legally challenge those restrictions, which also hurt other U.S. firms operating in China. But Schmidt said any possible appeal by Washington to the World Trade Organization to challenge Chinese Internet restrictions would not affect Google’s actions. “Google’s discussions are with the Chinese government and are not related to the U.S. government. The U.S. government is doing its thing, unrelated to Google,” Schmidt said.

A Chinese adviser on trade strategy said in an opinion piece that the United States would not have any standing to bring a case against Chinese Internet restrictions to the WTO. WTO rules state that countries have the right to censor Internet content, Zheng Zhihai, deputy director and general secretary of the China Society of World Trade Organization Studies, wrote in China Daily. “If someone intends to challenge China’s right to govern its Internet by resorting to WTO rules, they are apparently misguided and bound to fail,” wrote Zheng, whose organization reports to China’s Ministry of Commerce.

The WTO ruled last year that China’s import monopolies on books, films and other entertainment materials violated market access rules, but upheld its right to censor specific materials. (Reuters10-03-2010)

 Google has freedom to quit or stay: Chinese minister

It is up to Google to decide whether to withdraw from China or continue to stay, Li Yizhong, minister of industry and information technology, said Friday. Li made the remarks in response to questions about Google’s suspenseful “quiting China” claim at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual parliament session.

 Google, the world’s largest Internet search engine, said in January it was considering leaving China because of censoring requirements and alleged hacker attacks. However, there had been no major actions or further comments from Google until its vice president Nicole Wong urged the U.S. Congress Wednesday in a hearing to put pressure on countries scrutinizing Internet contents, saying the company was firm in the decision to “stop censoring our search results for China” and that it was “prepared” to leave the country if that was the option.

 ”If Google decides to stay in China, we welcome and it will help boost the development of the country’s Internet industry,” Li said. “The company is welcome to expand its business and market share in the country.” “If it decides to quit, we will follow our procedures,” he said, adding that Google’s quit, if it does so, will have no major influence on China’s Internet market, which will continue its fast expansion momentum.

 The company, which entered China in 2007, now accounts for more than 30 percent of the country’s search engine market, according to Li. “I hope Google can abide by China’s laws and regulations,” he said. “It is irresponsible and unfriendly if Google insists in doing something that goes against China’s laws and regulations, and it will have to bear the consequence for doing so.”

The minister said China’s Internet environment is open and administered in line with the country’s laws. “Internet administration is not a special case in China as all countries regulate networks according to their own laws.” (Xinhua12-03-2010)

 Millions of Spring Festival messages sent online

The Internet has played a larger role in the celebration of Spring Festival this year, with more young Chinese sending online greetings to family members and tuning into web-based entertainment. Social network website kaixin001.com said more than 100 million messages were sent from the mainland on Feb 13, the eve of Chinese Lunar New Year, and Feb 14, the first day of the Year of the Tiger. “Most Chinese born between the 1970s and 1990s belong to the only-child generation. They have been influenced by the Internet and have had their will to communicate face-to-face weakened,” said Zhai Li, a professor at Northwest Agriculture & Forestry University in Yangling, Shaanxi province.

 Spring Festival is a time for family members to reunite, as well as an opportunity to visit temple fairs. But some young Chinese said they preferred to spend the holiday shopping online and enjoying virtual fireworks, instead of setting off firecrackers in the street. “After so many years, the holiday brings few surprises. I usually feel tired during the week and would rather stay at home,” said 24-year-old Li Ying, who works at a State-owned company in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province.

 According to statistics from taobao.com, the country’s biggest online retail site, transaction volume of Spring Festival special goods exceeded 1 billion yuan （$147 million） in January alone, much higher than the 280 million yuan a year earlier. ” Meanwhile, more young people have chosen to watch online festival galas instead of sitting in front of the television from 8 pm to midnight watching the China Central Television’s （CCTV） Spring Festival Gala, the country’s most watched annual show. The gala, with a kaleidoscopic array of singers, dancers and comedians, is one of the most viewed television programs in the world. But the gala’s staid stand-up routines and traditional singing and dancing performances have been criticized as outdated by audiences in recent years, with many turning to online entertainment galas to welcome the New Year. An interactive Internet Spring Festival gala kicked off last Saturday, jointly organized by sina.com, Beijing TV and China Mobile. Netizens could vote for performers whom they want to see in the performance line-up.

 ”I prefer the online Spring Festival gala as it gave youths the opportunity to choose our favorite performances, while the CCTV gala has too many restrictions,” said Chen Han, a postgraduate from Wuhan University, who watched the online gala with friends. “The tradition would survive only if it could win approval among young people. In the Internet era, youths long to voice their opinions, which can hardly be realized in a television performance,” said Li Hao, deputy secretary general of the Shandong Folklore Society.

 China’s Internet community hit 384 million last year, with one in three online users younger than 19, according to China Internet Network Information Center. ( China Daily 17-02-2010 )

 Inside the burned-out TVCC building

 Today’s Beijing Times presents an unusual view of the iconic CCTV building. Rimmed in cracked glass and smoke-stained beams, the new headquarters was photographed from inside the neighboring TVCC building, which caught fire on February 9, 2009 due to an illegal fireworks display conducted by the television station.

 This and other photos of fire damage are part of a feature story in this week’s Caijing magazine. The Beijing Times offers a taste: Standing on the 30th story platform, you can hear the sound of fire-damaged metal structural parts clanging against each other. The metal framework atop the platform is distorted and collapsed in many places. Walking down the smoke-stained stairwell, this reporter reached the 29th and 28th stories, both equipment floors not seriously damaged by the fire. The restaurant-in-the-air on the 27th story was severely damaged in the fire, which baked the outer glass walls on the east, west, and south as it raged, and incinerated all of the interior decoration. With the ceiling fixtures torched, ductwork is exposed and burnt electrical wires hang from the ceiling. All around are load-bearing walls and support columns marked “remove” (拆). There are no traces of the fire in the kitchen in the middle of the floor or in the storage room; kitchen equipment is in excellent condition. Hotel rooms occupy the 5th to 26th stories. This reporter discovered that most of the rooms on the north face escaped the blaze and are largely completed. Rooms on the other faces have suffered varying degrees of fire damage. Many of the rooms on the 9th and 10th stories have been completely destroyed. There is little obvious evidence of the fire on the first through fourth stories. Along the narrow corridors in the multi-use basement, there is no sign of the fire, and the parking garage is in excellent condition.   (http://www.danwei.org/2-03-2010)

China court throws out “Avatar” plagiarism case

 A Beijing court has thrown out a case filed against “Avatar” director James Cameron by a Chinese man who claimed the idea for the sci-fi blockbuster had come from a novel he published online.

 Zhou Shaomou had demanded a whopping eight percent of the total worldwide revenue earned by “Avatar” – the top-grossing movie of all time, raking in more than two billion dollars since its release – over the alleged plagiarism. But the court dismissed the case, citing insufficient evidence, the state-run Global Times reported Monday.

 Court officials declined immediate comment on the case when contacted by AFP about the report.

Zhou said the plot of “Avatar” – the story of a paraplegic former US Marine who is sent to live with a race of blue aliens on the Earth-like moon Pandora – closely resembled that of a novel he wrote in 1997. The novel, “The Legend of the Blue Crow”, was published on two Chinese websites in segments in 1999, the report said. “’Avatar’ is a film based on my fiction but shot by James Cameron,” the author said. “But he never paid me any copyright fees.”

The official website for the film says Cameron first developed the idea 15 years ago – a few years before Zhou’s novel was completed. Previous reports said Zhou had taken his complaint to several courts which refused to accept it, before seeing the case taken up by the Beijing Number One Intermediate Court. Zhou and his lawyers were reportedly attempting to gain further evidence for a possible second attempt to sue Cameron.

 The film has been wildly popular in China, quickly becoming the highest-grossing film in the country’s history after its January 4 release in both 2D and 3D versions. Authorities sparked a controversy when the 2D version was reportedly pulled from some theatres to make way for homegrown epic “Confucius,” which was panned by critics. ( AFP 11-03-2010 )

(EDITOR: Jackie Fang YIN)

China’s Soft Power

A Conference organised by the China Media Centre at the University of Westminster with the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication of China Renmin University

309 Regent Street, London W1 UK

April 8th and 9th 2010

 The dramatic economic growth in China has meant a renewed international influence.  President Obama’s recent visit, and the effective establishment of the “G2,” marked international recognition of the fact that China is, today, a central actor in the world economy.  Historically, economic power has always been accompanied by increasing international cultural influence – soccer, Hollywood and karaoke are just some of the things bequeathed by other big economies to the rest of the world.  It is certain that China’s economic stature will also be reflected in the diffusion of Chinese culture. 

 This reality is already recognised by many in China and outside.  The Chinese government has a “going abroad” strategy, aiming to make the Chinese language, Chinese culture, and the Chinese media more visible internationally.  At the same time, broadcasters who were once content to buy programmes and copy western models are today planning to enter the international market place as sellers of their own products.  This conference will address the current and future state of China’s “soft power.”

Keynote Speakers

 In addition, more than forty papers will be presented, including studies on:

• Theoretical discussions of the relationships between economic power and cultural power

• Official efforts to promote Chinese language and culture abroad
• China’s international news media
• The international strategies of China’s media companies
• The competitive advantages of Chinese culture in the international market
• Is “authentic” Chinese culture under threat from the drive to sell products internationally?
• International reaction to the spread of Chinese culture
• The historical experience of the international influence of Chinese culture
• Future prospects for Chinese media and culture on the world stage 

 To register for the conference, please contact Helen Cohen H.cohen02@westminster.ac.uk.

2010 Spring Seminar Series

How Ideas and Values Move between China and Western Societies

Speaker: Prof. Greg Philo

University of Glasgow, Research Director of Glasgow Media Group

Date: Wednesday 24^th March, 2010
Time: 2.00-4.00 pm
Venue: Lecture Theater 2  Harrow Campus

This lecture focuses on cross cultural perceptions and the processes by which ideas and values move between societies. It is based on research using focus groups, responses to questionnaires and interviews with 140 Chinese students, cultural workers and teachers. It will show how the experience of living in the UK can both alter prior expectations of the country as well as generating processes of critical reflection about the nature of both China and western societies. The participants focused on the evaluation of educational systems, the understanding of rights, law and social obligations and how these affected the current status of women. Social change does not result simply from exposure to new ideas, but cross-cultural contacts and experience can be factors in the movement away from traditional structures in that they highlight alternative ways of understanding the self in relation to others and new possibilities for social life.

Professor Greg Philo

Lecturer and Senior Lecturer (1987-92);

Reader (1992-2001)

Professor (2001-present).

Research Director, Glasgow University Media Unit (Glasgow Media Group).

Research:

Research interests are in the area of the media and cultural reception. Research in the past has centered on media presentations of industrial disputes and trade unionism, the Falklands War and Northern Ireland. Current research includes ESRC and other externally-funded research projects on political advertising, images of health and illness (including mental illness), migration and ‘race’ as well as risk and food scares.

Books

Philo, G.and Miller, D. (2001) Market Killing, Harlow: Longman

Philo, G. and Berry, M. (2004) Bad News from Israel, London: Pluto Press

Berry, M. and Philo, G. (2006) Israel and Palestine – Competing Histories, London:Pluto Press

2010 Spring Seminar Series

Title: Enhancing creativity in German and Chinese publishing houses –A comparison

Speaker: Mania Strube (University of Hamburg),

Visiting Scholar in University of Westminster

Date: Wednesday 10^th February, 2010

Time: 2.00-4.00 pm

Venue: A4-8,9    University of Westminster, Harrow Campus

Abstract:

The question of how to promote creativity is crucial for media companies all over the world. Not only the production of media products requires a constant need for creativity, also the increasing competitive pressure in the media industry makes continuous innovation necessary to achieve competitive advantages in the market (Picard, 2002). Against this background, it is surprising that there has not been developed a coherent theory of promoting creativity in the media industry. Only Küng (2004, 2008) has theoretically applied theories of creativity enhancement to the media industry at the organizational level. These works, however, do not consider cultural differences that influence the understanding and promotion of creativity (Lubart, 1999).

This presentation reports on a publication that adapts the concept of creativity enhancement to the media industry including a cross-cultural perspective. Factors of the work environment are identified that enhance creativity in different cultures. A survey is planned to test the framework on editorial staff in German and Chinese publishing houses.

Biography:

Mania Strube is a PhD student in media management from the University of Hamburg and a visiting scholar at the China Media Centre. She holds a business administration degree with a special focus on international management.

The presented publication is part of her dissertation “Internationalization strategies in the media industry – Creativity and learning in an intercultural context”. She has spent several research periods at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University and will return this March for the empirical survey of the publication.

25 MA students  from Hong Kong Baptist University, specialising in Financial Journalism, attended the CMC study trip “Financial and Economic Reporting in the UK” from 3 January until 10 January 2010. The delegation was lead by Prof Huang Yu, who took his PhD at the University of Westminster under Professor Colin Sparks and is Head of Department of Journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University. Among highlights were visits to the Financial Times, London Stock Exchange, BBC and City of London. The trip was designed by Dr Zeng Rong and managed by Alja Kranjec.

• News from China Media Centre (0)
• China Media Centre -inside China’s growing media industry (0)
• 2-day Workshop on British journalism at CCTV (0)
• The Westminster Hearings on China’s Economic Development and the UK (0)
• Professor de Burgh Reviews Will Hutton’s Controversial New Book (1)

                                                                           英国威斯敏斯特大学中国传媒中心2010年年会征文通告
                                                                                            主办：英国威斯敏斯特大学 中国传媒中心
                                                                                            联办：中国人民大学新闻学院
                                                                                            伦敦2010年4月8日至9日
 
          英国威斯敏斯特大学中国传媒中心（The China Media Center, University of Westminster）是目前欧洲唯一一所致力于中国媒体研究的学术机构。继2005年6月正式成立以来，将于2010年4月8日至9日在英国伦敦举办第六界年会。本届年会将有威斯敏斯特大学中国传媒中心与中国人民大学新闻学院联合举办，年会主题为“中国软实力”（China’s soft power）。欢迎海内外学者、专家、同学及媒介从业者积极参会。
 
          中国经济实力的迅猛增长已悄然更新了中国的国际影响力。奥巴马的中国之行，G2格局的有效建立都印证着这样一个得到国际普遍认同的事实：今天，中国正在世界经济格局中扮演着核心角色。追溯历史，经济实力的腾飞总是伴随着国际文化影响力的提升——足球，好莱坞以及卡拉OK都是便随着大国经济腾飞而走向世界的 “舶来品”。毫无疑问，中国的经济地位将会同样影响中国文化的全球传播。
 
          中国及世界各国都已认识到了这一趋势。中国政府推出了“走出去”的战略，旨在全球推广中国语言、传播中国文化、发展中国媒体。同时，曾满足于向西方购买节目或模仿西方节目样式的中国的广播电视界，今日也正蓄势进军国际市场，他们的角色已悄然变为卖家。
 
         我们热诚的欢迎诸位共同关注这一动人心魄的进程。本届年会的讨论将围绕以下诸多主题展开，当然，我们的研究和讨论绝不仅限于如下主题：

•   经济实力与文化实力关系的理论探讨
•  向海外推广中国语言及文化的官方努力
• 中国国际新闻媒体
• 中国媒体的国际战略
• 中国文化在国际市场中的竞争力是什么？
•  “原汁原味”的中国文化是否会因投放国际市场的诉求而受到威胁？
• 国际社会对中国文化输出的回应
•  中国文化国际影响力的历史经验
• 展望世界舞台上的中国媒体及文化

         如您有兴趣参加年会，请于2010年1月31日前将不超过250字的英文论文梗概发给密淼女士m.mi@my.westminster.ac.uk.
 
         同时，会议组织者将竭尽全力为参会的优秀论文创造发表的机会。若您想了解关于本次年会和中国传媒中心的其它咨询，请您访问中国传媒中心的主页：http://chinamediacentre.org/

                         A Conference organised by the China Media Centre at the University of Westminster
                                                                                     309 Regent Street, London W1 UK
                                                                                                    April 8th and 9th 2010
 
The dramatic economic growth in China has meant a renewed international influence.  President Obama’s recent visit, and the effective establishment of the “G2,” marked international recognition of the fact that China is, today, a central actor in the world economy.  Historically, economic power has always been accompanied by increasing international cultural influence – soccer, Hollywood and karaoke are just some of the things bequeathed by other big economies to the rest of the world.  It is certain that China’s economic stature will also be reflected in the diffusion of Chinese culture. 
 
This reality is already recognised by many in China and outside.  The Chinese government has a “going out” strategy, aiming to make the Chinese language, Chinese culture, and the Chinese media more visible internationally.  At the same time, broadcasters who were once content to buy programmes and copy western models are today planning to enter the international market place as sellers of their own products. 
 
The organisers invite papers on all aspects of these developments.  Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
·         Theoretical discussions of the relationships between economic power and cultural power
·         Official efforts to promote Chinese language and culture abroad
·         China’s international news media
·         The international strategies of China’s media companies
·         What are the competitive advantages of Chinese culture in the international market?
·         Is “authentic” Chinese culture under threat from the drive to sell products internationally?
·         International reaction to the spread of Chinese culture
·         The historical experience of the international influence of Chinese culture
·         Future prospects for Chinese media and culture on the world stage 
 
If you wish to present a paper at this conference, please send an abstract of not more than 250 words to Mi Miao (m.mi@my.westminster.ac.uk) by 31st January 2010.
 
The organisers will make every effort to find a publication outlet for the best of the papers presented at this conference.