Tong Bing Selected Works: News Science: Observation and Reflection

Author: Tong Bing
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-05-01
Features: This series of "Selected Works by Renowned Scholars in Journalism and Communication Studies" is prefaced by the esteemed academician Fang Hanqi, and no further introduction is needed from the editor. Here, I will briefly discuss the original intention, selection criteria, and editorial principles. In the early 1980s, shortly after the Cultural Revolution, representatives who once advocated "journalism without a discipline" retracted their ignorance. The Beijing Journalists' Association and the China Journalism Education Association were established one after another. In this favorable atmosphere, the long-interrupted research in journalism and communication studies resumed. At the turn of the new century, journalism and communication studies were elevated to the status of a first-tier discipline. Since the new century, hundreds of books and thousands of academic papers on journalism and communication studies have been published every year. Scientific research and discipline development in journalism and communication studies have entered a true golden age.
With the deepening of research in journalism and communication studies and the continuous extension of secondary and tertiary disciplines, a group of influential academic leaders emerged. Among them are Wang Zhong, Gan Xifen, Li Longmu, Fang Hanqi, Zhang Longdong, Ning Shufan, Ding Ganlin, and Zhao Yuming—veteran scholars in academia. They are the pioneers and trailblazers of journalism research and education in New China. Some proposed new theoretical systems, some authored numerous works, some introduced new theories of journalism and communication to the Chinese public earlier, and some promoted discipline development through a combination of historical analysis and research methods. Under their mentorship, a new generation of scholars has emerged.
The new generation of leaders emerged in the tide of reform and opening up. Building upon the theories, knowledge, and methods of their predecessors, they have made new breakthroughs and developments. The eight authors in this selected works series are among the first representatives. There are several reasons for editing and publishing this series of selected works by renowned scholars in journalism and communication studies. First, it reviews the research achievements of academic leaders in the new generation of journalism and communication studies, showcasing the new level of discipline development that is continuously deepening and expanding. Second, it systematically introduces the research fields and representative works of new leaders in journalism and communication studies, promoting communication and complementarity between the discipline and other humanities and social sciences. Third, it provides a platform for young students in journalism and communication studies to understand the academic views and research methods of their mentors. Due to various reasons, journals publishing academic papers in journalism and communication studies are both scarce and scattered, making it quite difficult to access these papers. Publishing a collection can provide some convenience.
For the renowned scholars invited to participate in this selected works series, there are several considerations. First, they are leaders in a specific professional field or research direction in journalism and communication studies. Second, they have a certain national influence. Third, they are active doctoral supervisors. Fourth, they have a relatively broad readership. Given that there are dozens of scholars nationwide who meet these criteria, and lacking experience in editing such series, we plan to start with this first installment, inviting eight renowned scholars.
Since this is a selected works series, it naturally reflects the individual styles of the authors. However, as part of a series, it also needs to have some commonalities. After discussions among the eight authors, the following requirements have been agreed upon for the series: First, respect the original form of the articles, making only minor technical corrections such as correcting typos. Second, each volume will include a photograph of the author, an academic profile, and an interview-style text where the author discusses their academic experiences, insights, and reflections. Third, each volume will be approximately 300,000 to 350,000 words in length.
As the editor, I would like to represent the eight invited authors in expressing our respect to our mentors. Without their cultivation, we would not have achieved what we have today. We extend our greetings to our students, whose diligence and achievements demonstrate the value of our work. We express our gratitude to the leaders and editors of Fudan University Press, as it is their provision of opportunities and platforms that allowed us, these scholars, to publish this selected works series and reflect on our journey. We quietly await the readers' criticism of this series. We will strive to make future installments of the series even better based on readers' feedback.
Journalism and communication studies are emerging disciplines within the broader field of humanities and social sciences. In China, the study of journalism has a history of nearly a century, and the attention and research on communication have also spanned nearly three decades. Through the efforts of scholars in journalism and communication studies, the discipline has transformed from being dismissed by some in the industry as "a discipline without a discipline" to becoming a "prestigious discipline." In the national discipline catalog, it has evolved from being a secondary discipline under Chinese language and literature to becoming an independent first-tier discipline. The past two decades since reform and opening up have been a period of rapid development for journalism and communication studies in China. Research on journalistic theory, journalistic history, journalistic law, journalistic ethics, radio and television, and public opinion supervision has been comprehensively expanded. The study of journalistic theory has also shifted from pure party newspaper theory to general journalistic theory. The study of communication has been deeply integrated with sociology, psychology, anthropology, law, and economics externally, and merged with journalism internally, achieving significant progress. Research on fundamental theories of communication, critical theory of communication, communication and public opinion, semiotics, new media, and media economics have all garnered attention.
Journalism and communication studies have entered a stage of integration with other humanities and social sciences, with multidimensional academic development. The current prosperity and development of Chinese journalism and communication studies are the result of the hard work of several generations of scholars. Since the early 20th century, the field of Chinese journalism and communication studies has passed down the torch, with each generation leading the way for several years. Among them, the outstanding figures are all renowned scholars who have contributed to the prosperity and development of Chinese journalism and communication studies. The authors included in this series are the new generation of "renowned scholars" in Chinese journalism and communication studies who have emerged after reform and opening up. Most of them come from universities or other teaching and research positions, are leaders in specific aspects of contemporary journalism and communication studies, and are outstanding scholars with deep expertise and a strong academic reputation. Compared to their predecessors, the "renowned scholars" of this generation have the following characteristics:
(1) A solid foundation in humanistic theory;
(2) A reasonable and comprehensive knowledge structure;
(3) Up-to-date knowledge of disciplinary frontiers;
(4) Active minds, avoiding rigid adherence to tradition or self-imposed limitations;
(5) Exposure to reform and opening up and the integration of Chinese and Western cultures, with a broad academic perspective.
They are a generation of innovators and pioneers, surpassing their predecessors.
It is a good publishing idea to have "renowned scholars" in journalism and communication studies publish "selected works." First, all the works are by "renowned scholars," ensuring a certain level of quality and avoiding the confusion or misjudgment that can arise from selecting among the numerous new publications. Second, all the works are "self-selected," meaning the selected works must be that the authors are satisfied with and believe can endure. This avoids the waste of resources or misleading of readers and students, and also significantly reduces the financial burden on readers and students. This will be highly beneficial for society, academia, and cultural development.
I congratulate the publication of this series of "Selected Works by Renowned Scholars in Journalism and Communication Studies" and believe it will certainly attract the attention and welcome of journalism and communication scholars and students both at home and abroad.