Selected Works of Huang Shengmin -- History and Time

Author: Huang Shengmin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: This series of "Selected Works of Famous Scholars in Journalism and Communication Studies" is prefaced by the esteemed academician Fang Hanqi, so no further words from the editor are needed. 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 Journalism Society and the China Journalism Education Society were established one after another. In this positive atmosphere, the long-interrupted research on 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 construction in journalism and communication studies have entered a true golden age. With the deepening of research and the continuous extension of secondary and tertiary disciplines, a group of influential academic leaders emerged. Among them are Wang Zhong, Gan Qifen, Li Longmu, Fang Hanqi, Zhang Longdong, Ning Shufan, Ding Ganlin, and Zhao Yuming—veteran scholars in the field. They are the pioneers and trailblazers of journalism and communication studies 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 construction through a combination of historical and theoretical research. Under their guidance and mentorship, a new generation 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 while making new breakthroughs and developments. The eight authors in this selected volume are among the first representatives. There are several reasons for editing and publishing this series of selected works. First, it examines the research achievements of the new generation of academic leaders in journalism and communication studies, showcasing the new level of discipline construction that is continuously deepening and expanding. Second, it systematically introduces the research fields and representative works of new leading figures 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 of journalism and communication studies to understand the academic views and research methods of their mentors. Due to various reasons, journals publishing academic papers on journalism and communication studies are few and scattered, making it quite difficult to access them. Publishing a collection can provide some convenience. For the invited scholars selected for this series, the following considerations are taken into account. First, they are leading figures in a specific professional field or research direction of 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 with our lack of experience in editing such a series, we plan to start with the first volume, inviting eight renowned scholars. Since this is a "self-selected" series, it naturally reflects the individual styles of the authors. However, as part of a series, there should be some commonalities or similarities. After discussions among the eight authors, the following requirements are agreed upon for the individual selected volumes: First, respect the original historical context, making minimal changes to the selected articles, such as correcting typos, while preserving the essence of the content. 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.
At the end, as the editor, I would like to represent the eight selected 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 hard work have demonstrated the value of our efforts. We express our gratitude to the leaders and editors of Fudan University Press, as it is due to the opportunities they provided that we scholars were able to publish this selected series, allowing us to reflect on our journey. We quietly await the readers' criticism of this series. We will strive to make future volumes even better based on their feedback.
Journalism and communication studies are emerging disciplines among the many fields of humanities and social sciences. In China, the study of journalism has a history of nearly a century, while the attention and research on communication have also spanned nearly three decades. Through the efforts of scholars in the field, Chinese journalism and communication studies have transformed from being dismissed by some industry professionals as "a discipline without a discipline" to becoming a "discipline of prominence." In the national discipline catalog, it has evolved from a secondary discipline under Chinese language and literature to an independent first-tier discipline. The past two decades since the reform and opening up have been a period of rapid development for Chinese journalism and communication studies. Theories of journalism, the history of journalism, press law, journalistic ethics, radio and television, and public opinion supervision have been comprehensively explored. Research on journalistic theory has expanded from pure party newspaper theory to general journalistic theory. The study of communication has permeated sociology, psychology, anthropology, law, and economics externally, while integrating with journalism internally, achieving significant progress. Research on basic theories of communication, critical theories of communication, as well as communication and public opinion studies, semiotics, and other fields have garnered attention. The study of new media and media economics has also become a hot topic. 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. From the early 20th century to the present, the academic community of Chinese journalism and communication studies has passed down the torch, with each generation leading the field 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" of Chinese journalism and communication studies who emerged after the reform and opening up. Most of them come from universities or other teaching and research positions, are leading figures in contemporary journalism and communication studies in a particular field, and are distinguished scholars with extensive knowledge and a strong reputation. Compared to their predecessors, the "renowned scholars" of this generation have the following characteristics: (1) A solid foundation in humanities theory; (2) A reasonable and comprehensive knowledge structure; (3) Essential knowledge of cutting-edge disciplines; (4) Active minds, avoiding rigid adherence to tradition or self-imposed limitations; (5) Exposure to the reforms and opening up, as well as the integration of Eastern and Western cultures, with a broad academic perspective. They are a generation of innovators and, in many ways, surpass their predecessors.
It is a good publishing idea to have the "renowned scholars" of journalism and communication studies compile "self-selected" volumes. First, all the works come from "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 pieces are necessarily that the authors are satisfied with and believe can endure. This avoids the waste of resources or misleading of readers and students, while also significantly reducing the financial burden on them. This will be highly beneficial for society, academia, and cultural development. I congratulate the publication of this series of "Selected Works of Famous 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.