Selected Works of Luo Yicheng

Author: Luo Yicheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-27
Features: This series of "Selected Works by Leading 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 Journalism Society and the China Journalism Education Society 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 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 and communication studies in New China. Some proposed new theoretical systems, some have numerous publications, some introduced new theories of journalism and communication to the Chinese public earlier, and some promoted discipline development through a combination of historical and theoretical research. Under their 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 issue are among the first representatives. There are several reasons for editing and publishing this series of selected works by leading scholars in journalism and communication studies. First, it reviews the research achievements of the new generation of academic leaders in 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 achievements of new leading scholars, promoting communication and complementarity between the discipline of journalism and communication studies 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, there are few and scattered journals publishing academic papers in journalism and communication studies, making it quite difficult to read them. Publishing a collection can provide some convenience. For the invited scholars selected for this series, there are several considerations. First, they are leading figures 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 with our lack of experience in editing such series, we plan to start with this first issue, inviting eight renowned scholars. Since this is a "self-selected" series, it should fully reflect the individual styles of the authors. However, as part of a series, it should also have some similarities or consistencies. After discussions among the eight authors, the following requirements have been agreed upon for the individual selected works in the series: First, respect the original form of the articles, making only minor technical edits such as correcting typos. Second, each book 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 book 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 greetings to our students, whose diligence and efforts have demonstrated the value of our work. We express our gratitude to the leaders and editors of Fudan University Press, as it is due to the venues and opportunities they provided that we, these scholars, were able to publish this self-selected series and reflect on our journey. We quietly await the criticism of readers for this series. We will improve future issues 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, and the attention and extensive research on communication have also spanned nearly three decades. Thanks to the efforts of scholars in journalism and communication studies, the discipline has transformed from being dismissed by some industry insiders as "a discipline without a discipline" to becoming a "prominent 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 the reform and opening up have been a period of rapid development for journalism and communication studies in China. Theories of journalism, the history of journalism, press law, journalistic ethics, radio and television, and public opinion supervision have been comprehensively expanded. Research on journalistic theory has also 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 in China 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" in 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 outstanding 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 the forefront of the discipline; (4) Active thinking, avoiding rigid adherence to tradition or self-imposed limitations; (5) Exposure to the reform and opening up and the integration of Chinese and Western cultures, with a broad academic perspective. They are a generation of innovators and, like the (younger generation surpassing the older), they have surpassed their predecessors.
It is a good publishing idea to have the "renowned scholars" in journalism and communication studies publish "self-selected" works. 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 a large number of newly published works. Second, all the works are "self-selected," meaning that only the authors' own satisfactory and timeless works are included. This avoids the waste of resources or misleading of readers and students, significantly reducing their financial burden. This will be highly beneficial for society, academia, and cultural development. I congratulate the publication of this series of "Selected Works by Leading 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.
Fang Hanqi
February 19, 2004
Beijing, Yiyuan