Contemporary History of Journalism and Communication Legal System in China

Author: Chen Jianyun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: "The spirit is novel and without fixed rules" can be roughly summarized as the main purpose and intention of the planners, authors, and publishers of the "Fudan 'Guanghua' Young Scholars Series in Journalism and Communication Studies." As an independent branch of humanities, journalism and communication studies have been in existence for less than a century. However, in recent years, especially since China's reform and opening-up, the discipline has been promoted from a secondary to a primary discipline. The various sub-disciplines under it, such as the history and theory of journalism and communication, practical journalism and communication, management of news media, radio and television studies, advertising studies, public relations studies, and comparative journalism and communication, have produced an overwhelming number of books and textbooks globally, almost innumerable. But there is no need to avoid the fact that the development of journalism and communication education and the industry of news media has been too rapid. It has not only driven the deepening of discipline construction but has also inevitably brought about superficiality and shallowness, with low-level and simplistic repetition in the writing of journalism and communication books and papers, more severe than in other disciplines. Adding to the negative impact of improper commercial practices and social corruption in recent years, the study of journalism and communication has been increasingly affected. It is precisely in this atmosphere and environment that a group of young scholars from Fudan's School of Journalism, united by a common purpose, have jointly launched this series, which holds great significance and is truly commendable. Some of them remain to teach at the School of Journalism, others have already taken up teaching positions at other universities, and some work at journalism academic journals. Most of them, "with elders above and children below," bear the heavy burdens of both teaching and social work. Yet they remain steadfast in their pursuit of knowledge, undeterred by hardships. Even more admirable is that they refuse to settle for the ordinary and tackle difficult challenges. The topics selected for the series are all quite challenging. Some of these topics are new areas in the discipline of journalism and communication studies that urgently need deepening, some are new explorations in interdisciplinary research, some attempt to use new methods like ethnography to interpret new research subjects, and others are major issues that call for breakthroughs in the current reform of news media systems. It is believed that after the publication of this series, it will certainly spark a lively response in academia. In recent years, many series, collections, and series of books have emerged in the field of journalism and communication studies, most of them written by middle-aged or elderly scholars or led by so-called "authority scholars." This series, however, is different—it is entirely written by Ph.D.s (with a few currently pursuing their Ph.D. degrees). But these young scholars are mostly leaders of their respective departments, such as deans, department heads, or leaders of teaching and research divisions, with mature academic perspectives and strong research capabilities. Especially in their sensitivity to new phenomena in journalism and communication, their acceptance of new knowledge from abroad, and their mastery of new research methods, they each have unique insights. They are not accustomed to following the old path, do not like repeating others' ideas and conclusions, and cannot be confined to old viewpoints, old thinking, or old frameworks. The phrase "The spirit is novel and without fixed rules" truly and extremely accurately depicts the spirit, theoretical courage, and academic style of these young scholars. The series is named "Fudan 'Guanghua'," with "Guanghua" being the spiritual origin of Fudan's name. In the "Book of Documents·Yuxia," it is said, "The sun and moon shine with brilliance, and Fudan rises again in the morning." "Guanghua" refers not only to brilliance but also to inheriting tradition and promoting it to greater heights. This group of young students has named their series "Fudan 'Guanghua'," expressing through concrete actions their love for their alma mater and their aspirations for self-improvement. The publication of this series is a test of the guiding principles, teaching policies, and training methods for postgraduate education in journalism and communication studies in China, as well as an inspection of Fudan's doctoral training program in journalism and communication, its guidance methods, and teaching quality. Ten doctoral students who have only held their degrees for one or two years have suddenly produced ten monographs, which is quite remarkable. Moreover, the topics of these books are targeted at the forefront of academia and are of considerable difficulty. If these books can be well-received by the public after entering the market, they will not only have social benefits but also economic benefits, truly achieving a "new breakthrough." These books and the doctoral students who wrote them set an example for those currently pursuing their Ph.D. degrees in school, as well as for more master's and undergraduate students, showing them how to，，，。 The features of this "Young Scholars Series in Journalism and Communication Studies" are extensive in subject matter—covering media and politics, media and culture, media and society, media management and operations, media law and ethics, and media and audiences; appropriate in methodology—combining speculation with empirical research, integrating multiple approaches, and drawing from the strengths of others; and significant in meaning—both in the urgent topics they explore and in the insightful perspectives and conclusions they offer.