China News Communication Research Latest Report (2006)

Author: Tong Bing, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The mission of New Report on Chinese Journalism and Communication Studies (2006) is to provide a panoramic view of the research landscape of Chinese university journalism and communication disciplines in 2005. The compilation of this report was inspired by several considerations. After the establishment of the National Innovation Base for Philosophy and Social Sciences Research on Journalism, Communication, and Media Society at Fudan University, I was appointed as its first director. I was eager to collect, organize, and analyze the progress and major academic achievements of journalism and communication studies in China's university system, publishing an annual book to review the work of this team, which accounts for 80% of the researchers and achievements in this discipline nationwide, and showcase their research outcomes. Since 2005, the Ministry of Education's Social Science Development Office has annually gathered experts from over a dozen disciplines to compile the Blue Book of Philosophy and Social Sciences Research in Chinese Universities. As a representative expert in the field of journalism and communication, I was fortunate to participate in this initiative. Due to space constraints, each discipline's report in the Blue Book is limited to 10,000–20,000 words, making it difficult to fully showcase the flourishing state and abundant achievements of this discipline.
Starting in 2004, while teaching the doctoral course Frontiers of Journalism and Communication Studies at Fudan University's School of Journalism, I required students enrolled in the course to write review reports on a specific aspect of journalism and communication research each year. Most students took this assignment very seriously, gathering extensive materials and delivering analyses that were both thorough and valuable. In fact, many of these review reports have been published in academic journals. Some research institutions and publishers collaborate annually to publish Blue Books on media and communication industry development, but no comprehensive Blue Book has been organized for the entire field of journalism and communication studies. Thus, the compilation of this New Report, which comprehensively reflects the research trends of the previous year and organizes the perspectives of representative papers, was born.
The process of compiling this New Report is as follows: First, each student selected a topic of interest, extensively searched journal networks and academic publications for materials, and summarized the main arguments of key authors in their papers, writing a draft. After reviewing the drafts, the editor-in-chief provided feedback, which the students then supplemented, revised, and refined. Based on these drafts, the editor-in-chief and deputy editor-in-chief incorporated additional literature and wrote the main report. This report has been submitted to the editor-in-chief of the Blue Book on Philosophy and Social Sciences Research in Chinese Universities, hosted by the Ministry of Education's Social Science Development Office, and will be included as part of that publication. After revisions, it will also serve as the main report for this book. Together with each individual report, it constitutes the core content of this book.
As the editor-in-chief of this book, I believe its value lies in the fact that dozens of doctoral students (some of whom are already professors or associate professors, and one is a postdoctoral researcher) conducted a thorough and meticulous review and analysis over three months, followed by multiple rounds of revisions. It has largely covered the major research papers published by faculty and students in journalism and communication studies at universities in the past year. The main report also reviews and analyzes major publications and papers presented at key academic conferences during the same period. Providing a comprehensive and faithful account of the research status and academic achievements should be a distinctive feature and the primary value of this report. This feature makes it convenient for relevant national authorities, academic institutions, and scholars in the fields of philosophy and social sciences to review the research status and achievements in Chinese university journalism and communication studies, as well as to report and showcase our academic accomplishments. It also serves as a valuable reference for faculty and students in this discipline.
This report has shortcomings and limitations: Due to the fact that dozens of doctoral students were assigned to write individual reports, despite multiple rounds of revisions and editorial oversight, inconsistencies in the depth of analysis, the level of detail in presenting arguments, and writing styles remain. Additionally, some essential sections were omitted during the compilation process, and the authors were rushed to complete them, though minor omissions may still exist. Some reports were submitted early, while a few academic journals did not send their final issues until spring, meaning some influential papers by key authors may not have been included. In summary, as this is the first time we have engaged so many authors in such a large-scale "project" and lack experience, we sincerely request the guidance and tolerance of relevant experts and readers. We are confident that with your advice and encouragement, we will work even harder to produce an even better New Report in 2007.
Currently, this New Report primarily focuses on reflecting the research status and achievements of Chinese universities in journalism and communication studies. In cases where the identity of individual authors is unclear, their work is generally included. Due to limitations, it does not cover universities in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao. In the future, we will also include the research status and achievements of non-university systems and universities in these regions. Moreover, according to my vision, this New Report will not only include content on China but also feature the research progress and representative academic achievements of journalism and communication studies in major countries worldwide. This part of the work will be completed in collaboration with overseas scholars. With the rich overseas resources and numerous international connections of Fudan University's School of Journalism, we should be able to accomplish this task without difficulty. We will actively plan and work toward this goal.
We are determined to double our efforts to make this New Report a brand for our innovation base and the School of Journalism. This is pioneering work and a significant achievement for our base. As the director of the base and the instructor for the 2005 doctoral cohort, I have learned a great deal from the young people while leading them in this project, which has once again deepened my understanding of the profound meaning of "teaching and learning mutually benefit one another." On the occasion of this book's publication, I would like to extend my gratitude to the young scholars for their contributions and to the numerous scholars whose works have been reviewed in this report. I also sincerely thank the faculty of Fudan University's School of Journalism for their support of this initiative.
Finally, I extend my warmest greetings to my two doctoral students, Zhang Xiaofeng and Ma Huiying, who assisted me in completing this year's New Report.