Lecture #1: The Development of Chinese Media Industry and its Impact on Social Change

Thursday July 3^rd we had our first of only three Renmin University lectures. Our lecture started with an introduction from the Vice Chancellor and Chancellor of Renmin University, who has the best journalism school in China. The university has 11,000 grad and undergrad students with 1,600 international students. As an assignment, we had to write a summary and three interesting facts about the lecture; I am posting the summary so you can get an idea of what the lecture was like. Pictured in the Chancellor shaking hands with MU Journalism Study Abroad Coordinator, Fritz Cropp. 

The Three Most Interesting Facts

• MU has had a long history with Renmin University, dating back to 1914
•  Technology is changing daily life in China
• As journalist, we need to report the truth to eliminate misunderstandings 

Professor Gao Gang began his lecture, The Development of Chinese Media Industry and its Impact on the Social Change, with a background of the relationship between the University of Missouri and Renmin University, which dates back to 1914. Prof. Gang then gave the statistics of Chinese media: 1,935 newspapers, 9,386 magazines, 282 radio stations, 314 TV stations, and 1.5 million websites. The lecture then moved into how technologies such as the Internet and cell phones are impacting society and the news media. As of June 2008 there were 221 million Chinese Internet users, with that number increasing by 200,000 people every day- a majority of those people being from rural areas. News medias have effectively infiltrated the Internet and in 2004 began to enter the market of getting news to citizens via cell phones, a technology which has been advanced for easy access for PDA’s. In addition to the technology craze, there are 4,000 magazines that are offered solely in electronic form. 

            With technological advances there have been trends leading towards media convergence. As a whole, Prof. Gang sees media convergence as something positive; a dynamic process that optimizes traditional media and helps to meet citizens personalized information demands. The five main driving forces of media technology are the desire for information, opportunity for expression, supervision of government officials by ordinary citizens, participation in society and adjustment of information between media outlets to find out for oneself the real truth.

There are a lot of changes being made by the Chinese government when it comes to suppressing the media, especially reporters. From experience the government has learned that when reporters are not allowed to see and report on a major event personally, they are more likely to report information incorrectly which perpetuates a misunderstandings of other cultures. These misunderstandings cause stereotypes and give China, especially the government, a negative image internationally. Prof. Gang’s final message here was that we as reporters must be as honest and truthful as possible and visit other places to find commonalities between cultures to eliminate misunderstandings. The lecture ended with Walter William’s mission statement to, “promote international good will and cementing world comradeships is a journalism of humanity, of and for today’s world.”

FYI- Future Improvements

Hey all- I just wanted to apologize for the lack of photos so far- I forgot to bring my USB cord that connects my digital camera to my laptop but hopefully I can borrow one from another MU student. Sorry it looks so boring right now but don't worry- I'm working on getting some eye candy for you. 

It's been a long day- right now it is 8:15am for you guys and 9:15pm for us- we are 13 hours ahead. I know that it sounds like it's early but I am still coping with a little jet lag so I think I'm going to hit the bed- as hard as it may be. I hope everyone back home is having and fun and save summer, especially as you are all preparing for the 4th of July. 

Just a note- As of July 1st I am no longer a minor; China has no drinking age and since I turn 21 while I am here, I will be legal to drink when I get back home. Sounds like we will be celebrating my birthday the traditional American way weeks into my 21st year but hey- better late than never. And crazy enough but The Junction should be up and running by the time I get back and catch up with classes so I might actually get to drink there- as opposed to cleaning up on Saturday and Sunday morning. 

Dirty Talk

I know what you’re all wondering… what are the bathrooms like? It is pretty and has a toilet! The shower is really interesting though because it doesn’t close. There is a hand held water head as well as a showerhead that sprays straight down. Each room has its own water heater and you don’t get to choose the temperature of your water- just however it comes out of the heater is how you get it. My roommate Aja and I are lucky- it feels just right and both water heads work. It is interesting though because the shower floor is just like the bathroom floor and it is half enclosed by a glass wall- the other half is just open, there is no door. There is a drain directly under the showerhead, but it can’t keep up with all of the water coming out so it flows behind the glass wall where there is an intentional crack between it and the wall. The water flows out, around the toilet and to another drain. This means that for at least an hour there is standing water covering the bathroom floor. There are shoe sandals provided which are a saving grace because that floor gets slick when it’s wet.

Also, my favorite is the toilet paper because it is just like decoration streamers- I kind of want to decorate something with it now! It is even rolled like a streamer, so even though there is a toilet paper dispenser, the roll just has to sit on top because there is no way that a toilet paper holder can fit in the middle of the roll. 

I already miss that fresh country air

For the first time today, I saw blue sky and clouds- but just for a little while in the afternoon. I have always heard about the pollution in Beijing but could never truly grasp what it meant. The pollution looks like a thin fog everywhere and all the time. The first day was the hardest- having rarely been around smog and never to this extent adjusting was not an easy task. I can only imagine the health risks it has on the people of Beijing. I know that there has been a lot of talk about outdoor athletes being wary of the breathing conditions and while I feel the Olympics will still go on, I wonder if any world records will be broken, and if so to the same extent if the event was held in a less polluted area. 

High quality H2O

Right now my biggest concern is staying hydrated. I normally drink a gallon of water a day but between the plane ride (which I learned dehydrates people), the humidity coupled with walking, and not having access to as much water as I would like make me that much more concerned. We have been instructed not to drink the tap water and have been provided with Culligan-like jugs in each room for drinking- which has been a lifesaver I’m sure. Today I bought a reusable water bottle so that I can carry water around with me, unlike before when I crossed my fingers and hoped they would provide us with water at some point in time. 

Chinese food- The real deal

All those trips to HuHot paid off- it may have taken me longer to eat but learning how to use chopsticks before I came to China makes life so much easier. The only other eating utensil I have seen is a large spoon used for soups. The food has been very interesting and I have no doubt that if I was determined, I could go the next two months without eating the same meal twice. I have remembered to take pictures of each meal to this point and hope I continue to do so. In my opinion, the food tastes good but different. My first meal was pork and rice, my second was fish, rice and garlic stalks- which was surprisingly delicious, even though it wasn’t the green beans I was expecting. On average our meals have cost around $1.50 US. A serving of rice costs $0.04- so when I am given a serving and feel full after just half of my plate, it doesn’t bother me as much when I put it in the perspective that I only wasted $0.02 of food.

We have noted the irony of how much the Chinese are able to eat, but yet they are thin. We have yet to see an obese person and they are able to finish a plate of food that is twice as large as ours and we can only eat half of what we are served. I have a feeling I will be losing weight

The cafeteria was an interesting experience. There were 14 windows, each with four different items. It seemed hectic and chaotic at first, but after being in a few lines the system becomes clear. While waiting in line with another MU student I learned that Cola is the second most commonly known word throughout the world, with the first being okay. 

I have arrived!

After a 13 hour uneventful plane ride (thankfully) our group arrived in Beijing. Pictures do not do the airport justice! The new Beijing airport is so shiny and modern. Everything flows so smoothly, from exiting the plane terminal, to the subway, to pickup where our luggage arrived quicker than we did. I was surprised how quiet the airport was, even with hundreds of people waiting to get through customs, there was a very calm, relaxed atmosphere. So far, that has been my most exciting moment- probably because I have been too zoned out from jet lag the rest of the time to be too surprised. Anyone interested in architecture would probably like the airport through; I was in awe of its structure, something which I rarely notice.