Different Media Systems in China and the United States

985 Words2 Pages

As of the year 2010, Google battle with the Chinese government over Internet censorship has drawn increased international attention to media system in the country. The conflict between Google and Chinese government is mainly because of the different media systems that serve in the United States and China. Basically, the media system consists of different types of communications media, such as television, Newspapers, Internet, books and other new media (Ipad, smartphones). Chinese media system differs from that of the United States is up to the very different regimes and social conditions that can be analyzed in four aspects: Ownership and national culture of media, laws and regulations, attitude towards foreign media. The ownership and national culture of media system is the basic cause of the different media systems of the United States and China. Media system of the United States is considered as a free-market system. Large corporations control most the print media and the entire American broadcast media and, and wealthy individuals own these corporations. In 2012, The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the US, with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., Time Warner, Viacom CBS Corporation and NBC Universal ranking second, third and so forth respectively (Lutz, 2012). Together, the "big six" dominate 90% news, radio, magazines, movies and other entertainments in the United States. The Walt Disney Company owns 10 television stations, 277 radio stations, Pixar Animation, and other entertainments. This large and diverse proportion of media holdings make sure that the power of speech is on peoples` side. Thus, the American government has less power to interfere the free speech of media industry. On the contrary, Chinese... ... middle of paper ... ...wever, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao prompted a calling for press freedom in 2010. After that, there was a “Decision on Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reforms” made public as a document on November 15th 2013 by the government. It is likely to prompt fairly free market media system. This is a big step towards to free speech in China. The state-controlled media and the private wealthy individuals owned media decide the content that the public can get. The strict laws and regulations in China not only affect the domestic media but also influence the attitude towards foreign media. Even though China has a very different way to manage the media system, it already starts to approach media freedom, like the CNC reform and reforms document in 2013. In the future, the Chinese government would find its own way to free media industry with its social conditions.

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