22 Information Network Final Version
Traditional
China People’s Daily: This is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. This newspaper is one of the main ways that Chinese government is able to communicate with the masses. Things that are published in the China People’s Daily are regarded by both foreigners and natives as official government statements. It is important to note that this newspaper is not published for entertainment purposes, but rather to keep the world updated on what people and issues the Chinese government deems important.
Access the China People’s Daily in English: http://en.people.cn
I chose this source because it is heavily influenced by the government. With China being one of the most authoritarian governments in the world, it is incredibly important to know what the government is thinking and finding important. This newspaper is the best source to see what the Chinese government is prioritizing, so it is very important to look at it when wanting to see what’s going on within the country. However, it is very important to note that everything published in this newspaper is going to be very pro-China and may not accurately cover the entirety of certain topics.
China Daily: This is the official English-language newspaper in China and the world. It is owned by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party. This newspaper is primarily meant to target diplomats, tourists, and locals that want to improve their English. One main difference between this newspaper and the People’s Daily (besides primary language) is that this paper tends to publish some more entertainment related articles in addition to the governmental news. The China Daily tries hard to appeal to a larger audience and is actually known to be more unbiased than other Chinese news outlets. The China Daily even has a small content section called China Watch that has been published in the New York Times and other American newspapers.
Access the China Daily here: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn
I chose this source because it is by far the most prominent newspaper covering China that has English as its primary language. This paper is very interesting because it also talks about more than just government related information and people. It also tends to be the most unbiased of all Chinese news outlets, so it can offer a slightly different perspective than the China People’s Daily. However, it is still important to remember that this newspaper is owned by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party, so it would still be very wise to think carefully about anything they say.
South China Morning Post: This English language newspaper is one of the best newspapers that offer extensive coverage of China along with a very neutral perspective. The newspaper is based in Hong Kong and has been around since 1903. It is currently owned by Alibaba Group. It has been Hong Kong’s main newspaper since British colonial rule, and the circulation has been very stable for many years now (with 100,000 daily newspapers in circulation daily). With the newspaper being in Hong Kong, it has an unparalleled access to cover China from a non-governmental perspective. One thing that is important to note about this source is that even though it is owned by Alibaba (a huge Chinese company), they have allowed the newspaper to continue to be independent and neutral.
Access South China Morning Post here: https://www.scmp.com
I chose this source because it offers really detailed and daily coverage on China, all while maintaining the most neutral perspective of all the newspapers that exclusively cover China. Because of the fact that is it privately owned and is based in Hong Kong; it offers a really great perspective on many different aspects of Chinese life (from government news to sports). I actually use this newspaper as my preferred source of information for news regarding China, I have been reading it since high school now. As long as it remains privately held and Hong Kong is still neutral, I highly recommend this source to anyone looking for news on China.
The World of Chinese: This bi-monthly English language magazine and website is a great source that is dedicated to the cultural, social, and language issues in China. It was founded in 2006 in Beijing, and it is government affiliated. In 2011 this magazine was restructured into how it appears today. It changed from focusing more on business and economics into a more contemporary magazine that is focused on cultural and language related news in China. It is also important to note that this magazine is owned by the Commercial Press which is the first modern publishing organization the Chinese government has created.
Access The World of Chinese here: https://www.theworldofchinese.com
I chose this source because it offers a different perspective and different subject matter when compared to other “traditional” news sources. My other 3 sources are heavily focused on the day-to-day news and information regarding government and business, this source is really focused on the cultural and language news that you can only see in China. This magazine is meant to target expatriates and students who are learning Chinese. So, it is a great source for people outside the country who aren’t very familiar with the language and culture to learn more about it. However, readers must once again be very careful when using this as a source to get their news from. It is government owned, and as always, will probably have a viewpoint that is going to back the government.
New Media
Radio Free Asia: This is a U.S. government funded private non-profit news service that aims to broadcast radio programs and publish online news to audiences all over Asia. The stated mission of the Radio Free Asia is “providing accurate and uncensored reporting to countries in Asia that have poor media environments and limited protections for press freedom and freedom of speech.” This website covers news not only in China, but all-over East Asia as well. They cover a variety of topics from politics to economics to general world news. As their mission statement says, a lot of countries in Asia have censored media and they are aiming to help bring a different perspective to the people living in them.
Access Radio Free Asia here: https://www.rfa.org/english
I chose this source because it offers regional coverage at an unbiased viewpoint. I think this is an important source because it is much more unbiased than most of the China based sources, and it covers the entire region of East Asia so that one can get more perspective on everything happening there. I would caution anyone using this source though that it may even be too against what some of the Asian governments are saying. With this website being owned by the U.S. government we must take into account political agendas as well.
BBC News China: BBC News is a business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Founded in 1922 it is the world’s largest broadcast news organization. BBC News is also one of the most balanced news sources in the world in terms of the perspective that they bring when reporting. BBC News China is a website specifically dedicated to covering the country and providing an outside perspective on the happenings in China. It is updated frequently, and you can find a couple new articles on China being published every day.
Access BBC News China here: https://www.bbc.com/news/world/asia/china
I chose this source because it offers a great neutral perspective on news in China. It is a purely online source that is really easy to access and find news about China. They mainly focus on publishing the top news happening in China and don’t normally get too political. I particularly like this source as BBC is known for their shifting their tone to match different situations and they don’t overly commit to one viewpoint. This is a source I also use in my personal life.
China Digital Times: This bilingual news website is specifically designed for those that want to access news that is blocked or deleted by the Chinese state’s censors. Founded by Xiao Qiang while he was a graduate student at University of Cal-Berkeley, this website has been around since 2003. Researchers that work for the China Digital Times have identified ways to key in on filtered terms and access the articles that the Chinese firewall is blocking. This website has been blocked in China since 2006 and that is the reason why the English language site was launched in 2011. The work that has been published on the China Digital Times website has also been published in the Los Angeles Times, South China Morning Post, and other prominent websites.
Access China Digital Times here: https://chinadigitaltimes.net
I chose this source because it is one of the most interesting ones I came across. I like how its main focus is finding the articles and media that is censored by the Chinese government, then bringing those to a mass audience. This is really important because it allows you to see what the Chinese government is prioritizing in terms of censorship and what topics they deem to be politically sensitive. I would caution anyone in reading this source that the viewpoint is probably going to be very skewed towards being anti-Chinese government. So, it is probably not the most neutral source.
Social Media
Global Times Twitter Page: The Global Times Twitter Page is one of the most popular pages on Twitter for news regarding China. It has 1.8 million followers and tweets daily news updates about what is happening on a national level in China. This twitter page is a state-affiliated page. It is interesting to note that Twitter is banned in China, so the messages on this page are tailored towards foreign audiences.
Access the Global Times Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/globaltimesnews
I chose this page because it is by far the most followed page on Twitter for official news regarding China. I also thought it was really interesting to see that China has a state-affiliated Twitter page when it is blocked in their country. This allows us to know that the messages they are sending on here are tailored specifically to foreign audiences. Knowing these facts we must be very careful when analyzing the news from this source.
WeChat: First released in 2011 WeChat is now the world’s largest standalone mobile app with over 1 billion monthly active users. This app was developed by Chinese multimedia giant Tencent. This app is basically the closest thing that Chinese people have to Facebook. On this app people share news, photographs, and much more. It also offers text messaging, video chat, and any other type of communication one can think of. This is a really important source because it allows Chinese people to share the most recent news with each other quickly. Long before any newspapers or websites are publishing articles on certain happenings, you can probably find out what is going on much sooner by going on WeChat.
Access WeChat here: https://www.wechat.com
I chose this source because it is by far the most popular social media service in China. For Chinese people, WeChat is an all in one of social media, news, and entertainment. If you want to be caught up on the latest news in China, there are tons of different communities to join on WeChat. However, with the app being from mainland China, censorship is a real problem. The Chinese government can take down anything it wants to if it’s coming from a Chinese phone number. Therefore, it is important to remember the perspective of what is being said on the app, as it’s not all free speech.
People’s Daily Twitter Account: The China People’s Daily Twitter page is run by the Chinese government with the target audience of foreign people who want to know some of the main headlines from the paper. Considering the People’s Daily is the preeminent English language newspaper covering China, this Twitter page is also a must for those who want a quick update on the most important news covering China. This is a state-run Twitter page so we must once again be aware that the news is going to be skewed.
Access the People’s Daily Twitter Account here: https://twitter.com/PDChina
I chose this source because it may be one of the most followed pages I have seen covering Chinese news with 6.7 million followers. Because it has such a large following, they do a really good job of constantly posting updates and keeping you in tune with the latest happenings. They also don’t overwhelm you and give you just enough to get the main points of the story. The only problem I find with this page is that its government run.
Data Sources
Statista: Statista is a comprehensive data base that offers stats and insights on over 80,000 topics from more than 22,500 sources in over 150 countries. The site is accessed over 31 million times a month, making it one of the most popular sites for data. Everything on Statista goes through a multi-step process to get peer reviewed to ensure accuracy. Because of its quality and thoroughness Statista is a great place to get unbiased stat and figures about a country like China where it may otherwise be difficult to access such things.
Access Statista here: https://www.statista.com
I chose this source because Statista is my preferred source to find data about lots of different topics. I like how it offers peer reviewed and minimally biased numbers about the topics you are researching. I have already used data from Statista to complete my Data Visualization assignment. With China being such a huge country, Statista has countless numbers of graphs covering any topic you may need to research about the country.
World Development Indicators Database: This is the World Bank’s best compilation of stats on all different types of global development categories. You can find information from poverty and health to trade and GDP. Sources like this are very important to use when researching China because you can’t trust the numbers that the Chinese government gives you. This database has one of the most comprehensive and neutral date sets in the world.
Access the World Development Indicators Database here: https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators
I chose this source because it is my go-to source when I am looking at financial and political factors influencing China. Especially since the start of the COVID pandemic, it is best to not trust any of the numbers that the Chinese government gives out. So, I use sources like this one to get more accurate and neutral information.
International Monetary Fund Database: This is one of the top databases for information regarding any money related factors. The IMF was founded in 1945 and is a part of the United Nations. The database has been published monthly since 1957. It includes information on all countries information from money to exchange rates. This is another important source that is neutral and not influenced by the Chinese government.
Access the IMF Database here: https://data.imf.org/?sk=388dfa60-1d26-4ade-b505-a05a558d9a42
I chose this source because it is really important to research how a country is doing economically. This allows you to gain more perspective on what is happening and being reported on in the news. This source is really good for this as it is not influenced by the government which allows the information to have a much higher likelihood of being accurate.
Visual/Audio Sources
China Global Television Network: Founded in 2016, this is the international division of primary state media outlet China Central Television (CCTV). This television network actually covers news all over the globe and not just news from China. It is the primary Chinese news network outside of China. The CGTN is also under the control of the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party. One interesting thing to note about the CGTN is that people have said the main purpose of its existence is to persuade foreign governments to make decisions that benefit China.
Access China Global Television Network here: https://america.cgtn.com
I chose this source because it is the most prominent TV news source for news about China. In addition to this, it was very interesting to continue to see how much the Communist party actually controls. It would once again be wise to consider the motives and perspectives used on this platform.
China National Radio: Founded in 1949 this is the national radio network of China, and it headquartered in Beijing. The China National Radio forms the radio service for state-owned China Media Group. This radio offers multiple different stations that cover everything from news to music. This source is great to gain a perspective of news from the state.
Access China National Radio here: http://www.cnr.cn/introduce/cnrweb/web/zytjj.html
I thought this was an important source because it is the main way that most Chinese people receive their news. The radio is still a huge tool for news in China, and this network is what most Chinese citizens use to get their news. I would caution foreigners when listening to remember that anything broadcasted on here is going to be very pro-state.
China Radio International: This is the state-owned international radio broadcast for China. It has been around since 1941 and is headquartered in Beijing. The main purpose of this radio “to promote favorable relations between China and the world.” It has English and Chinese language radio stations. This one is probably a better choice to listen to if you are a foreigner because it probably has less of a pro-government tone.
Access China Radio International here: https://chinaplus.cri.cn
I chose this source because it is by far the most prominent radio station for foreigners to listen to news about China. It is also made for foreigners, so it doesn’t quite have the same government agenda as China National Radio. However, it would still be wise to use caution when listening to this source.
Other
Pressreader: This was an incredibly helpful resource to me so far in my search for news and information network pieces on China. Founded in 1999 by Alexander Kroogman it is a digital newspaper distribution company. During my research if I just searched the word China it would generate thousands of articles from hundreds of different newspapers on China. This is a good way to find multiple perspectives on a certain country or topic.
Access Pressreader here: https://www-pressreader-com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/catalog
I chose this source because it actually helped me a lot so far in actual research. I found one of my global news articles on Pressreader and was able to find other newspapers covering China that offer a different perspective from ones I currently used. I will be looking on here to further expand my information network later on in the semester.
GlobalVoices: This was a very helpful resource I used frequently when looking for news articles about China. Founded in 2004 by Ethan Zuckerman and Rebecca Mackinnon it is a non-profit community of writers, bloggers and digital activists. This source is really good because it tends to provide really accurate and unbiased information from sources who are really passionate about the research they are doing. It is especially helpful to look on sources like this one when we look for information about a country like China.
Access GlobalVoices here: https://globalvoices.org
I chose this source because I used it quite a bit over the course of the semester to find information about China. I especially used it when I needed something that provided a neutral tone or more factual information.
International Newsstream: This is a contemporary news database of content from outside of the U.S. and Canada. The very thorough collection on there features newspapers and articles in text format. This source was great to get peer reviewed information about very specific topics related to China. In addition to this, it was really nice to find articles that were written decades ago and still be able to access the full thing.
Access International Newsstream here: https://www.proquest.com/internationalnews1/advanced?accountid=9783&parentSessionId=PCHgVL8jGMKWUSvx50qAnsuQC%2B8aYAVlRb%2B%2B%2FOdesiY%3D
I chose this source because it offered a lot of neutral perspective and peer reviewed articles. These can be hard to find when trying to look for news and information on China. So, this was a site that I frequented very often.