With instructions to newspaper editors on what topics not to cover and injunctions against television presenters showing too much flesh, the propaganda cadres of China’s ruling Communist party make sure the media know who is boss. But even cultural commissars who have for decades seen the media as a cornerstone of political power now accept that newspapers, magazines and television stations alike must also serve another master: the market.
No longer is it enough for journalists, broadcasters, filmmakers and publishers to act as agents of the party and state, officials say. Now they must be able to stand on their own commercial feet, generate content compelling enough to compete with foreign rivals, and help to create an industry that will be an engine of the national economy.
