How has the Internet Impacted on Traditional Journalism in the Context of China?

Two dimensions are cross-applied to discuss the effect of the internet on contemporary journalism. On the one hand, new technologies, including the internet, have influenced journalism as a whole and challenged, to some extent, its pre-existing forms. On the other hand, it is only to be expected that the effect of a new technology is shaped by the economic and political context in which this new technology works. Within these theoretical parameters, this study aims to explore the perceptions of Chinese journalists about their own experience of practice in order to assess the extent to which internet technology has impacted on traditional journalism in the context of China. Qualitative semi-structured interviews are used as the research method in this study to collect data from 25 news media professionals, including those who work for traditional news media and those who work for the online news media. Thematic analysis is used as the approach to analyse the qualitative data generated from the interviews. In preparation, a pilot study was used to test the validity of interview questions and the possible thematic codes before the formal study. The quality of the views provided by Chinese journalists can reveal much about the contemporary practice, role perceptions and values of Chinese journalism which cannot currently be found in literature and official reports. By conducting thematic analysis, the gap between existing journalism theories and Chinese specific context can be complemented by the discussion of the emergent core themes.