China: the press’ Five-Year Plan
Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 23, 2007 at 11:22 AM
China’s State Press and Publication Administration is engaged in its 11th Five-Year Plan Period (2006-2010), and its Outline for the press industry plans major transformations, in order to democratize the distribution of newspapers to all categories of the population.
The Beijing-based Jingji Ribao gives a summary of the Outline. The points are very conservative ideologically, and yet economically, they open the possibility of reform.
The main statistical goals of the Outline include raising ownership of a daily to 90 copies per 1,000 people and raising newspaper penetration rate to 0.3 copy per household.
The plan also calls for quality-oriented growth of the press, rather than the current quantitative boom in the number of titles. Economic growth will be created through “scientific and technological progress instead of capital and material inputs,” read the article.
The Outline maintains a firm ideological grip on its people, starting at an early age.
“Efforts will be made to strengthen ideological and moral education among young boys and girls and create a fine public opinion environment for their ideological and moral education,” said the article.
On the other hand, the Outline also stated that efforts must be made to accelerate the transformation from State-owned newspapers to ‘enterprises’.
The Outline also gave priority to what it called “the three rural issues,” namely increasing government investment towards rural areas, supporting newspapers targeting those areas to increase the penetration rate, and “strictly forbid the apportioning of newspaper circulation to rural grass-roots organizations and farmers,” read the article.
The last, and perhaps most important, point reported in the Jingji Ribao: the press needs to focus on digital newspapers, in all of its production and distribution aspects.
As always, the Plan’s Outline is a very broad and skimming overview of reforms to be implemented for the press – most objectives will remain at this paper stage. It does show a double trend: China’s prudent approach towards a market economy for newspapers, as well as the firm upholding of State control on the media. Coupled with a strong desire for innovation and modernity.
Source: Jingji Ribao (in Chinese)
The main statistical goals of the Outline include raising ownership of a daily to 90 copies per 1,000 people and raising newspaper penetration rate to 0.3 copy per household.
The plan also calls for quality-oriented growth of the press, rather than the current quantitative boom in the number of titles. Economic growth will be created through “scientific and technological progress instead of capital and material inputs,” read the article.
The Outline maintains a firm ideological grip on its people, starting at an early age.
“Efforts will be made to strengthen ideological and moral education among young boys and girls and create a fine public opinion environment for their ideological and moral education,” said the article.
On the other hand, the Outline also stated that efforts must be made to accelerate the transformation from State-owned newspapers to ‘enterprises’.
The Outline also gave priority to what it called “the three rural issues,” namely increasing government investment towards rural areas, supporting newspapers targeting those areas to increase the penetration rate, and “strictly forbid the apportioning of newspaper circulation to rural grass-roots organizations and farmers,” read the article.
The last, and perhaps most important, point reported in the Jingji Ribao: the press needs to focus on digital newspapers, in all of its production and distribution aspects.
As always, the Plan’s Outline is a very broad and skimming overview of reforms to be implemented for the press – most objectives will remain at this paper stage. It does show a double trend: China’s prudent approach towards a market economy for newspapers, as well as the firm upholding of State control on the media. Coupled with a strong desire for innovation and modernity.
Source: Jingji Ribao (in Chinese)
Posted in :
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: China: the press’ Five-Year Plan.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.editorsweblog.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/4745
Leave a comment