Market or Party Controls?

This study examines, distinguishes and discusses as grounded theory the changes of the past 20 years in the Chinese media system as a result of the economic reforms. While the new media market challenges the current Chinese Party orthodoxy by initiating a redistribution of power and interests, this study argues that the western model of a libertarian press system is hardly a possibility. With a convolution of the Party line and the bottom line, a Chinese media system is moving from totalitarianism to market authoritarianism. Building on the premise that previous western press systems based on the Four Theories and their updates have failed to fit the unique case of China, the authors propose new theoretical perspectives in studying media systems in transition.