Trends in the Development of Mass Media in the Context of Modern Chinese Political Ideology

Chzhan Zhui ORCID: 0009-0005-9739-0213 Postgraduate student; Graduate School of Journalism and Mass Communications ; St. Petersburg State University 199004, Russia, Saint Petersburg, line 1, 26 st065864@student.spbu.ru

Introduction

Political ideology, as a key mechanism for maintaining public order and the legitimacy of government, since its conceptualization by K. Marx and F. Engels has become an important research topic in political theory and sociology. In the work "German Ideology" K. Marx and F. Engels noted that ideology is the main tool of the ruling class to strengthen the legitimacy of its power through the formation of collective consciousness and behavior of society ^[1]. This theory laid the foundation for subsequent studies of ideology and was deepened by the works of subsequent scientists. L. Althusser developed the concept of "ideological state apparatuses", emphasizing the role of institutions such as schools and the media in reproducing the legitimacy of public power structures through everyday practices ^[2]. A. Gramsci, in turn, focused on hegemonic the role of ideology in the cultural sphere, pointing out that control over cultural resources makes it possible to establish leadership, ensuring broad recognition of the existing social order ^[3].

In the context of modern globalization and digitalization, the media, as the most important tool for spreading ideology in modern society, demonstrate an increasingly pronounced political orientation and ideological functions. The development of modern information technologies and the formation of global communication networks turn the media not only into a means of transmitting information, but also into a key tool for the formation and promotion of political culture ^[4]. In modern China, the political nature of the media has undergone a complex transformation process: from politicization to depoliticization, and then to repoliticization. This process reflects the unique evolutionary trajectory of Chinese political ideology, emerging at the intersection of globalization and localization.

The purpose and methods of the study

The purpose of this study is to identify the features of the evolution of the ideological functions and political characteristics of Chinese media at different stages of their development by analyzing the political trends of Chinese media in the context of political ideology. Various research methods are used in the course of the work, including historical analysis, comparative analysis, system analysis, and functional analysis. These methods made it possible to comprehensively study the features of changes in media functions and ideological characteristics at various stages.

The results of the study

In modern scientific terminology, ideology is a systematized concept that includes many elements such as political slogans, philosophical concepts, social ideals, etc., which express people's attitude to reality, views and goals ^[5]. Thus, ideology does not arise in isolation or spontaneously, but is a product of specific historical and social conditions. It becomes an important tool of social solidarity and management, explaining the rationality of the social order, determining the direction of social development and forming behavioral norms and value orientations of citizens. In this paper, we tend to argue that the main function of ideology lies in its interpretative and normative nature, i.e. through the construction of a set of worldviews and value systems, it provides consensus for social groups and at the same time coordinates the correlation of interests in society.

At the same time, ideology, being a cognitive framework, is in many cases closely related to politics, especially in the form of political ideology as its central expression. The American researcher L. P. Baradat in his work "Political ideologies: their origin and influence" notes that ideology "is primarily a political term" ^{[6, p. 9]}. This view highlights the deep inner connection between ideology and politics. According to M. Frieden, political ideology is a systematized theory of the distribution of power and management of social resources, the main role of which is to provide a theoretical basis for political practice ^[7]. Political ideology is not only a theoretical system, but also has a direct impact on public administration through specific political practices such as the conduct of politics, elections and the activities of political parties.

Ideology is the ideological foundation of social development and plays an important role in China's political and social transformations. Chinese researcher Liu Shaojie notes that institutional changes, by reorganizing public interest relations, profoundly affect changes in people's thinking and value beliefs ^[8]. Yang Hua, in his definition of ideology, considers it as a conceptual system or the spirit of government, emphasizing that ideology is a product of the state and reflects the interests of the broadest strata of the people ^[9]. Xia Guoqiong argues that political ideology is aimed at ensuring the dominance of state thought ^[10]. Fan Yaolin goes further, arguing that the core of Chinese political ideology is Marxism, which emphasizes not only scientific but also practical applicability. The main purpose of this ideology is to ensure the legitimacy and validity of the ruling party's power ^[11].

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the media, as a central tool for spreading political ideology, has played an important role in shaping public opinion and determining the direction of public administration. Starting with agitation and mobilization in the revolutionary period, then moving on to the management of public opinion in the era of reform and openness, and up to the modern stage of restructuring ideology in a multimedia environment, the media has consistently remained an important pillar of public policy. Through such channels as the print press, radio, television and new digital media, the political ideology of the People's Republic of China has become widespread, contributing to the formation of a unified public consciousness. Thus, the following stages of the evolution of Chinese media can be distinguished:

1. A high degree of unity between political ideology and the media (1949-1978)

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Communist Party of China (CPC) transformed from a revolutionary party into a ruling party, and ideology became a key tool in building a new system and governing society. During this period, China faced the challenges of the Cold War, and the confrontation between socialism and capitalism gave the ideology a pronounced character of political struggle. Mao Zedong's ideas were proclaimed the guiding ideology of the state and the central element of the political system. They provided the theoretical basis for the victory in the new democratic revolution and the founding of the People's Republic of China. A characteristic feature of this period was the widespread spread of ideology, which reflected its fundamental role in politics and society ^{[12, p. 21]}.

As the political and class struggle escalated, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the media were quickly endowed with important political attributes and ideological functions and became a key tool in consolidating the power of the party and the state. During this period, the media was seen as the mouthpiece of the party, the government and the people, and the role of media organizations was clearly defined as ideological propaganda departments and administrative bodies, public opinion positions and ideological fronts of the CPC.

During this period, the media gradually turned from a tool of public communication into a tool of political propaganda of the party, which led to the creation of a politicized management system. The freedom of the press and its independence have been purposefully weakened. The government quickly took control of the existing news agencies and formed a party newspaper system headed by the People's Daily. At the national level, a state information network was established, based on the Xinhua News Agency and the Central People's Radio. The main tasks of these media organizations were to promote the policies and guidelines of the CPC and to form public opinion, as well as to ensure ideological unity through strict control of the press.

In the 1950s, the full borrowed approach of Chinese media to the Soviet model of journalism further strengthened their political character. For example, the People's Daily took the Soviet newspaper Pravda as a model, which led to a high degree of standardization of the style of news coverage, editorial approaches and selection of materials. Daily editorials have become a mandatory element of political propaganda. The content of the news focused on praising the achievements of socialism and criticizing the shortcomings of capitalism, which limited the veracity and variety of published materials ^[13]. In addition, information sources were strictly controlled: all news content was published exclusively through official materials of the Xinhua news Agency, and newspapers of various levels were prohibited from independently collecting and publishing international news. This model turned the news into a direct mouthpiece for the politics of the party and the government, eliminating their function as an independent channel for the dissemination of social information.

During the subsequent revolution, the Chinese media reached an extreme degree of politicization. Publications such as the People's Daily, Jiefangjun Bao (newspaper of the People's Liberation Army of China) and Hongqi magazine (Red Banner), known as "two newspapers and one magazine", have become the only legitimate channel for spreading public opinion in the country ^{[12, p. 37]}. Their content focused on the propaganda of ultra-left ideas and the cult of personality. During this period, the number of newspapers in the country dropped sharply to several dozen, and their materials became extremely homogeneous, leading to a phenomenon known as "thousands of newspapers with one face." The media were used to incite class struggle and promote political ideology, which seriously undermined their basic functions as a means of transmitting information and serving society.

This model of media management, based on a paternalistic power structure, has gradually consolidated the system of state ownership of media in China. Through the bureaucratic organization and administrative structure of the industry, the institutional consolidation of the media system at the national level was completed ^[14]. Despite the fact that such a model effectively contributed to strengthening the stability of power and ideological unity in the early stages, its excessive focus on political priorities significantly weakened the social functions of the media. This did not make it possible to effectively overcome the lag in economic development and the monotony of cultural life. During this period, the tendency to politicize the media was particularly pronounced: their functions almost completely served political needs, which led to a loss of objectivity and independence. It was only after the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976 that this situation began to gradually improve.

2. Depoliticization and hidden politicization of the media (1978-2012)

The beginning of the policy of reform and openness in 1978 marked the transition of Chinese political ideology from extreme class struggle to meeting the real needs for economic development and social progress. During this period, the political functions of the media also began to gradually transform. China's chief executive Deng Xiaoping said: "Economic work is the main policy at the moment, economic issues are a policy that surpasses everything else" ^[15]. This priority of economic development has taken a central place in state policy and has been widely reflected in the media agenda. The ideological transformation focused on economic construction changed the role of the media: from a tool directly serving the political struggle, they moved to a new format, the main task of which was to highlight the successes of economic development and social reforms.

During this period, the main trends in the media sphere were characterized by support and promotion of reform and openness policies. Emphasizing the achievements of economic construction, the media provided support for public opinion to build the legitimacy of a socialist market economy. At the same time, the media gradually turned from a highly centralized propaganda tool into a subject of communication that focused on public problems, and began to draw public attention to issues of life support, building a rule of law and social injustice. However, this transformation did not mean a complete break with politics, on the contrary, it gave a new form of service to the ideological functions of the ruling party.

Thus, party publications, such as the People's Daily, continued to play the role of the main tool for policy propaganda, publishing editorials and special reports that strengthened the legitimacy of politics and the reasonableness of national development goals. At the same time, various newspapers began to change the structure of their content to meet new social demands. For example, the Guangming Daily and the Economic Daily played a key role in promoting reform policies and achievements in economic development, while urban publications such as the Huaxia City Newspaper and Southern Weekly focused on covering issues related to the lives of the population and social problems. These publications have gradually become an important force among new media. Such a diverse development not only increased the attractiveness of the media, but also indirectly demonstrated support for party and state policies in the management of public opinion.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, against the background of fundamental changes in Eastern Europe and the collapse of the Soviet Union, changes in the international ideological structure had a significant impact on China. The spread of doubts about socialism and the popularity of the theory of the "failure of socialism" ^[16] in some Western countries prompted the Chinese media to even more actively emphasize the legitimacy of the CPC leadership and the correctness of the chosen path of building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

In this context, the media sought to preserve ideological unity by promoting the country's achievements in ensuring stability and social development, as well as refuting external criticism of the socialist system. At the same time, at the All-China Meeting on Newspaper Management in 1992, four characteristics of journalism (political, informational, cultural, supervisory) and five functions (information transmission, education, supervision, enlightenment, entertainment) were formulated, which clearly defined the role of the media in a socialist market economy ^[17]. The media ceased to be solely a propaganda tool and began to be viewed as a cultural commodity with market characteristics. This process was launched with the creation of newspaper groups such as the Guangzhou Daily. The process of grouping newspapers began, and Chinese media began to pay more attention to international communications. For example, the newspaper "Cankao Xiaoxi" (Reference News) has taken an important place in the coverage of international events.

With the deepening of globalization and informatization, the media began to pay more attention to the art of communication and attracting public attention, making political expression less explicit. Despite the fact that the content of media products has become more diverse and entertainment-oriented, the protection of national interests and the maintenance of public order remained the main priority in covering key political issues and international events. For example, in 2006, the then leader of China, Hu Jintao, in an article in the newspaper Jiefangjun Bao, stressed the need to "increase the attractiveness, persuasive power and combat effectiveness of news propaganda" ^[18], thereby confirming the principle that the media should serve national strategic goals.

This model of communication, combining economic functions with political goals, allowed the media not only to contribute to the development of market mechanisms, but also to continue the active promotion of socialist values.

3. Media Repoliticization and international communication (2012 – present)

The holding of the XVIII CPC Congress in 2012 marked the beginning of a new era in China's political ideology. In 2013, President Xi Jinping stressed that "ideological work is an extremely important task of the party" and put forward the task of promoting and practical implementation of socialist core values ^[19]. This direction is designed to respond to the challenges associated with the diversity of cultures and ideas through the consolidation of public consensus and the leadership of public ideas. As part of this process, the political function of the media has been significantly strengthened. However, this did not mean a simple return to the previous model of "high politicization". On the contrary, this process is a more complex and dynamic form of "repoliticization", which is adapted to modern conditions and requirements.

Under the conditions of repoliticization, the role of the Chinese media has undergone significant changes: They have transformed from a simple propaganda tool into a complex system that closely interacts with the political and social spheres. The change in their political function manifests itself on several levels. Firstly, through active coverage of the ruling party's leadership role and its policies, the media contribute to further strengthening the legitimacy and centrality of the party in national and international discourses. For example, leading publications such as the People's Daily and the Xinhua News Agency, through editorials, special reports and analytical commentary, demonstrate the advantages of the CPC-led system, its political achievements and management successes. This contributes to the formation of a high level of public recognition of the party within the country. Secondly, the Xinhua News Agency, as a key structure of international communication, actively uses multilingual platforms to broadcast to a global audience the image of the Chinese development model as legitimate and successful. This activity plays an important role in providing information support for China's rise on the world stage and strengthening its position in the context of globalization.

In the process of repoliticization, media activity in China has ceased to be limited exclusively to an objective presentation of facts. At intermediate stages of information transmission, such as data collection by journalists, editorial verification and the influence of value orientations of media companies, a certain value orientation inevitably manifests itself. Politics and ideology, as a concentrated expression of a value system, permeate all stages of media work, becoming a key element of their operational logic. During this period, the media was clearly defined as an integral part of the CPC's business. Studies of the Marxist theory of journalism have become the theoretical basis for their development ^[20]. On this basis, a unique system of functioning of the media was built, which has Chinese characteristics, which ensures their role as a tool for implementing party policy and strengthening ideological foundations.

Under this system, Chinese media focus on positive propaganda, completely subordinating their activities to the achievement of state political goals. This approach is particularly evident in the practice of news coverage.

For example, the Xinhua News Agency, integrating national and international news, focuses on China's achievements in such areas as poverty reduction, economic growth and international cooperation. This makes it possible to highlight the successes of public administration and strengthen the legitimacy of the ruling party. At the national level, the People's Daily uses special reports and a series of analytical comments aimed at forming a positive perception of the party and state policy among the public.

Another notable feature of the process of repoliticization was the strengthening of the political orientation of the media in international communication, where the most important task was to form and strengthen China's international discourse. For example, CGTN (China International News Channel) focuses on China's development achievements and diplomatic initiatives through international news reports, documentaries and cultural programs. In particular, by highlighting the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, CGTN demonstrates its progress, interviews leaders and experts from participating countries, comprehensively emphasizing China's leading role in international cooperation.

In addition, the diplomatic concept of the "Community of the Common Destiny of Mankind", thanks to its wide dissemination in the media, strengthens China's international recognition as a responsible world power. She emphasizes China's global managerial competence and its constructive role in solving international issues.

It should be emphasized that regardless of whether it is about promoting socialist core values in the domestic information space or shaping China's global role in international communication, Chinese media are invariably focused on serving state political goals. Through a positive interpretation of both domestic and international topics, the media form a politically coherent narrative aimed at strengthening public unity and increasing the legitimacy of the ruling party. During this period, the repoliticization of the media represented not only the expansion of their functions, but also a full-fledged update of their operational logic and value orientation, demonstrating the uniqueness and modern significance of the Chinese media system.

Conclusions

Analyzing the historical evolution and functional characteristics of the political trends of the Chinese media, it can be clearly seen that the media has always been an important tool for spreading ideology and political practice. At various historical stages, the political function of the media has demonstrated a dynamic process of adaptation: from high politicization to implicit politicization, and then to a gradual transition to repoliticization in a new era. This evolution not only reflects the historical logic of China's socio-economic and political development, but also highlights the central position of the media in public administration and the formation of public consensus.