Social Sciences in China, 2021

Vol. 42, No. 2, 2021

Constructive Journalism in China: Research and Practice

(Abstract)

Yin Le

Today, constructive journalism continues to develop globally and is flourishing in China. This paper analyzes the distribution of constructive journalism research, media exploration and journalistic practice during the COVID-19 pandemic in China on the basis of tracked observations, research and interviews, and cooperation pilots; outlines the structure and changes of journalism, especially audiovisual journalism, in China from a “constructive” perspective; and provides a comprehensive overview of constructive journalism research and practice in China. It aims at considering the relationship between journalism, the media and society in the new environment and providing reference material for the development of constructive journalism and Sino-Western dialogue. The study finds that constructive journalism is not only an important concept in the development of Chinese journalism, but also a journalistic practice with deep roots. Since the beginning of the 21st century, incremental progress has been achieved, marked by the keywords of people’s livelihood, lending a hand, “questioning officials”, and construction. Constructive journalism is becoming a means and a channel for media participation in social governance, as was clearly shown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: constructive journalism, China, livelihood news, “questioning officials”programs, COVID-19 pandemic