COM Research Seminar: Journalism in the jianghu: Contemporary News as a “post-public” Institution by Dr Emily Hui Ching CHUA

20 Nov 2023 (Mon)

On November 20, 2023, Dr. Emily Chua, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the National University of Singapore, delivered an intriguing seminar titled "Journalism in the Jianghu: Contemporary News as a 'Post-Public' Institution". In the seminar, Dr. Chua drew on her extensive ethnographic fieldwork at newspapers in Beijing and Guangzhou to provide a fresh perspective on China's news media. She discussed how news articles are often produced and circulated not for their impact on the public, but for their value to other industry players. Journalists use their articles to navigate the relational networks, or jianghu, within which their lives and careers are embedded. Dr. Chua framed this phenomenon not as a uniquely Chinese issue but as an outgrowth of digital media business models and "post-public" social imaginaries present in various contemporary contexts. Through her research, Dr. Chua offers unique insights into the globally pressing question of the evolving nature of professional journalism. The seminar attracted approximately 20 participants, including faculty members, Ph.D. students, and scholars from various disciplines.