Negotiating the Narrative: An Analysis of China's Investment in Foreign Media Influence

Abstract

Chinese state-media relations have undergone considerable changes since the era of mass persuasion under Mao. As media marketization took hold with the country’s Reform and Opening, China’s media not only changed shape domestically but also increasingly went global. While this global media presence largely took the form of expanded state-controlled media, the Chinese party-state today is involved in every node of the global “information supply chain,” from influencing the production of media all the way to its distribution. This thesis focuses on influence in the central node of this chain: when foreign media institutions enter financial deals with state-linked entities. Given the Chinese government’s renewed emphasis on foreign propaganda work to shape public opinion, does state-linked investment in foreign media shape messaging? My study focuses on the case of one media group in South Africa: Independent Media. Using computer-assisted text analysis, I examine whether the August 2013 acquisition of a 20% stake in Independent Media by state-linked entities China International Television Corporation and the China-Africa Development Fund results in changes in China-related reporting. My results show that investment slightly depressed political coverage while increasing coverage on the economy and defense. Moreover, investment resulted in more China-focused reporting. These findings point towards the coercive capabilities of state-linked investment in line with an emerging Party theme in foreign propaganda work: “rich country, strong military.” As the Chinese government continues to expand its footprint in foreign information environments, these results depict a complicated path ahead for the state of media freedom worldwide.