CCTV Custom Essay

RESEARCH TOPIC: A STUDY ON THE EXTEND OF CCTV COVERAGE IN GLOBAL NEWS MEDIA
Hypotheses: The global expansion coverage of CCTV news has great impact on its going out project.
1. Chapter 1. Introduction and background
1.1 Introduction
Established in September, 2000, CCTV News is the English language news Channel of China Central Television (CCTV), the nation’s largest National Broadcasting Network. The Channel grew out of CCTV International and covers a wide range of issues from commentary programs to featured presentations. CCTV News is China’s contribution to greater diversity and wider perspectives in the global information flow. The channel emphasizes events taking place in Asia and developing countries to provide international audiences with a window into understanding China and the world at large.

Since its establishment, and with the Chinese Government financial backing, the network has been on a global expansion plan spreading its reach across the world, earning its fair place among the world renowned 24hour broadcasting networks.

1. Background.

• Overview of global news media
In 1983, 90% of the American Media was owned by fifty corporations (Lutz, 2012). 30 years later, the ownership of news media has been concentrated in the hands of six powerful media corporations. The Fortune 500 list (2013), placed The Walt Disney Company as America’s largest media conglomerate in terms of revenue, with News Corporation (now News Corp & 21st Century Fox),Time Warner, CBS Corporation, and Viacom completing the top five.
The “Big Six” continues to dominate the news and entertainment industry in the United States and extension the globe, leaving little room for non- American media or so it may seem. In recent years we have witness the emergence of non American media taking up prominent roles in providing other voices to the issues that we face. As more and more people look outward to be informed, there has been a constant search for other sources to provide objective views. For the fourth straight year the majority of Americans have said they have little or no trust in the mass media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly (Morales, 2010). The mainstream media has been losing credibility at a staggering rate, and Americans are starting to look elsewhere for the truth about what is really going on (Morales, 2010).
China Central Television News (CCTV News) is one out of a handful of non-western media companies that have been established to participate in the international production and distribution of news and information. Established in September, 2000, CCTV News is the English language news Channel of China Central Television (CCTV), the nation’s largest National Broadcasting Network. The Channel grew out of CCTV International and covers a wide range of issues from commentary programs to featured presentations. CCTV News is China’s contribution to greater diversity and wider perspectives in the global information flow. The channel emphasizes events taking place in Asia and developing countries to provide international audiences with a window into understanding China and the world at large.
This study is set against the background of a western dominated international media landscape and also the emergence of alternative media from developing countries since the beginning of the 21st Century. The aim of the study is therefore to examine how one non-western media, China Central Television News (CCTV News) fits into the international communication landscape as we know it and how the development of new media plays an equal role in helping sharp international communication.
• 24 hour news broadcasting and the one way western flow of information

24 hour news has become part of everyday life, with the medium of news wide and varied across all sphere of life.

The 24 hour news genre was introduced by the Atlanta based Cable News Network (CNN) in 1980. At the time of its launch, the news media was centered on hourly dedicated news and a network dedicated solely to news coverage was met with skepticism (Cushion and Lewis, 2010). CNN went on to became a pioneer in 24 hour news broadcast with the success of the gulf war in 1991 (Rai and Cottle, 201).

CNN’s success in the global news arena was quickly followed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (Thusu, 2006).

The early global news sphere was saturated by Medias from the west such as BBC and CNN, amongst others, creating a one way flow of information from the west to the rest (Rai and Cottle, 2010).

Researchers have argued that these western Medias, CNN in particular have been prone to cover news of foreign countries with a bais towards the United States (Akin, 2010)

Akin,(2010) citing Thussu, 2002, further claimed that prior to the entry of the new players in the global news industry, CNN and BBC were considered as the most formative information sources of international news, serving audiences all over the world

• Emerging non western news Media’s (pioneer work of Aljazeera)

The 21st century saw rapid structural changes in the global satellite news landscape with the emergence of new non western Medias setting up base in the global news arena (Cushion and Lewis, 2010).

The contemporary global media scene could no longer be characterized as a one-way flow from the West to the rest given the increasing ‘contraflows’ emerging both from within the broadcasts of mainstream Western networks and through the rise of new, non- Western, satellite networks such as Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera (Rai and Cottle, 2010).

The Qatar based Al Jazeera news network was launched in 2006, with funding from the Qatar Government to provide alternative information flow emanating from the Middle East and challenging the western dominant information flow. The network was established with the purpose of giving an Arab perspective on foreign events in opposition to western ideologies (Akin, 2010).

Despite being a state funded network, Aljazeera has a large amount of editorial independent (Wu, 2012).

The Al Jazeera network is credited for earning its global presence in the dominant international broadcasting sphere with its Osama Bin Laden “war on terrorism” report, (Thussu, 2006; Akin, 2010).

• About CCTV news

With the success of a non western media network like Al Jazeera in the global 24 hour news floor, this led to the rise of other Medias from the developing countries who sought to emulate the example set by Al Jazeera (Cushion and Lewis, 2010).
According to Wu (2012), CCTV is one of the rising Medias from the developing countries who are challenging the traditional dominant western Medias. The Chinese state funded television network, Chinese Central Television (CCTV) is one such media.
According to Baidu (2013), China Central Television News, also referred to by its acronym CCTV NEWS is the English language news channel of the People’s Republic of China and the country’s largest national broadcasting network. Stemming from China Central Television International, which was launched on September 25, 2000, CCTV news broadcasting news to global audiences as part of China’s going out approach, (CCTV news.com). CCTV news was a result of the revamping of CCTV 9 which on April 26, 2010, saw the channel being changed from CCTV 9 to CCTV news (Wikipedia, 2014).

Within a few years of the launch of CCTV international, the network is reported to have claimed its stake in the global communication landscape, with coverage over 98% of the world’s landmass (Zhang and Xialing, 2011). On its website, CCTV.Com (2013) the network substantiated this global reach of its free to air satellite signal, which is said to cover over 100 countries across the world, reaching over 85 million viewers worldwide. China’s global presence is not only represented by CCTV international but by other media such as China Radio International (CRI), Xinhua news agency, and The China Daily newspaper and website. However its image is said to be tainted by the state’s ever presence and as Messey (2011) puts it, “gaining credibility with a broad global audience would require CCTV international to have more editorial independence free of state interference.” It is therefore evident that CCTV International has sought to spread its influence across. Wu, (2012) added that although China is making efforts to rebrand itself, there is still a lot to be done for the Chinese media to develop as credible and attractive sources on information.

24-hour international cable news has rapidly gained currency with the last few years witnessing a global explosion of 24-hour satellite news channels around the world offering alternative sources to news information especially from non-western countries. The position of world information dominance by the west is increasingly being challenged by the new entrants into the global news arena threatening the role of Western Medias and implied economic, cultural influences previously solely in western world (Rai and Cottle 2011).

• CCTV going out project

According to Liu, 2006 as cited by Jirik, Chinese Communist Party “outgoing project” was launched in 2001 by then head of the Central Publicity Department, Xu Guangchun. The idea behind the initiative was to take china’s voice to the world.

The idea was expanded to include television, with the goal to extend full range televisions of the People’s Republic of China overseas (Jirik, n.d). CCTV 9 was renamed CCTV International, the state led initiative is reported to have adopted the soft power approach to win the hearts and minds of people, through the telling of the Chinese narrative (Wu, 2012). Further, the channel is aimed at providing international audiences with a window into understanding China and the world at large.

CCTV NEWS is China’s contribution to greater diversity and wider perspectives in the global information flow with a special focus on China, the channel also emphasizes on events taking place in Asia and all developing countries.
The Channels’ headquarters are based in China’s capital, Beijing. To expand its global media reach, on 11 January 2012, the Chanel launched its African bureau, CCTV Africa productions center in Nairobi, Kenya, which is also the center base of some of the global dominant western news media’s such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and America’s 24 hour news Pioneer Cable News Network (CNN). CCTV Africa began to broadcast with programs focusing on African news and perspectives presented by African professional journalists as well as international news (Anshan and April, 2013). In the same vein, the following month, on the 11th of February 2012, CCTV America, the Americas division of CCTV News channel began broadcasting to its American viewers from its newly launched base in Washington, DC and runs bureaus across North and South America (Wikipedia, 2013).
According to an article by Stern,( 2013), the idea to establish news bureaus In America and Africa was to be “close to regions in which China wanted to make an impact. With a purpose to originate programs from this area, brand it, and market it, adding that ” A Chinese perspective is more convincing to Americans if it’s coming from America (or to Africans if its coming from Africa)”.

CCTV’s global ambitions include six major media outlets, including China Central Television (CCTV), People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency, China Radio International, China Daily, and China News Service, which cover news and carry a wide range of programs on different media platforms (Stern, 2013 and Wu, 2012).

To date CCTV News has developed five channels in five different foreign languages (English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian), broadcasting to the entire world. With CCTV-4 in Chinese, CCTV-NEWS and CCTV-9 Documentary in English, currently the station has seven channels televising content about China around the globe.

CCTV News ‘s 24-hour news free-to-air satellite signals can be received by more than 85 million viewers worldwide, in over 100 countries and regions. Access is also carried by Cable, DTH,IPTV, and even Terrestrial TV platforms or systems in many countries (Baidu, 2013)

2. Problem Statement.
The 21st century saw rapid structural changes in the global satellite news landscape with the emergence of new non western Medias setting up base in the global news arena (Cushion and Lewis, 2010).
Against the background of Western domination in international news production and distribution, some media organizations, from the developing countries have emerged to participate in the global media arena. China Central Television is one such Media, established to counter the one way flow of information from the west to the rest of the world. This study therefore seeks to analyze the role of CCTV in reshaping international communication and also seek to examine the reactions western media on China’s global expansion plans.

3. Research objectives:

To find out the extent of CCTV global expansion and how western media perceives the expansion.
Rephrased: to find out how western Medias reacted to CCTV’s global expansion plans

4. Research Questions.

1. What is the extend of global coverage of CCTV news?
2. What are the western media’s reactions to CCTV’s global expansion (articles, news-reports?).

5. Justification of the Study

This study aims to find out whether CCTV’s global expansion plans are bearing fruit on its going out project and how it is fairing in the news arena. The study will be useful in helping the network understand its position in the global news arena as well as highlight areas of weakness to allow for improvement.

6. Limitations and Delimitation of the Study

Chapter Two: Literature Review

According to Leedy and Ormrod (2001) literature review helps the researcher avoid unnecessary duplication and also helps identify new direction that need to be pursued. In this study the literature reviewed seeks to highlight issues and transitions of global information media through three different interrelated themes, namely global media structures, emerging media from developing countries, and CCTV going out project, aimed at redirecting the previous dominant western one way flow of information.

a. Global Media Structures (Western Global Media structure)

The dominant western media has been labeled as missionaries of western corporate capitalism, spreading their capitalistic notions to the rest of the world (Edward et, 1997). American dominance is seen primarily through the dominance of its symbolic power in global media channels, which is also supported by global economic structures and institutions.
The Western based media, encompassing the US and the European media are said to be the dominant players in the global communication world, occupying the major spaces in technological broadcasting, cable networks, digital and telecommunication sphere. According to Gucciardi (2013), in the 1980’s there were a total of 50 companies which owned the American media and by 2000 this number was reduced to only six companies as a result of mergers into large conglomerates.
(Cushion and Lewis, 2010), Global Satellite news channels from Time Warner conglomerate; a 24 hour news dedicated channel was introduced. The Cable News Network (CNN) is credited for pioneering the 24 hour news broadcasting when it first launched in 1980 broadcasting to American audiences only. More than a decade later, with the ability of cable satellite to broadcast simultaneously across the world, CNN was able to stamp its editorial credential on the genre of news, and justify its existence as a dedicated television news channel”. With the ability of cable satellite to broadcast simultaneously across the world, CNN was catapulted into the international news stage with the live broadcast of the gulf war in 1991.
Others soon emulated CNN success to join the global News broadcasting, breaking the regional boundaries to broadcast live across the world and bringing audiences together in one global public sphere (Rai and Cottle, 2011).
From CNN’s early beginnings, the current 24-hour market is a highly competitive and widely popular medium in which three unique channels (CNN, Fox News and MSNBC) compete for loyal viewers and advertising dollars (Stanley, 2006). Scholars such as Cushion and Lewis (2010) argues that 24/7 cable news networks such as CNN are being used as vehicles for global expansion of continued western dominance.
b. Contra flow and rise of new media.

The 21st century saw rapid structural changes in the global satellite news landscape with the emergence of new non western Medias setting up base in the global news arena (Cushion and Lewis, 2010).
According to Akin (2010), Global News broadcasting at the beginning of the 21st century was characterized by the dominance of Western Media such as the US-led Atlanta based Cable News Network (CNN) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) who had complete monopoly over this arena for decades. With Western private world media such as CNN increasingly being accused of failing to accurately portray the developing world, the need to fill the existing gap left by western Medias brought rise to other Medias from the developing countries, (Harvard News, 2012). Driven by the desire to represent the Arab perspective on the international news stage, The Qatar based Al Jazeera news network was launched in 2006 and is said to have earned a global presence in the dominant international broadcasting with its Osama Bin Laden “war on terrorism” report, (Thussu, 2006; Akin, 2010). The success of a non-western Media in the global sphere, Al Jazeera did not go unnoticed by other aspiring emerging media. In 2011, a new player from the developing world, the state funded English China Central Television (CCTV) International of the People’s Republic of China emerged into the international arena (Zhang and Xialing, 2011).

24-hour international cable news has rapidly gained currency with the last few years witnessing a global explosion of 24-hour satellite news channels around the world offering alternative sources to news information especially from non-western countries. The position of world information dominance by the west is increasingly being challenged by the new entrants into the global news arena threatening the role of Western Medias and implied economic, cultural influences previously solely in western world (Magadha et al 2011).

c. CCTV going out project

According to Zhang and Xiaoling (2011) CCTV international was established to achieve two main goals, that is, to promote an alternative media perspective to challenge the hegemony of western international broadcasters – as Al Jazeera’s Arabic channel was already doing in the Middle East and also to use the “soft power” of media to promote the Chinese Communist Party’s influence abroad. Some scholars argue that the introduction of the state funded China’s CCTV international in the global broadcasting media as part of its “going global” also called go out” project, is partially directed towards its public diplomacy using culture and narratives to spread the nation’s “soft power” that promotes their national interests (Harvard News, 2012). (Zhang, 2011 and Kalenyuk, 2013) however contend that apart from presenting China’s version of issues and events inside its territories, the 24 hour news cable network, CCTV international, is aimed at creating a platform for reporting on the developing world by taking the approach of a neutral stand on global issues.
Within a few years of the launch of CCTV international, the network is reported to have claimed its stake in the global communication landscape, with coverage over 98% of the world’s landmass (Zhang, 2011). On its website, CCTV.Com (2013) the network substantiated this global reach of its free to air satellite signal, which is said to cover over 100 countries across the world, reaching over 85 million viewers worldwide. China’s global presence is not only represented by CCTV international but by other media such as China Radio International (CRI), Xinhua news agency, and The China Daily newspaper and website. However its image is said to be tainted by the state’s ever present and as Messey (2011) puts it, “gaining credibility with a broad global audience would require CCTV international to have more editorial independence free of state interference.” It is therefore evident that CCTV International has sought to spread its influence across.

Chapter 3: Research design and methodology
Research design –
• Extend of coverage of CCTV: Sampling techniques – non probability sampling
• Study period – scope of study to be limited to 2013 (provide very specific reasons for selecting that time period – i.e. CCTV just launched in 2011 and established Bureaus only in 2012, in Kenya (Africa), and US, therefore the impact will mostly be felt after one year of such global exansions.

• Qualitative: subject – online materials
• content analysis
• Unit of analysis: documentations/research papers and news lips

 Sampling
3. Western media: purposive sampling (provide criteria for the selection of your choice of western media used – reasons as to why for example you choose CNN instead of BBC etc.)

 Method of data collection
o What is the extend of global coverage of CCTV news (review methodology for this section?) I think you can look at this question by doing a structural analysis. In doing a structural analysis you look at the market share, extend of coverage in terms of bureaus, correspondents and satellite coverage among other things. Your main source of data is documentary search. You can use purposive sampling to select policy documents and other official records that can give you this information.

o Research question: textual analysis (review of media articles to see how western media’s reacted to CCTV expansion plans). You may use AFP or Reuters which I think might give you more options. The idea is to have some stories which you can analyse just to highlight how the expansion of CCTV has been framed in the Western media.

Chapter Four: Data Presentation

1. Extend of CCTV global coverage
2. Western media reactions to CCTV global expansions.

Chapter Five: Findings, recommendations and conclusions
3. The role of CCTV in international Communication.
4. Western media reactions to CCTV global endeavors

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