The Development of Data Journalism in China: Influences, Motivations and Practice

Abstract

Using semi-structured interviews with Chinese data journalists across party and commercial media, this article assesses the structure and practice of data journalism in China. In doing this, it responds to calls for further studies of data journalism in non-western contexts. It finds that Chinese data journalists face some of the same pressures and challenges that have been documented in other countries, including limited access to data and the constraints imposed by the screen-size of smartphones. However, these were often exacerbated through a combination of social and systemic factors -to the point that their impact is qualitatively and quantitatively different. Simultaneously, however, we find that in some cases Chinese data journalists, at least amongst party media, were protected from pressures such as audience demand, and encouraged to focus on state-of-the-art work. We conclude that what has emerged is a form of 'data journalism with Chinese characteristics', and that these characteristics emerge from the interactions between systemic, newsroom and social factors.

Is journalism just a job? Findings on journalists’ career motivation, news efficacy and news avoidance from structural equation modeling in China

“…In addition, those who have worked in official media are more motivated by the public service ideal. It is consistent with the situation of Chinese journalism, that is, official media have less audience pressure and are encouraged for innovation due to the governmental support (Wright and Nolan, 2021).…”

“…In addition, those who have worked in official media are more motivated by the public service ideal. It is consistent with the situation of Chinese journalism, that is, official media have less audience pressure and are encouraged for innovation due to the governmental support (Wright and Nolan, 2021). These findings have important implications for research on journalistic roles, whether on its normative theories or practicing performance, as well as the profound transformation of global journalism.…”

“…As for work experience, Chinese media are usually classified into official and commercial institutions, with the former facing the decline of professional ideals (Wang et al, 2020) but less economic pressure compared to the latter (Wright and Nolan, 2021). Based on this information, we propose the hypotheses:H3a.…”

The impact of digital technology on journalism in China today

“…On the one hand, digital platforms provide more direct data feedback, allowing for real-time monitoring of the effects of news distribution and timely adjustment of news production and distribution strategies. User interaction is regarded as a KPI on these platforms, and clicks, likes, retweets, and comments are critical indicators for assessing news communication power (Wright and Nolan, 2021) [9]. Technological advancements have altered the industry's evaluation criteria and journalists' copywriting habits.…”

The gap between university studies and labour market in journalism: opening educational community example in China

“…The proportion of traditional journalism media is decreasing and a large number of employees are dismissed. At the same time, new forms of journalism and media keep emerging, such as data journalism ( Xuya and Xiaorui, 2019 ), we media ( Peng et al., 2015 ; Wright and Nolan, 2021 ), social media ( Thomala, 2021 ), convergence media ( Li et al., 2020 ; Yin and Liu, 2014 ), omnimedia ( Kang, 2017 ). Industrial companies also provided some new positions and fields including data editor, social media editor, community manager, hypertext writer, web page editor, multimedia editor, user-generated content editor, media executive, interactivity manager, web video editor, mobile journalism, communication consulting and internet journalism research ( Vivar, 2013 ).…”