Hao Xiaoming

The Internet and the Ethnic Press: A Study of Electronic Chinese Publications

This article explores the roles of on-line publications in promoting ethnic communication. Through a case study of the on-line Chinese language publications, it examines the potentials of such publications in supplementing and expanding the functions of the traditional ethnic media, strengthening cultural and communal ties of the ethnic groups, and mobilizing them for action The authors argue that in the age of cyberspace, the role of ethnic media in fortifying the cultural traits of ethnic immigrants is expected to be further strengthened. As a result, ethnic groups are more likely to be assimilated into the mainstream culture without losing their own cultural roots and ethnic identity.

Foreign Media Exposure and Perceptions of Americans in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Singapore.

This study examines the relationship between foreign media exposure and stereotypical perceptions of and feelings toward Americans in Hong Kong, Shenzhen (China), and Singapore. In line with previous studies, it finds that foreign TV consumption is related to negative stereotypical perceptions of and feelings toward Americans among all tested subjects. However, it also finds that different types of foreign media, such as newspaper, radio, video, and movies, exhibit very distinct and different relationships with perceptions of Americans by subjects from China and Singapore. It suggests that in studies of foreign media impact, attention should be given to specific foreign media channels, the actual content of the media, the impact of local media, the stages at which other cultures encounter the Western culture, and the cultural context of each society.

The Diffusion of the Internet and Rural Development

This study explores the applicability of the diffusion of innovations theory to internet development in rural China by examining internet diffusion and usage patterns in two rural areas of Chinas Gansu Province. Its ethnographic research design allowed the researchers to interact with the rural people under study and obtain first-hand data on their adoption and usage of the internet. The results show that in the context of rural China, where the local economy and infrastructure can hardly sustain such an advanced technology as the internet, the diffusion and usage of the internet are determined not much by the will of individuals, but by the change agency. As the weakest social class in terms of their share and control of social resources, Chinese farmers as individuals do not play an important role in the adoption of the internet, which tends to be the result of organizational initiatives.

Parent-Child Co-Viewing of Television and Cognitive Development of the Chinese Child.

This study examined the relationship between parent–child co‐viewing of television and the cognitive development of the child. Both survey and experiment methods were employed to determine the participants’ television viewing habits and their cognitive achievements after watching a pre‐recorded programme under different conditions. The participants were five‐year‐old pre‐schoolers from a childcare centre in Beijing, China. The findings show a positive relationship between parent–child co‐viewing of television and the cognitive performance of the child as far as a specific programme was concerned, but long‐term effects of parent–child co‐viewing on the general cognitive development of the child could not be established owing to the limitations of the study. Cette étude a examiné le rapport entre la co‐vision de la télévision du parent et l’enfant et le développement cognitif de l’enfant. Des méthodes d’enquête et d’expérience ont été utilisées pour découvrir les habitudes des participants quand ils regardent la télévision et leurs accomplissements cognitifs après avoir regardé un programme pré‐enregistré dans des conditions différentes. Les participants étaient des élèves de cinq ans du cours préparatoire d’un centre d’assistance à l’enfance à Beijing, Chine. Les résultats montrent un rapport positif entre la co‐vision de la télévision duparent et l’enfant et la compétence cognitive de l’enfant en ce qui concerne un programme spécifique, mais les effets à long terme de la co‐vision de la télévision du parent et l’enfant sur le développement cognitif général de l’enfant n’ont pas été établi dû aux limitatios de l’étude. Este estudio examinó la relación entre la co‐visión del padre y niño de la televisión y el desarrollo cognoscitivo del niño. Fueron empleados métodos de estudio y experimentales para descubrir los hábitos relacionados con mirar la televisión de los participantes y sus logros cognoscitivos después de mirar un programa previamente grabado bajo diversas condiciones. Los participantes eran pre‐escolares de cinco años de un centro de cuidado de niños en Beijing, China. Los resultados demuestran una relación positiva entre la co‐visión de la televisión por padre y niño y el funcionamiento cognoscitivo del niño por lo que concierne un programa específico, pero los efectos a largo plazo de la co‐visión del padre y niño en el desarrollo cognoscitivo general del niño no pudieron ser establecidos debido a las limitaciones del estudio.

The Singapore Press as a Mediator between the Government and the Public

AbstractTo provide effective leadership, political leaders cannot simply hold themselves as slaves to public demand. Their decisions may not always be compatible with what the public perceives as its interest. This, however, does not mean that political leaders can simply ignore what the public thinks. In fact, effective leadership in any political system comes from knowing where the public stands and on being able to inform members of the public how and why government policies are made. This is where the media can exercise its influence on public policies.Because different political systems operate under different philosophies, we cannot expect the media to adopt the same kind of attitude toward the government, whether as an adversary or collaborator, or toward the public, whether as a guide or servant. As a result, comparative studies of press systems using the freedom-control ruler do not always yield meaningful findings about the role of the media in a society since the media in both free and controll...

The press and public trust: The case of Singapore

This paper examines the performance of the Singapore press through a public evaluation of the quality and credibility of local newspapers. The findings show that the Singapore public is basically satisfied with the overall performance of the local press but the credibility of the press is questioned by the more discerning public, especially in the coverage of domestic politics and government affairs.

Gender and Political Participation: News Consumption, Political Efficacy and Interpersonal Communication

Abstract With the backdrop of womens political progress in recent decades, this study was designed to answer two related questions. First, is there a gender gap in political participation among young males and females with similar educational background and equal access to political news and information? Second, how do factors such as news consumption, political efficacy, and political discussion interact with the relationship between gender and political participation? Through a survey of university students in Singapore, this study showed that females were less politically knowledgeable, less politically efficacious, and less likely to engage in political discussion and in offline and online political activities than males. Results further showed that females depended on political efficacy and discussion, whereas males were more likely to be motivated by political efficacy in their political participation. News consumption on the new and social media platforms also appeared to contribute to political participation for both males and females. Implications of this study were discussed.

Job satisfaction of journalists: Professional aspirations, newsroom culture and social context

Job satisfaction is one of the most popular topics in organisational behaviour research, as it affects organisational productivity and job commitment. This study examines various factors contributing to the job satisfaction of journalists by contextualising the research in the unique Singapore environment, where the news media, as state-protected monopolies, provide journalists with job security and good monetary rewards. Singapore’s news media clearly deviate from the liberal norms in terms of the legal framework within which they operate, yet the Singapore journalists compete well against professionals from other countries for international awards for editorial excellence. The newsroom culture ensures that the local journalists see themselves as supporters rather than adversaries of the government but at the same time require them to question the government about its policies and decisions. Singapore thus serves as an interesting context to test various factors that may contribute to journalists’ satisfaction with their job. Through a survey of 447 Singapore journalists, this study examines various factors that may affect the job satisfaction of journalists, including individual characteristics, job rewards, newsroom culture, perceived role of journalism, and the performance of their news organisations. The findings show that what matters most to Singapore journalists is how they see their institution perform in informing the public. Journalists who feel greater autonomy and believe in the adversarial role of the press are more satisfied with their job as journalists. In the meantime, monetary reward, job security and demographic differences are not significant factors in determining job satisfaction.

Film and Social Change: The Chinese Cinema in the Reform Era

Abstract In this article we examine changes in Chinas film industry within the context of social changes taking place in the country as a result of its dramatic reforms since 1978. China makes an interesting case to examine the relationship between the society and media because its social changes brought about by the reforms are not only dramatic in scale but also fundamental in nature. At the landmark meeting of the Third Plenum of the eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1978, CPC renounced its former practice of holding class struggle as its supreme policy and decided to shift its focus to economic development (Lee). Then in 1982, a further step was taken toward a market economy when the twelfth CPC National Congress decided to let the market play a major role in adjusting the national economy.

Trend: Television viewing among American adults in the 1990s

Using national survey data, this study shows that the trend in increased television viewing among American adults continued in the 1980s and early 1990s as in the 1960s and 1970s. Although the demographics of people who spend different amounts of time watching television did not change fundamentally, more heavy users of television were found among the socially disadvantaged (black people, the poorly educated, and people with low occupation prestige) in the 1980s and early 1990s than in the 1970s.