A Research On The Evolution Mechanism Of The Media Institutions Changes In China

The media institutions changes in China, starting from the 19 century, are a process of evolution, as well as of the gradual development of history context. Since the 19th century, the media in China has begun to enter into the process of globalization, going through the evolution of "shock - adjustment - adaptation". As for the logic starting point, the media institutions changes are the outcome of the implantation of exotic western media at the very beginning of the process, which have influenced the subsequent evolution locus of the media institutions changes in China. In modern China the media institutions of Europe, America and Japan have basically regulated the evolution path of those in China. Until 1978, the media reform in China develops the useful and discards the useless parts of the media institutions of former Soviet Union, learns from the media institutions of Europe and America again as well, continuing the process of the evolution which is broken off during the period of late Qing Dynasty.The process of the media institutions changes in China is not only the result of the development of politics and economy, but also influenced by the path dependence, media tradition, media knowledge, media ideology, media technology and international media in the course of history. Every factor, being as parts of the deep propulsion of the media evolution in China, has an influence on the media institutions changes through its specified mechanism of transmission. Also, international influence is of vital importance. And the efficiency of the media institutions itself and the game among different subjects of media institutions changes are the decisive factors of the evolution in China.This paper drops the "static description" of the former media institutions study via the history of journalism, and replaces it with the absorption of the analytic framework of the media institutions changes in the light of historical institutionalism. This paper adopts the "factor analysis approach", analyzing the pathways and mechanisms of the influences of distinctive "impact factors" upon the media institutions, to disclose the deep forces pushing the media institutions changes forward in China.With the theoretical framework of the integrative analysis of "structure" and "action" in the light of historical institutionalism, this paper builds a "Four Dimensional Model" of the media institutions changes in China: both the "structural" constraints of the media institutions made by "the environment of media institutions" and the "subjects of the media institutions changes" construct the "factors of actions" in the course of the media institutions changes. The "endogenous" and the "exogenous variable" construct the internal and external factors of influence in the media institutions changes. Thus the study of the media institutions changes could be started from any factor of the "Four Dimensional Model".The paper believes that the media institutions changes in China conform to the logic of "survival of the fittest". On the one side, the evolution of the media institutions is dependent on the balance of game among distinctive working groups; on the other side, it also depends on the efficiency of the media institutions itself. In the view of the long-term evolution of the media institutions, only the efficient media institutions which can bring the media functions into full play can survive. In contrast, those without efficiency have difficulties in maintaining the long-time balance under the fully open and competitive environment.