Political Control, Market Competition And The Chinese Local Party Newspaper's Influence (1978-2009)

Why party organs of Guangdong are always bellwether in the Chinese local party organs in the media reform since 1978? Why party organs of Guangdong are more influential then other local party organs? Different structures of 'political control - market competition' result in different party organs' influence.The index of political control is: dependent extent on public finance, party committee's personnel patronage, propaganda discipline, transshipment of reports from Xinhua News Agency and People's Daily, and criticism report. The index of market competition is: number of local newspaper chain, newspaper, TV channel, radio station, and news website. The index of party organs' influence is: circulation, market share, reports transshipped by other media, official authorization from leaders.Most Chinese local party organs' influence descends. Guangdong has political privilege and flourishing economics. Compared with other party organs, party organs of Guangdong face a unique circumstance: more free in politics, more competitors in market.There are three forms of political control over newspapers: 'agent of power', 'medium is ideology', and 'spiral of silence'. There are two kinds of political control in China: ideology persuasion by Party's personnel and propaganda sector, and units' control which coverage state-owned enterprises and public service units. Newspapers have to compete with TV, broadcast and internet for consumers and advertisement. More and more newspapers are controlled by less and less newspaper chains. The development trend of Chinese newspapers is from party organs' monopoly to monopolistic competition. Some party organs become the lead of newspaper chains; some other organs invest and operate business besides media industry.Party organs' influence is propaganda, mobilization, organization, education and criticism. They also propose to the leading-groups in the decision-making process.The international trend of newspaper is: less political control and more market competition. Party organs have to balance the relationship between ideology and profits. Party organs both are Party's propaganda sector in politics and enterprises in market. Party organs of Guangdong always blaze a way in the newspaper reform. Civic party organs have more political and economic free choice than provincial party organs.In most newspaper chains, party organs keep correct stand, sub-newspapers make profits. Guangzhou Daily and Shenzhen Daily are unique, because most other local party organs still depend on public finance and official subscription. The reform of party organs is determinate restricted and will never total participate in market competition.