From The Monologue To The Dialogue: "people's Daily" Reported "two Sessions" Evolution Research (1978-2011),

Since the reform and opening up, NPC and CPPCC have increasingly attracted media’s attention. In March every year, journalists both at home and abroad focus on the Great Hall of the People and stage an intense media war concerning news coverage of the two conferences. Historically speaking, NPC and CPPCC had ever been held secretly and relevant news bulletins were not issued until they drew to a close. In the past three decades, media coverage on NPC and CPPCC has undergone tremendous changes, ranging from post-meeting news bulletins to full synchronous report, from dozens of news stories to dozens of news pages and from two or three hundred journalists to two or three thousand. From the sociological perspective and in terms of frame theory, this dissertation aims to make a study of the news coverage by People’s Daily on NPC and CPPCC from the year of1978to2011. The findings are as follows:First of all, the evolution of the news coverage by People’s Daily on NPC and CPPCC is a mirror of different times. The study argues that under a relatively loose social background, the news coverage on the two conferences is more open and can transmit richer and more comprehensive information. Otherwise, it appears to be relatively dull. On the other hand, media highlights on the two conferences have always reflected major concerns of the public.Secondly, the evolution of the news coverage by People’s Daily on NPC and CPPCC indicates that the news coverage in different period of time has inevitably been affected by its social background, reflecting the transformation of social background as well as how People’s Daily understands and deals with its social background. In other words, the coverage is not only news reports on the two conferences, but also a showcase of social background and a reflection of media performance and problems. Nevertheless, it does not mean media are solely confined to the influence of social background.Thirdly, the news coverage on NPC and CPPCC from1978to2011has seen some changes under two levels, namely, its microstructure and rhetorical structure. These changes have witnessed some phasal characteristics and varied in different stages. In terms of macrostructure, covering and interpreting the two conferences from the democratic angle serves as a guiding keynote frame and what has been changing is the extent and performance of democracy under such a frame. In fact, through NPC and CPPCC, the news coverage on NPC and CPPCC from1978to2011by People’s Daily has unfolded the process of democracy and politics as well as stories concerning the democratic process during this period of time.