Research On The Chinese National Geographic(1950-2013)

As a typical model of science communication, during its60years of practice andexploration, Chinese National Geography has undertook the great evolution from the“scientific magazine”, which puts more emphasis on information rather than oninteraction, to the “scientific communication” which focuses on interaction,information and faithfulness. It embodies the scientific spirit of seeking truth,manages to set up a national image of culture, and realizes both visual satisfaction anddeep reading. Therefore, it becomes a significant carrier of national image and culture,and embodies its sincere humanistic concern as a national journal.The present studies on Chinese National Geography are mostly carried out fromthe one-way dimension prospective, such as its business, valuable experience, visualeffect, etc., while lack of the overall and complete analysis on its history. Thisdissertation, however, based on all the journals of CNG since its foundation in1950to2013, from the perspective of trans-disciplines such as media geography, economics,communication and visual art, makes a profound analysis on CNG’s development,transition, style formation and media performance, and dissects CNG’s relations withthe contemporary social thoughts and background, thereby demonstrates CNG’sdifferent characteristics, its inner culture mechanism and communication styles atdifferent times, with the content as follows:In the chapter talking about CNG’s history, through analyzing the journal’s upsand downs at different times, the dissertation points out that the over60years historyof CNG can be divided into four periods: foundation, depression, revival andtransition, each being subjected to the contemporary mainstream ideology, while theperiods also indicate the feature’s shift from general epochal character to specific onesin different episodes of social development, its communication patterns fromone-dimension scientific one to multicultural humanity. Therefore, CNG develops tobe a clearly oriented and positioned scientific journal with professional knowledge,humanism and art. In the chapter of its development, this dissertation mainly analyzes CNG’spractice and explore in some key episodes of its long history with twists and turns.Based on nature and geography, CNG is aiming at science communication and thespread of humanistic spirit. After comprehensive studies on the intimate connectionbetween CNG and the contemporary thoughts, the manage groups, media technologyand readers, the writer states that CNG has formed its own stable characteristic andstyle in visual appreciation, collection value, and otherness, so as to perform a widerange of credibility and influence in the society.In the part about communication pattern, from the perspective of mediageography, district communication and visual theory, the dissertation puts forwardthat the journal has took on the transition and deep connection between content andcarrier, history and reality, as well as diverse cultures in different areas. It gains theattractive elements--concentration, profound analysis, science guidance, questioning,and innovative viewpoints, thus becomes distinguished in this field. CNG not onlydedicates in the communication of science, but also in that of culture and art. Byretelling, re-imagining and rebuilding, CNG defines the geographic features with newmeanings, and creates a symbolized cultural presentation and media presentation aswell. Distinctively, it illustrates the fictitious world that the readers build up in theirmind, and works on its substantialization together with readers through reading.In the end, with the comparison between CNG and other journals of the samekind, the writer mainly focuses on the development of diversity among CNG and theUSA’ s National Geographic, and National Geographic, based on the belief that thecomparison among the same kind of journals may clearly show us the great gapbetween China and the West in the aspects of science and technology development, inthe science communication and in citizen’s science knowledge. CNG may learn theadvanced design by continual practice, while the content mainly relies on the greatscience power and talents in our country. CNG still needs to carry on deeperinnovation in original content, media technology, aesthetic improvement and media marketing, to set up a broader view of seeing things, then to take the greatresponsibility of science communication in our nation.Through analyzing the connection between CNG’s characteristic and the changesof time, cultural features and readers, this dissertation attempts to do someconstructive preparation work for the research of science communication. The writeris holding the hope that the outcome of this paper could reflect some aspects ofChinese journals’ development and innovation, and offer some inspiration andexperience to the media of the same kind.