On Hunan's Modern Press

China underwent a historial period of transition from traditional society to modern society in the end of Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, a surging movement of social changes happened in China. As a mass media, newspapers are the epitone of social changes. This dissertation gives a thorough study of the beginning, evolution, influence and function of the Hunan's modern press on the basis of the achievements of previous studies. To learn from the experts and scholars in this field, it tries to disclose the inter-relationship between the newpapers enterprise and social changes.This dissertation contains three parts.The first part expounds the beginning of modern Hunan's press. The newspapers in the Reform Movement freshened the social atomosphere and formed the first journalists group.The second part elaborates the development of newspapers. The dissertation analyses the situation of the development of newspapers with four stages. The New-Political Movement in the end Qing Dynasty (1902-1911) was its initial stage; The beginning of the Repablic of China (1911-1927) saw the new sitration (1928-1937); Before Anti-Japanese war broke out, newspapers went through a stable development; Afterwards was its new stage. The dissertation tries to show that professional work of newspaper improved day by day and its function became more and more peofect. When the Hunan People's democratic consciousness improved gradually and public opinion's conditions got more and more liberal. All the mass media turned to the people in favor of the people's interest. This shows social changes determined newspapers' development.The third part probes that Hunan's modem press paid contribution and role on Hunan's politics, culture, thoughts and social development. This shows modern press put a counterpart on social changes.