On Media Power's Understanding And Exercising

The media theory has been introduced to China for more than three decades, and the media power is always a popular topic for the domestic scholars. For the research till now, there are two main features. Firstly, the Western media power is in a cross-cultural application as the recognized theoretical hypotheses, launches a normative discussion and criticism for the mass media of mainland China. Secondly, beyond the theory of evolution under the context of modern liberal theory of media power, criticizes the western media power by using post-modern theory or critical theory from the perspective of the power.However, both researches have obvious limitations. First, the so-called recognized and self-evident nature of the media power is for the originator and the developing social and media environment, by just carrying them out to explore the concept without application not only reduces the concept of cross-cultural validity but also makes the next discussion lose its meaning. Secondly, the post-modern theory of power is an internal critical theory to the structure of Western society. Using it to deny the Western media power without strict specifications will cause misplaced suspicions of it.Based on the analysis of the situation of domestic research, the paper can be divided into five parts:The first part uses the individual rights as the logical start, takes the evolution of individual rights as the clue, clarifies the media power's development process from the freedom of speech to the press, and finally being the'fourth power'. The second part interprets the two branches of media theory under the influence of enlightenment theory from the perspective of the media power. One is the public opinion supervision under the liberalism media; the other is the press criticism of the party and government power under the socialism media concept. In the view of both the media concepts under their social reality, the natures and functions of both media power has a totally different orientations.Third, western society and Chinese mass media are discussed. The western press is as a form of democratic social system, the media power is facing legitimacy crisis in the social practice; while the China's media, which in social transformation, is having an identity disorder for their own identity and media power in the context of the theory and practice way. Fourth, the study responses strategies of western society and Chinese media when they are in a dilemma. The former has a overall shift to public journalism both in theory and practice; the latter selects the position of public, just like the serious market operation media, demanding for the identity of the public spokesperson.Finally, in two cross-reflection theories of media power in the transition period of the Chinese media, and take Southern Weekend as the example, obtains the recognition orientation and expression of their media power, as well as for the significance of social democracy and the rule of law through quantitative analysis of the text.The value of media power exits in its independent of"intermediate"and"public", providing public information, integrating public opinion, and supervising public power in a just, fair and public position. The public advocate is the recognized identity and legitimacy under all the theoretical backgrounds. To express media power in the position of public whatever in career aspirations or market strategy, is the best choice for all the mainstream serious media in the transition society of China.