The Construction And Deconstruction Of CCTV NEWS Myth

Since 1978, China's TV industry has entered the phase of "comprehensive reform and revitalization". In a complex media and communication environment, CCTV News inherited from People's Broadcasting Station Network Across the Country, News Briefing, TV News and other programs their form, content, positioning, operation process, structure, broadcasting style, etc. The program was born and developed rapidly with the help of opportunities; it was the only national TV news program which got authorization from the Party Central Committee, thus establishing its outstanding position in China's propaganda system.In the late 70s and early 80s of the 20th century, a critical period of social transformation in China, CCTV News is similar to ancient myth in terms of content, form and function. It represents the will of the party and the state, constructing a new "myth" in three layers: news coverage in micro view, program form in medium view and ideology in macro view. The program united and inspired the audience with oriented general content and reporting structure; it constructed a national identity for the audience with news narrative; it formed the audience's cognitive image of the country by way of symbolization; it created a sense of belonging through ritualization; it gradually make the audience form a fixed way of thinking with model precipitation of the report content, solidification of the value system and promotion of the dominant culture. During the period, the program constructed a highly centralized "unified" virtual environment by mimicking the reality, leading the public opinion effectively; "CCTV News Doctrine" had dominated the local mainstream news broadcast profoundly, so the period can be regarded as "God's era" for the program.Since Deng Xiaoping's southern tour in 1992 and the 14th National Congress of CPC, when China set the goal to establish a socialist market economy, the reform has become deeper and deeper. Under the impact of social transformation, marketization, information globalization, network technology development as well as the media literacy enhancement of the audience, CCTV News, still using the backward mode of propaganda and rigid reporting mode, formed itself a stereotype among the audience in terms of monotonous narration symbol and tedious rhythm. Not only the viewing rate was decreased and crisis appeared in acceptance for social plural expression, its social influence and demonstration effect on other media speech were also weakened; its dominance of discourse was seriously challenged, and its media hegemony was deconstructed continuously. The program was forced to step down the alter and entered "man's era".The external force to deconstruct CCTV News myth comes primarily from internet spoof, which realized the subversion of its speech power and authority in a unintentional manner of entertainment. Next is the market culture influence on the program, making it a "money printing machine" that focused too much on economic benefits, which undermined the public trust. At the same time, the program has always been conducting a limited self-deconstruction---"improvement" but strictly confined to the original framework: compressing politicalized news, increasing news capacity; updating broadcasting ideology, strengthening the humanity; focusing on track reports of emergent events and public opinion guidance on sensitive events; optimizing program form, etc.Fundamentally, CCTV News reform is to achieve "a double refusal of one-sided ideology function and purely commercial function", thus realizing the functional transformation from propaganda and education to public services. First of all, replace the commercial ads before and after the program with public service ads, and resume the national anthem music videos. Secondly, "de-instrumentalize" the program in image without changing the instrumental property of it. Follow the law of news broadcasting, approach continuously towards the objective, real, independent, free and other characteristics of news professionalism as well as the "news-based" requirement, and rebuild the media credibility of the program.