The Historical Origins Of The Chinese Media Intellectuals And Identity Reconstruction

It has been a long time since intellectuals involved themselves in the mass media industry. However, with the growth of mass media industry, the social image of medium intellectuals is drifting away from that of the intellectual group. Therefore, it is of great significance and interest for the author to define the way of appropriately positioning medium intellectuals and rebuilding the image of them under new historical context.The author starts with the review of intellectuals participating in the mass media activities in different times, from the ancient times to the modern times then the present times. At the very beginning, the intellectuals are just aware of the effects of mass media and at the modern times, the intellectuals take the best of newspapers and magazines to enlighten the people. After the above analysis, the author analyzes the current role of intellectuals in mass media so as to analyze the main structure of medium intellectuals. The results are that there are three types of intellectuals actively involved in mass media industry:scholars, medium people/scholars and successful businessmen. With the ever accelerating growth of mass media industry, the technology development offers convenient and reliable support for the development of medium intellectuals. The mass media industry needs medium intellectuals not only to improve credibility and brand value of media programs, but also to provide solutions and raise the cognition efficiency. Meanwhile, medium intellectuals are also eager to spread the knowledge and comment on whatever is happening.During the development of medium, intellectuals, the nature has been changed with the effect of various obstacles. The author explores the reason for the changes and finds that intellectuals that go for the media are lured by the commercial effects of the media. Meanwhile, some pseudo-intellectuals are blended into this group and some intellectuals'self-awareness has weakened. On the other hand, some intellectuals are indulged in their own research world and refuse to shoulder their social responsibility.With the analysis of the above topics, the author summarizes the types and structures of medium intellectuals. Then with the reason for the medium nature changes, the author clarifies the "lost" image that medium intellectuals should bring back and it is urgent to rebuild the image. Medium intellectuals should cooperate, not conspire with the media; should instruct, not induce the audience and finally should find the way back to being medium intellectuals with self-awareness and self-cognition.It is not a one-day job to cultivate the rationality of medium intellectuals. It is a process with continuous questioning and rethinking. The author's definition of medium intellectuals is derived from the historical and present views:They are different from the superior elites and not the "television intellectuals" defined by Bourdieu. They spread their academic findings to more audience through mass media. They refuse to turn their complaints about the current social orders into understanding without rejection, calmness without fighting and acceptance without agreement. They want to be independent intellectuals with self-awareness who will express their views as experts through the scientific research.To conclude, the real medium intellectuals are not accessories to the business or the spokesman of media or observers of the public. They volunteer to eliminate the limits of media by using media. In doing so, they will perform their social responsibility as solution providers. During the development of medium intellectuals, although some intellectuals have avoided mass media due to the twisted commercial effects, these phenomena are just part of their growth. The real medium intellectuals will be mature and strong with more social experience, public supervision, knowledge and increasing self-cognition.