Simmering:the New Press And The Old Empire

During the summer and autumn in 1878.Shenbao's coverage of Guo Songtao,who was an ambassador to the UK on that time were politicized in his own imagination because of his career setback.Therefore,in the assumption of his political conspiracy theory,an "Acrossing Eurasian Continent" pursuit of responsibility has been conducted.However,with the continuous negotiations between the two sides.The newspaper,emerge as an independent institution with a logic of its own,has been gradually interwoven the case of "reputation dispute" into a complex political and cultural changes at that time.Finally,in consideration of their own interest,both sides accepted a "Chinese Tyoe compromise." with the help-of Davenport and Hiller in a friendly way.This dissertation argues that the case from the seemingly ordinary reputation disputes,to gradually involved in the political future of the parties,the interests of the capital,as well as the cultural conflict between countries and diplomatic adjustment.For the Qing Empire in late 19th,the conflict between "Shenbao" and Guo Songtao is extraordinary of itself.Its significance in historical process,to be seriously,can not be simpliefied interpreted as "the First Honorary Dispute in Chinese Press History".From the perspective of communication,the case revolves around the "media-use" of bureaucratic scholar-bureaucrat.It shows that with the enterance of new media in late Qing Dynasty,the way of information-recieveand experience-feeling as-well-as political life and social relationship for bureaucratic scholar-bureaucrat,who were the core of empire,has been changed and regulated by the newspaper.Therefore,the case provides us a valuable window to observe the relationship between the modern press and the imperial society before 1894.Actually,Guo Songtao and Major were exerprienced a baptism of mediatized politics during this more than six months course.Thus it can be seen,the confilct between "Shenbao" and Guo Songtao was not just a dispute of reputation.Given its special historical context,two undercurrents behind the case may be more worthy of attention.Firstly,from the political perspective,due to the entrance of modern press,the linear transmission system which has long been the rulers for management of the entire empire political system gradually declined.Newspapers has gradually became the "barometer" and "seeding machine" of politic from this time.Secondly,from the cultural dimension of view,the new press represented by the "Shenbao",in addition to the nature of the "information dissemination" of the functional dimension,its"public relations" has begun to impact on the scholar-bureaucrat.Newspapers emerged as an independent institution with a logic of its own to the scholar-bureaucrat,reshaping the communication network of the late Qing Dynasty.