Dancing with chains: A comparative analysis of Chinese media's coverage of the SARS crisis

Conventional propaganda theory emphasizes deliberate manipulation and forceful control. Propaganda is readily found in Communist countries where media are under control of governments, such as China. However, recent studies suggest that some fundamental structural changes have occurred in Chinese media (e.g., decentralization, market considerations, and audience orientation), and there is a call for reexamining Chinese news press in this changing environment.; How the Chinese government handled the SARS crisis, from dysfunctional underreaction at the beginning to dynamic overreaction by the end of the epidemic, provides a unique opportunity to study propaganda and media in a changing environment. How is the SARS crisis covered by traditional propaganda media and newly emerged commercialized media? What role has media played in the government's changing policy toward the SARS crisis? Utilizing content analysis research method, this study investigates these questions and explores a broader and more sophisticated approach to the study of Chinese media.