Media in China: New convergences, new approaches

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book concerns a new kind of revolution in China, a revolution in which rapidly commercializing media industries confront slow-changing power relations between the political, social and economic spheres. It draws on the expertise of industry professionals, academic experts and cultural critics, media in China: consumption, content and crisis, and offers a variety of 'takes' on audiovisual industries in 'the world's largest media market'. The book looks at television, film, music, commercial and political advertising, as well as new developments in communications such as the Internet and multimedia resources. It explores evolving audience demographics, new patterns of media reception in regional centres, and the gradual internationalization of media content and foreign investment in China's broadcasting industries. The book also looks at new media technologies and possible futures for China's media industries in the light of World Trade Organization (WTO) accession, digitization, and media convergence.