Digital transition in Chinese newspaper industry: the case studies of two metropolitan newspaper companies

Huang, Miao (2017) Digital transition in Chinese newspaper industry: the case studies of two metropolitan newspaper companies. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This study focuses on digital transition in the Chinese newspaper industry and on associated changes in management and business practice at newspaper publishers. Drawing on a case study analysis of two leading metropolitan newspaper companies – the Qianjiang News Chain and the Nandu News Chain, it sets out to investigate how newspaper publishers are adjusting their management strategies and production practices to adapt to technological changes and ensure their survival. It also examines to what extent the changes are in line with the relevant government policies. Looking specifically at electronic retailing and online marketing operated by the two publishers respectively, this dissertation will address three questions. How the strategic management of newspaper companies in China is changing to facilitate the operation of new businesses in the Internet era. How content production related to the new businesses is changing in response to digital transition and the integration of editorial and commercial activities. To what extent the altered practices of newspaper companies are either consistent or conflicting with the requirement of related government policies.

Findings of the empirical analysis are in three aspects. Firstly, in order to facilitate the operation of new businesses, the strategic management of QNC and NNC are changing in three aspects: corporate expansion, organisational re-structuring and cultural adaption. Secondly, the production activities of QNC and NNC are simultaneously affected by the practices of digitisation and commercialisation, which is reflected by the special content products – promotional articles. Lastly, with the changes of organisational activities, the industry practices of QNC and NNC are consistent to the inclination of certain state policies on the one hand, and conflict with some established government regulations on the other. In summary, the practice of new business in QNC and NNC is the miniature of the transition in the Chinese newspaper industry, which inherits the features formed in the decade of evolvement. Meanwhile, as the two publishers are pioneers in the Chinese newspaper industry, their practices lead the trend of novel exploration in the future.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Additional Information: Supported by funding from the China Scholarship Council.
• Keywords: digital transition, digitisation, commercialisation, Chinese newspaper, metropolitan newspaper, newspaper company.
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management; N Fine Arts > NE Print media
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts
• Funder's Name: China Scholarship Council
• Supervisor's Name: Doyle, Professor Gillian and Selfe, Doctor Melanie
• Date of Award: 2017
• Depositing User: MS Miao Huang
• Unique ID: glathesis:2017-8067
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 04 May 2017 11:42
• Last Modified: 08 Apr 2024 13:19
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.8067
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/8067