Freedom of the press in China : a conceptual history, 1831-1949 / Yi Guo.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Guo, Yi, author.

Series:

China: from revolution to reform.

China: from revolution to reform

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Freedom of the press--China.

Freedom of the press.

Government and the press--China.

Government and the press.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (263 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam : Amsterdam University Press, 2020.

Summary:

Western commentators have often criticized the state of press freedom in China, arguing that individual speech still suffers from arbitrary restrictions and that its mass media remains under an authoritarian mode. Yet the history of press freedom in the Chinese context has received little examination. Unlike conventional historical accounts which narrate the institutional development of censorship and people's resistance to arbitrary repression, Freedom of the Press in China: A Conceptual History, 1831-1949 is the first comprehensive study presenting the intellectual trajectory of press freedom. It sheds light on the transcultural transference and localization of the concept in modern Chinese history, spanning from its initial introduction in 1831 to the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. By examining intellectuals' thoughts, common people's attitudes, and official opinions, along with the social-cultural factors that were involved in negotiating Chinese interpretations and practices in history, this book uncovers the dynamic and changing meanings of press freedom in modern China.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Table of Contents

A Note on Romanization

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Introduction

1 The Enlightenment of the West

2 Chuban Ziyou: The Invention of a Neologism

3 The Liminal Landscape

4 The Intellectual Legacy of Sun Yat-sen

5 The Empty Phrase and Popular Ignorance

6 Conceptual Debates in the 1920s and 1930s

7 The Last Call for Press Freedom

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 20 Nov 2020).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-003-69600-7

9781003696001

OCLC:

1197700213