Fighting Corruption in China Using the Media

ABSTRACT: It has long been acknowledged that the media plays a critical role in fighting corruption and promoting good governance. In the Chinese context, because of the nature of the media system and censorship, the mainstream discourse of corruption is controlled by the central government. However, social media has created a robust and widely accessible civil space for journalists and civil society to engage in anti-corruption. This article explores the media’s practices in curbing corruption on both state-owned media and social media in China. Using case studies, it aims to address two questions: How and by what methods (e.g. news, documentaries) does the government communicate anti-corruption information to the public through the state-owned media? How does Chinese civil society utilize social media to interact with authority and participate in the fight against corruption? On these grounds, policy implications and recommendations for reducing corruption in China are put forth.

KEYWORDS: fighting corruption, state-owned media, social media, China