It is now obvious to say that people can now ‘stay at home’ without moving physically to enjoy exotic cultural experiences through electronic media. It is important to understand which channels young people use to consume foreign media products, especially in an era of rapid change in information and communication technologies.
According to the data (see Table 4.6), a variety of mobile internet-connected devices such as laptops, phones, iPads are the main methods and first choices that participants use to access foreign media products. The traditional ways of watching dramas and films – television and cinema - are no longer as popular as before, especially television. This is particularly relevant for the two student groups as, in general, in Chinese universities there is no television in student accommodation. Participants from the local (Beijing) group have provided several reasons why they gave up using television. First, No.1 complained that American drama on TV has generally been dubbed. In other words, it has to some extent been localized and lacks its original flavor. Moreover, television is not as flexible as mobile internet-connected device. Television has limited resources for them to choose and cannot meet their needs, at the same time, people have to follow the television programming schedule. It is not as flexible and resource-abundant as a mobile internet-connected device (2 and 4). Also, TV shows many more domestic products rather than foreign media products (2), and those foreign dramas and films shown on TV normally strictly follow the policy of the State Administration of Radio Film and Television, so those products young people prefer might be filtered out by Chinese media policy (4). Their statements reflect this strict policy - Announcement of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television on Further Strengthening and Improving the Management of Introduction and Broadcasting of Foreign Film and Television Dramas (2012, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of The People’s Republic of China). A stricter policy – Announcement of Relevant Regulations on Further Implementation of the Management of Online and Foreign Film and Television Drama by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of The People’s Republic of China (2014) – was enacted in 2014. Part
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of the two policies is related to rigid control over the copyright and the import limit on the number of foreign media products. It cannot be denied that there are issues of copyright infringement among young people. At least, at the time of interviews, these policies could not stop participants searching for resources online. There is a common saying in China to describe this kind of phenomena. That is ‘the government has its policies and people down below have their own ways of getting around them’.
Compared to using television, which seems to be out of fashion, and the high rate of using mobile internet-connected devices, going to the cinema to watch films is still common. Going to cinemas for foreign blockbusters is welcomed (middle class 3 and 4, local; non- local; short-term/no overseas experience). Cinema has its own advantages, particularly in relation to witnessing the ‘special effects’. By contrast, several participants have mentioned they would not spend money going to see domestic films. One participant held a very negative opinion on the quality of domestic films and asserted ‘there is no need to go to cinema for the domestic films’ (local group). These answers give the impression that domestic films are very likely to flop badly at the box office. However, one participant mentioned that, besides blockbusters, he sometimes goes to the cinema to domestic films depending on who were the directors and actors (non-local 3). One participant (short-term/no overseas experience) claimed that if it cost no money, she would go to see domestic films. It implies that most young people are unwilling to spend money on products of low quality. According to their answers, the quality of domestic films was a concern.
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Table 4.6 The channels participants choose for consumption User Mobile Internet-
connected Device Traditional Media Television Cinema Students, younger ++ Phone/ laptop/ computer/ iPad － － Students, older ++ Internet/ download from ITV No
we’ve not got TV in our student
accommodations. Hahahahaahaha! (all began to laugh out loud.) + Middle- class ++ Internet/ iPad － －
No. 3 & 4: In general, only Blockbusters I will choose to go to cinema. No. 5: I don’t care whether it is blockbuster or not. I seldom visit the cinema. Blue- collar/ working class ++ Internet/ iPhone/ Laptop No －
No. 1: ‘To tell the truth, I am so busy that I have no time for cinema.’ Local residents (Beijing) ++ Internet (online platform: －
No.1: In general, the American drama on
+
-For blockbusters and its special effects.
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Youku/Iqiyi/ Renren)
television is dubbed. (complain)
No. 2: The number of domestic dramas are overwhelming on television. You hardly come across
something you like on television. It is just like… you suddenly come across someone you really like in the vast anonymous mass of population. Such a small chance!’
No.4: Television is not as flexible as internet. You can keep
watching on internet, but…for television, you have to follow the television program table. Those you like have been generally filtered by the State Administration of Radio Film and
- There is no need to go to cinema for the domestic film.
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Television.
Non-local ++ Internet
No +
For blockbuster and special effects. No. 3: For domestic films, it depends on the film directors and actors and actresses. Male ++ Internet: Youku Phone － － Female ++ Internet Phone － － Short-term overseas/no experience ++ Internet Online iPad Mobile device － + For blockbusters. No domestic films, except for free of charge.
Legend:
++ = very high frequency mentioned + =mentioned, with different mixed opinion + = high frequency －= low frequency but mentioned
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Chapter 5
Findings and Analysis II: Cosmopolitan experience during consumption of foreign media
Choosing to use foreign media products with different motives and reasons is an action that demonstrates certain degree of openness towards the ‘Other’. It is very important to know what happens in participant’s minds and what they are thinking during the interaction with different cultural meaning systems. Thus, this chapter aims to explore how cosmopolitanism in cultural aspect is experienced by participants during the time when they are consuming foreign media content.