key term - China Central Television

Definition

China Central Television (CCTV) is the state television broadcaster in China, owned by the Chinese government. It is the largest television network in China and one of the largest in the world, playing a crucial role in shaping national identity and broadcasting modernity in the country.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. CCTV was established in 1958 and has grown to include multiple channels and platforms, reaching a vast audience across China.
2. As a state-owned media organization, CCTV is heavily influenced by the Chinese government and often serves as a mouthpiece for official policies and narratives.
3. CCTV's programming is designed to promote a vision of modernity and national identity that aligns with the Chinese government's agenda, often through the use of propaganda techniques.
4. CCTV's international reach, through channels like CCTV News (also known as CGTN), is part of China's efforts to expand its global influence and project its soft power.
5. The dominance of CCTV in the Chinese media landscape has been criticized for limiting media diversity and freedom of expression within the country.

Review Questions

• Explain how China Central Television (CCTV) relates to the concept of broadcasting modernity in China.
  • CCTV plays a central role in broadcasting a vision of modernity that aligns with the Chinese government's agenda. Through its extensive programming and reach, CCTV promotes a specific narrative of China's economic and technological development, social progress, and cultural heritage. By framing these elements in a way that supports the government's objectives, CCTV helps to shape public perceptions and foster a sense of national identity among the Chinese people.
• Describe the relationship between China Central Television (CCTV) and the Chinese government's influence on national identity.
  • As a state-owned media organization, CCTV is heavily influenced by the Chinese government and often serves as a platform for promoting official narratives and policies. The government's control over CCTV allows it to shape the representation of national identity, emphasizing elements that align with its political and ideological goals. This includes the selective portrayal of cultural traditions, social norms, and the country's development, all of which contribute to the construction and dissemination of a particular vision of Chinese national identity through CCTV's programming.
• Evaluate the role of China Central Television (CCTV) in China's efforts to expand its global influence and project its soft power.
  • CCTV's international reach, through channels like CCTV News (also known as CGTN), is a key component of China's strategy to expand its global influence and project its soft power. By broadcasting content that presents a favorable image of China and its policies to international audiences, CCTV aims to shape perceptions, build cultural and economic ties, and ultimately increase China's global influence. This soft power approach, which relies on attraction and persuasion rather than coercion, is part of China's broader efforts to assert its presence on the world stage and challenge the dominance of Western media narratives.

Related terms

State-Owned Media: Media outlets that are owned and controlled by the government, often used to promote official narratives and policies.

Propaganda: Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.

Soft Power:

The ability to influence others through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion or force.