Citizen–media interaction in China’s local participatory reform: a contingent participation model
Mass media play an important role in grassroots democracy, yet the dynamics of media-citizen interaction remains under-researched. Using the case of “Civil Monitory Organization” (CMO) program in Zhejiang’s Wenzhou city, we show how local media and the local government to whom the local media are he...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
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Taylor & Francis
2017
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42677/ |
| _version_ | 1848796542417240064 |
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| author | Zhuang, Meixi Zhang, Xiaoling Morgan, Stephen |
| author_facet | Zhuang, Meixi Zhang, Xiaoling Morgan, Stephen |
| author_sort | Zhuang, Meixi |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Mass media play an important role in grassroots democracy, yet the dynamics of media-citizen interaction remains under-researched. Using the case of “Civil Monitory Organization” (CMO) program in Zhejiang’s Wenzhou city, we show how local media and the local government to whom the local media are held accountable shape citizen participation. We develop the framework of “contingent participation” to analyze the constraints on local political participation. Based on our observation of the CMO activism, we typologize four participation behaviours: (1) symbolic participation, (2) instrumental participation, (3) managed participation, and (4) transgressive participation. We conclude that contingent participation yields paradoxical results inherent under authoritarian rule: it aims to mobilize citizens to solve governance problems, yet denies the free flow of information and full participation of citizens. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:49:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-42677 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:49:38Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-426772020-05-04T19:02:38Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42677/ Citizen–media interaction in China’s local participatory reform: a contingent participation model Zhuang, Meixi Zhang, Xiaoling Morgan, Stephen Mass media play an important role in grassroots democracy, yet the dynamics of media-citizen interaction remains under-researched. Using the case of “Civil Monitory Organization” (CMO) program in Zhejiang’s Wenzhou city, we show how local media and the local government to whom the local media are held accountable shape citizen participation. We develop the framework of “contingent participation” to analyze the constraints on local political participation. Based on our observation of the CMO activism, we typologize four participation behaviours: (1) symbolic participation, (2) instrumental participation, (3) managed participation, and (4) transgressive participation. We conclude that contingent participation yields paradoxical results inherent under authoritarian rule: it aims to mobilize citizens to solve governance problems, yet denies the free flow of information and full participation of citizens. Taylor & Francis 2017-08-28 Article PeerReviewed Zhuang, Meixi, Zhang, Xiaoling and Morgan, Stephen (2017) Citizen–media interaction in China’s local participatory reform: a contingent participation model. Journal of Contemporary China, 27 (109). pp. 120-136. ISSN 1469-9400 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10670564.2017.1363025 doi:10.1080/10670564.2017.1363025 doi:10.1080/10670564.2017.1363025 |
| spellingShingle | Zhuang, Meixi Zhang, Xiaoling Morgan, Stephen Citizen–media interaction in China’s local participatory reform: a contingent participation model |
| title | Citizen–media interaction in China’s local participatory reform: a contingent participation model |
| title_full | Citizen–media interaction in China’s local participatory reform: a contingent participation model |
| title_fullStr | Citizen–media interaction in China’s local participatory reform: a contingent participation model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Citizen–media interaction in China’s local participatory reform: a contingent participation model |
| title_short | Citizen–media interaction in China’s local participatory reform: a contingent participation model |
| title_sort | citizen–media interaction in china’s local participatory reform: a contingent participation model |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42677/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42677/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42677/ |