Whose Vision Is It Anyway? The “Free Internet” in Chinese State Media

This study seeks to explain how Chinese state media bolster the use of visions in global internet governance. The empirical data for the article consist of 1,158 internet-related articles published in the Global Times between 2009 and 2018. I develop a theoretical perspective that distinguishes betw...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Stefan Brehm
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2021-04-01
Series:Journal of Current Chinese Affairs
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/1868102621998084
Description
Summary:This study seeks to explain how Chinese state media bolster the use of visions in global internet governance. The empirical data for the article consist of 1,158 internet-related articles published in the Global Times between 2009 and 2018. I develop a theoretical perspective that distinguishes between grand and strategic narratives. Based on a mixed-methods approach, I show that “internet sovereignty” has qualified as a grand narrative since the second half of 2013. State media facilitate this shift with strategic narratives that push the content and context of “internet sovereignty” from domestic political rationales towards a matter of global affairs. The article contributes to theoretical and methodological advancement in textual analysis.
ISSN:1868-1026
1868-4874