The construction of journalistic legitimacy in China (1872–2026)

Abstract

This study examines the historical construction of journalistic legitimacy in China from 1872 to 2026 from an industry-centered perspective. While existing scholarship has largely focused on the lack of press freedom, the party-state media system, and marketization, relatively little attention has been given to legitimacy as an overarching analytical framework. To address this gap, this study proposes that the legitimacy of journalism in China is shaped by four interrelated dimensions: state, social, technological, and industry legitimacy. Using industry texts as the primary analytical entry point, this study employs qualitative textual analysis to examine how journalism defines its roles, responsibilities, and boundaries, and how it responds to and internalizes external expectations from the state, society, and technological change across different historical periods. The study finds that the legitimacy of journalism in China is not primarily produced from within the profession itself, but is continuously shaped by the interaction of state power, social expectations, and media technologies over time. As a result, although journalism in China has long possessed institutional necessity and formal legitimacy, it has struggled to sustain a genuine commitment to public service and professional autonomy, resulting in a structural paradox of being legitimate but not free.