My PhD research currently focuses on exploring the contemporary issues on Chinese media and journalism. Specifically, it looks at how the investigative journalists in Beijing perceive their industry in terms of making their news claims justified as knowledge in reporting. It also involves discussions on knowledge formation of journalists, journalists-sources relationship, constructing newsworthiness, truth VS fact, professional norms and related methodological concerns.
Moreover, my research incorporates queries on the compatibility and adaptation of Western media and journalism theories in interpreting and framing Chinese cases. From phenomenological perspectives to theoretical assumptions, many research have demonstrated that the development of Chinese journalism shows strong 'Chinese characteristics', which are hard to be conceptualized with Western theories. In my research, I also try to exam to what extent, the journalistic practice in China is availabe/not-available to be explained under Western frameworks; how this discrepancy is constructed in the academic discourses; in what aspects, this gap can be bridged with methodological improvement.
Most of my data I applied in my research are based on six month fieldwork I carried out in Beijing in 2017. Different types of qualitative research methods are employed, including in-depth interview with investigative journalists and media professionals, participant observation in media organization and document research as well.