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Media Corruption: A Chinese Characteristic

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  • Ren Li

Abstract

Misbehaviour and malpractices of Chinese journalists in recent years have brought media corruption under the spotlight. The lack of professionalism and scarcity of fully established ethics in media organisations have made the case worse. However, while Chinese media and academics concentrate narrowly on paid-for news or gag fee by prompting the enforcement of disciplinary restraints and ‘thought education’, this hot issue has been largely ignored by western scholars and has only been occasionally reported by some western media. Based mainly on prominent cases and document studies, this article classifies three major types of media corruption in the Chinese context: (1) individual red-envelope taking, (2) institutional profit seeking and (3) personal businesses benefiting from the identity of a reporter. It then explores two major endogenous causes of media corruption: media’s unique role in China’s political power structure and their monopoly in information collection and delivery. Two current countermeasures undertaken against this phenomenon in China are finally analysed. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Ren Li, 2013. "Media Corruption: A Chinese Characteristic," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(2), pages 297-310, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:116:y:2013:i:2:p:297-310
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-012-1464-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    6. Laureen Albarrán Díaz de León & Jerjes Aguirre Ochoa, 2014. "Analyzing Organized Crime From A Business Perspective: The Case Of Mexican Meth Mafia," International Journal of Asian Social Science, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 4(9), pages 977-990, September.
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    9. Yi Ru & Jian Xue & Yuan Zhang & Xin Zhou, 2020. "Social connections between media and firm executives and the properties of media reporting," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 963-1001, September.
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    11. Michael A. Sartor & Paul W. Beamish, 2020. "Private Sector Corruption, Public Sector Corruption and the Organizational Structure of Foreign Subsidiaries," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(4), pages 725-744, December.

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