An Orchestra of Voices: Making the Argument for Greater Speech and Press Freedom in the People's Republic of China

(Hardback)

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China's boldest advocate for press and speech freedom provides a collection of his 1981-1999 arguments for greater freedom of press and speech, as presented to China's government, Party officials, and its intellectual community. Sun is the former Director of the Institute of the Institute of Jouranlism and Communication and the original Director of the Committee to Draft China's Press Law. His published articles-and four new ones for this book-chronicle a continuum of painstaking, relentless, and, ultimately, influential logic. He elucidates the media's disastrous role in the Cultural Revolution, the characteristics of socialist press freedom, the counter-productivity of centralized media governance, the need for law and for media diversity, and the freedoms necessary to empower the proletariat. Sun's intention is not opposition. He evokes the country's founding premises, the principal power of the proletariat, and the pattern of early, market economy successes to chisel away at entrenched centralism and lingering feudalism. This collection offers rare entry into the mind of an exceedingly brave and principled man who-for 20 years-has declared those principles through unmitigating difficulty and dullness. An important think-piece for all scholars and researchers involved with press freedoms and contemporary China.

Reviews

"An important book. Essential for those with an interest in freedom of expression--or rather the lack of it--in China."-Gene Roberts former Managing Editor of the New York Times
"This book should be required reading for everyone interested in understanding how the contentious issues of press freedom is viewed in China today. Sun Xupei proposes that China work toward a media system that is a cross between the current state-controlled media system and the commercial system of the West. While his ideas on press law may seem impractical or even abhorent to U.S. media scholars, nevertheless, they represent important statements of a brave man's personal and professional struggle to liberalize journalism in a nation that still is emerging from its feudal and bloody past. Dr. Xupei's voice has been heard in China for years as he has raised issues of press freedom that would otherwise have been overlooked. We can thank his editor for giving us this opportunity to hear his voice in the Westen world."-Dr. Maurine Beasley former writer for the Washington Post Professor of Journalism University of Maryland
.,."this volume presents the work of a committed, courageous, and thoughtful intellectual who fights for "socialist press freedom" within severely imposed limits."-The Journal of Asian Studies
...this volume presents the work of a committed, courageous, and thoughtful intellectual who fights for "socialist press freedom" within severely imposed limits.-The Journal of Asian Studies
Sun's perspectives will be useful, especially to those who thrive on comparative analysis. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals.-Choice Reviews
This recently published book...is one of the most important research publications regarding the topic of freedom of the press in China....this book will have great impact upon the international academic field....The writer of this review highly recommends this publication to academic researchers and university professors in social sciences and humanities.-American Review in China Studies
..."this volume presents the work of a committed, courageous, and thoughtful intellectual who fights for "socialist press freedom" within severely imposed limits."-The Journal of Asian Studies
"Sun's perspectives will be useful, especially to those who thrive on comparative analysis. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals."-Choice Reviews
"This recently published book...is one of the most important research publications regarding the topic of freedom of the press in China....this book will have great impact upon the international academic field....The writer of this review highly recommends this publication to academic researchers and university professors in social sciences and humanities."-American Review in China Studies

Author Bio

SUN XUPEI is Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Journalism at the graduate school of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Journalism and Communication. He was editor of the Huaibei Bureau of Mining's Miners News and is also author of New Treatise on Journalism (1994). Sun served as Director of the Media Law Reserach Office and Director of the Institute of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. DR. ELIZABETH C. MICHEL is a Visiting Profesor of Communication at Kennesaw State University and President of Kairos COmmunicating Strategies, Incorporated. Michel is author of the Karios Communicating Process (1998) and the Karios Communicating Strategies Interactive CD-ROM (2000). She served as Communication Department Chair at Mars Hill College and as Visiting Scholar to the Institute of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.