Chinese Journalists’ Tactics for Reporting on Sexual Violence Against Women

Abstract

In 2018, Chinese journalists found themselves up against a complex set of challenges when engaging with reporting on sexual violence against women in the news. The Chinese media sphere promotes “positive energy” (zheng nengliang正能量) to maintain social harmony and what can be considered “positive” content. Since sexual violence incidents are categorized as a “negative” and “sensitive” social issue, they are often the target of complex censorship and editorial revisions. Through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 22 Chinese journalists, this study has identified four tactics Chinese journalists use when reporting on sexual violence against women in order to avoid this censorship: (1) citing official sources as a form of implicit permission or authorization; (2) stressing the educational value of sexual violence stories; (3) using social media and public opinion to indirectly disseminate the reporting of sexual violence; and (4) publishing stories before official directives are issued. This study thus aims to shed light on the challenges faced by Chinese journalists in terms of reporting on sexual violence as a result of the dual pressures from both state and market forces, as well as how they navigate these challenges.