Discourse and the Contemporary Chinese Media: An Expanding Research Field

This contribution outlines the rationale and scope of the journal issue on Discourse and the Contemporary Chinese Media. It argues that discourse analysis provides a valuable framework for examining how language, ideology, and power interact within China’s evolving media landscape. The article highlights the relevance of discourse-analytical and pragmatic approaches for investigating media narratives across diverse platforms, genres, and audiences in contemporary China. It also addresses the methodological debate surrounding the application of discourse theories developed in Western contexts to Chinese media, arguing that such approaches remain effective when grounded in rigorous methodology and informed contextual knowledge. By introducing the contributions collected in this issue, the article demonstrates how discourse studies can illuminate processes of meaning-making, representation, and ideological construction in contemporary Chinese media.