Haiyan Wang, Chunyan Huang, and Liangen Yin
The China Quarterly
Abstract: Faced with the pressures of digital transformation, media organizations in China are undergoing a “think-tank turn,” in which Public Opinion Monitoring Services (POMS) are playing an integral role. This study uses POMS as a case to examine the digital transformation of Chinese media organizations and to explore the broader shifts in the political economy of Chinese media in the digital age. Combining in-depth interviews, fieldwork and analysis of secondary documents, this qualitative research study identifies the emergence of consulting as a “third role” of Chinese media, supplementing the traditional roles of news reporting and ideological propagation. This new role caters to the government’s need to govern the online space and manage public opinion through three primary operations: “timely firefighting” against dissident voices, “regular monitoring” of public opinion and the “periodic training” of information officials. In this context, POMS not only enable media organizations to navigate financial challenges but also significantly reshape their role and relationship with the state.
摘要: 面对数字化转型的多重压力, 中国媒体机构正经历着一场 “智库化转向”, 而舆情监测服务在此进程中扮演着不可或缺的关键角色。本研究以舆情监测服务为例, 考察中国媒体的数字化转型实践, 并深入探讨数字时代中国媒体深层的政治经济结构性变迁。通过深度访谈、田野调查与二手文献分析相结合的质性研究方法, 研究发现舆情服务功能已逐步发展为中国媒体的 “第三种能力”, 这既区别于常规的新闻报道角色, 也有别于传统的意识形态宣传功能。这种新型角色定位主要通过三项核心业务响应政府网络空间治理与舆情管理的现实需求: 针对异见声音的 “及时灭火”、面向网络舆情的 “日常监测”, 以及对信息管理人员的 “定期培训”。在此语境下, 舆情监测服务不仅为媒体机构应对财政压力提供了纾困之道, 更深刻地重塑了媒体自身的职能定位及其与国家权力的关系。
About the author: Haiyan Wang was a HYI Visiting Scholar from 2025-26.