Technology, Communication and Society: The Development Paths of China＇s Mainstream Media Convergence

———A Case Study of Mainstream Media in the Yangtze River Delta

Abstract: As China＇s mainstream  media convergence enters a critical period, the contradiction between technological rationality and social diversity is intensifying, as well as that between borderlessness of virtual communication and the attribution of physical management. The Yangtze River Delta is the leading area of China＇s mainstream media convergence, providing a significant example to the whole country. The practice of the 12 media outlets in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai demonstrates that media convergence has gone from the integration of content and talents into the integration of resources and industry, promoting the transformation of social structure and forming multiple development modes such as immersive cloud platform. However, it has not yet extricated itself from path differences, superficial integration and other issues. The development paths of media convergence include top-level design first, concentration of government resources to support mainstream  media, national unification in technology development, reduction in repetitive construction, and so on.

Keywords: Media convergence; Mainstream media; New media platform; Immersive communication

LI Qin, Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication of RUC, Director of NCSRC