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Within and without bounds: media and the journalist in the fiction of Chinese writer Sun Haoyuan

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Within and without bounds: media and the journalist in the fiction of Chinese writer Sun Haoyuan

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Content WITHIN AND WITHOUT BOUNDS:
MEDIA AND THE JOURNALIST IN THE FICTION OF CHINESE WRITER SUN
HAOYUAN

by

Chengnan Chen

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS)

May 2012

Copyright 2012 Chengnan Chen
ii

Epigraph
“Fictional journalists, however, are only fun-house mirror reflections of real
journalists. Fiction writers can claim that their characters come from ‘the truer
world of the novelist … all imaginary, and all true.’ But fiction’s truths, like
nonfiction’s truths, are not entirely true. Just as biography, journalism, and other
forms of nonfiction distort reality, create stereotypes, (and) can perpetuate myths,
so fiction also produces partial truths.”
— Paulie Kael, Raising Kane

iii

Dedication

To those who have stood alongside me in my journey

iv

Acknowledgements
It has been a struggle for me to give up literature and choose to enter
Journalism School in my graduate study. Novelists and journalists, however,
have one thing in common: they all use their pen and ink writing stories. I am so
grateful to have my chairperson Professor Joe Saltzman. It is Joe and his Image
of the Journalist in Popular Culture (IJPC) project, that inspired me to delve into
the world of both literature and media industry. This thesis would not have been
possible without Joe’s patience, enthusiasm and constant encouragement.
I would also like to express my gratitude to my other thesis committee
members, Professor Jay Wang and Professor Mei Fong, for their guidance and
help. My thanks also go to Professor Zhirong Liu and Yesong Zhang, professors
from Department of Chinese Language and Literature of Fudan University, who
have given me suggestions on identifying and searching journalistic novels in
China.
Finally, my writing reflects my personality, and whether personality is
shaped by nature or nurture, I thank my parents. I know that graduate school is a
privilege that cost not only dollars but also distance. It is neither a small
achievement nor a small sacrifice for them to send me to study at one of the
finest universities in the United States. I thank them for their loving support.

v

Table of Contents
Epigraph ................................................................................................................ ii
Dedication ............................................................................................................. iii
Acknowledgements .............................................................................................. iv
Abstract ................................................................................................................. vi
Chapter One: Introduction ..................................................................................... 1
Literature Review ............................................................................................... 1
Methodology ...................................................................................................... 4
Background: History, Journalism, and Fiction in China ..................................... 5
Chapter Two: Plot Summary and Characters ...................................................... 11
Mafia Game: The Hypodermic — Syringe Theory ........................................... 12
Mafia Game: The Media Violence ................................................................... 14
Mafia Game: The Live Broadcast .................................................................... 16
Hush Money .................................................................................................... 17
Chapter Three: The Image of the Male Journalist in Sun’s novels ...................... 19
Lifestyle and Work Style: The Frontline Soldiers ............................................. 19
Ambiguity: A Flawed Hero ............................................................................... 21
Dancing With Shackles .................................................................................... 26
Chapter Four: The Image of the Female Journalist in Sun’s novels .................... 29
Attires, Relationships, and Work ..................................................................... 30
The Female with Manhood .............................................................................. 31
TV Celebrities: The News Anchorwoman ........................................................ 32
Chapter Five: The Image of the Investigative Journalist in Sun’s novels ............ 35
Watchdog on Party Leashes ........................................................................... 35
Ethics, Misrepresentation, and Surreptitious Newsgathering .......................... 39
A Dangerous Craft ........................................................................................... 41
Chapter Six: Conclusion ...................................................................................... 43
Endnotes ............................................................................................................. 46
Bibliography ......................................................................................................... 49

vi

Abstract
This paper examines the image of the journalist in a series of novels by the
Chinese journalist-turned-novelist Sun Haoyuan. The author uses journalistic
characters as vehicles to critique the practice of journalism in China in four
novels: Mafia Game: The Live Broadcast (2009); Mafia Game: Media Violence
(2010); Mafia Game: The Hypodermic – Syringe Theory (2010); and Hush Money
(2011). In these novels, Sun Haoyuan critiques the function of journalism in
society, the responsibility of the journalist in Chinese society, and the misuse of
power by journalists and editors alike. After reviewing the social and political
factors that influence China’s journalism and media industry, the study presents
the portrait of the fictional male journalist, female journalist and investigative
journalist image through an analysis of the protagonist’s life and struggle in the
profession. Sun Haoyuan’s observation is critical to an understanding of
journalism in China, and his fictional journalists reflect and help shape the
public’s image of journalism as a profession.

1

Chapter One: Introduction
Journalist’s first literary presence in China can be traced to the 1930s with the
proliferation of the reportage literature (baogao wenxue).
1
Sharing traditional
journalism’s commitment to the accurate, non-fictional portrayal of experience,
reportage literature was produced mostly by journalists-turned-novelists. In the
reportage, authors would introduce a journalist serving as the interviewer and the
witness to historic events throughout the narrative. The journalist would
sometimes deviate from narratives expressing his/her feelings and opinions.
Between the lines of a narrator who told stories of significant accidents and the
character who experienced social and political change, readers were left with an
ambiguous image of journalists.
Toward the end of the 20
th
Century, a new class of fiction began to
emerge in China. Its central character was the journalist, and its main plots were
developed within the newsroom. To the public, it was the first time that the
journalist was no longer the storyteller, but the protagonist. It was intriguing for
readers to see how journalists chase stories. It gave readers the first glimpse into
the media industry in China and the life and death of journalists in society.
Among journalistic fiction, Sun Haoyuan’s work is both representative and unique
in its own way.
Literature Review
There have been previous studies on the image of the journalist in movies,
television, music, comics, novels, and short stories in the United States. They

2

include Howard Good’s landmark article, The Journalist in Fiction, 1890-1930,
which he later expanded into the book Acquainted With the Night: The Image of
Journalists in American Fiction, 1890-1930, published in 1986. In his examination
of 78 novels published in that period, Howard provided perspective on the
exploration of journalism history through fictional stories about newspaper
reporters. In a similar approach, Donna Born focused on analyzing female
journalist’s image in fiction in her study The Image of the Woman Journalist in
American Popular Fiction 1890 to the Present. Born examined the fictional
images of female reporters in four separate time periods: 1890-1920; 1920-1940;
1940-1945, and 1945-1980. In her analysis, Born documented how the fiction of
each time period reflected historical events that changed women’s role in society
and the workplace.
In his book The American Journalistic: Paradox of the Press, Loren
Ghiglione stated that many fictional journalists resemble real people, and they
are only “fun-house mirror reflections of real journalists.”
2
Ghiglione categorized
fictional journalists into nine groups: reporter; editor; newspaper carrier;
newswoman; scandalmonger; small-town editor; war correspondent; TV
journalist, and owner.
Joe Saltzman provided more comprehensive categories of fictional
journalists in the book Frank Capra and The Image of the Journalist in American
Film: anonymous reporters; columnists and critics; cub reporters; editors; flawed
male journalists; investigative reporters; memorable newsroom families;

3

photojournalists and newsreel shooters; publishers and media owners; real-life
journalist; sob sisters, sports journalists as well as war and foreign
correspondents.
A rich number of studies have been done discussing the history,
development and current situation of Chinese journalism from perspectives such
as political influence, social paradigm, and cultural factors.
3
And there have been
a few scattered studies of the journalist in China with an emphasis on the female
journalist from the last Qing Dynasty to the early 20
th
Century when Chinese
society went through dramatic changes.
4
All attempt to interpret, distinguish, and
analyze journalism and journalist’s images from the reality.
With the popularity of journalistic novels in China, it has become a critical
field through which the public perceives the media industry and journalistic image
as a whole. As Joe Saltzman pointed out:
5

The popular image of the journalist swirls between the real and the
fictional without discrimination. The public memory seldom
distinguishes between the actual and the non-real. Often the two
are linked together. Larger-than-life fictional characters overwhelm
their less vivid real-life contemporaries. Real-life journalists become
so immersed in legend and distortion that their images are as
surrounded by fiction as any character in a novel, film or TV
program. Who is real? Who is fiction?

Despite these relatively recent studies, the image of the journalist in fictional
forms, such as film, television, novels and short stories, has been a long-
neglected field. There has been virtually no research on the image of the
journalist in fiction in China to date. It is a fertile field for research by journalism
and mass communication scholars. This study hopes to provide the initial

4

research on the journalist’s image in Chinese fiction in the specific literature of
the popular journalist-turned-novelist Sun Haoyuan.
Methodology
This study looks at the images of the journalist in Sun Haoyuan’s most
recent four novels: Mafia Game: The Live Broadcast (2009), Mafia Game: Media
Violence (2010), Mafia Game: The Hypodermic – Syringe Theory (2010), and
Hush Money (2011).
Textual analysis is the primary methodology. In Doing Qualitative
Research, Silverman described the practical uses of examining texts for research
studies. “Small numbers of texts and documents may be analyzed [in order to]
understand the participants’ categories and to see how these are used in
concrete activities like telling stories, assembling files or describing ‘family life.’”
6

These types of studies, the author says, are more concerned with using texts to
deduct “social facts” or to depict a certain reality. In other words, Silverman
believes that textual analysis works well in qualitative research studies that are
primarily concerned with organizing and categorizing large amounts of
information.
In recent studies, Amanda Rossie has investigated the image of the
female journalist in two series of novels by authors Sherryl Woods and Sarah
Shankman by closely examining the text in these novels.
7
Likewise, David Hutton
uses textual analysis to conduct research on journalism and media in Graham
Greene’s novels.
8

5

Building upon established theories, observations of the studies on
journalist’s image in the United States and a handful of studies on past and
present journalism practice in China, this study examines (1) the driving forces of
creating Sun Haoyuan’s novels; (2) the basic motifs of his works and how they
reflect the reality in China, and (3) why and how the image of journalists is
portrayed in his work. Moreover, a comparative examination of journalist’s image
between China and the United States is also included in this paper.
Background: History, Journalism, and Fiction in China
Modern Chinese journalism’s roots date back as early as 1895, when
China was defeated in the Sino-Japanese War. It further evolved with rising
patriotic sentiment and the eagerness of Chinese urban elites to get involved in
reading and discussing public affairs.
9
From the very beginning, journalism was
associated with patriotic and political struggles. After the Chinese Communist
Party (CCP) took over in 1949, Chinese journalists were forced to follow strict
government guidelines. Within this complicated political environment, Chinese
journalism lingered and staggered forward.
From the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 till 1979,
almost all Chinese media was state run. They represented the Communist
Party’s voice. There is official guidance about the importance of adhering to the
“Marxist View of Journalism,” whose three tenets are:
10

1. Supporting Chinese Communist Party principles
2. Maintaining “correct guidance of public opinion”

6

3. Criticizing the “bourgeois concept of free speech”
China had no journalism, in this respect, only propaganda. Highly conscious of
public opinion, the CCP devoted a huge amount of resources to managing
popular views of all issues. In CCP jargon, the media was called the “throat and
tongue” of the party; its sole purpose was to mobilize public support by acting as
loudspeakers for CCP policies. The Chinese public received all of its highly
homogenous information from a small number of officially controlled sources.
11

During this period, journalists were seldom presented as protagonists in
literary form for several reasons.
First of all, journalists were viewed more like tools than personalized
figures, because journalism was under strict government control and it had been
long used for propaganda. Therefore, their images are dull and monotonous in
most cases. These journalistic images lie in the category of anonymous
reporters, similar to the 20
th
Century journalist image in America: they “poke their
cameras into people’s faces, yell out questions,” and “they were often used to
advance the plot and summarize the action.”
12

Second, the government scrutinizes the content of fiction before allowing
publishing. Even if writers found journalists to be an interesting topic in terms of
literary worth and social significance, they hardly dared to write it down. By the
very nature of the craft, journalists witness many conflicts in society, and
therefore any descriptions of journalists’ inner voices or struggles would be

7

viewed as anti-government. The journalist’s function and mission was too
sensitive to be touched by novelists.
Media controls were most relaxed during the 1980s under Deng Xiaoping
and the Reform and Openness policy. Though state-run media outlets continued
to control a significant part of the market, independent media began to emerge at
the onset of this economic reform. As a consequence, Chinese media have
become “increasingly commercialized, with growing competition, diversified
content, and increased investigative reporting”
13
. Such areas as sports, finance,
and entertainment industry faced little regulation from the government, until they
were tightened in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests. They
were relaxed again under President Jiang Zemin in the late 1990s, but the
growing influence of the Internet and its potential to encourage dissent led to
heavier regulations again under the government of Hu Jintao. Reporters Without
Borders consistently ranks China very poorly on media freedoms in its annual
report of the Press Freedom Index, describing the Chinese government as
having “the sorry distinction of leading the world in repression of the Internet.”
14

Other overarching factors helping to make the Chinese media
more autonomous and diverse include a general decline in the influence of
political ideologies and systems of belief, growing Chinese popular skepticism
toward authority, increased contact with the West, greater competition in the
media market, ebbing government resources, improved professional training for
journalists, and new communication technologies.

8

With the trend toward more media freedom in China, journalists no longer
seen like dull and mediocre images representing the voice of the Party as in Mao
Zedong period, or heroic figures who unveil truth and represent justice in the
Deng Xiaoping period. As the media industry becomes more commercialized and
the media environment becomes more competitive, a series of issues are
emerging that affect journalist’s images, such as bribery and corruption. At the
same time, journalists also have struggled between the ideals and reality of
journalism, questioning and seeking the truth, the conflict between engagement
and journalistic objectivity.
Drama always comes from conflicts and struggles. And as these appeared
in the journalism profession in China, novelists were inspired to write about them.
Journalistic novels, the new literary phenomenon, won popularity and became
the best sellers. Zhang Xin published the novel Deep Throat (Shen Hou)
15
in
2004. It tells the inside story of Southern Media Group, the most influential and
pioneer media group in China, which is facing fierce competition from other
media. And journalists are struggling with hardships and try to identify with this
profession. Journalist-turned-novelist Yi Fei critiqued the independence of
journalists in society in a trilogy including Kings Without Crowns (Wu Mian Zhi
Wang), A Glaring Lie (Mi Tian Da Huang), and The Paradise (Tian Shang Ren
Jian)

from 2002 to 2009. Journalists sometimes feel powerless against the
pressure of economics and politics. It also raised questions about the legitimacy

9

of irrational behavior when journalists work as stool pigeons or utilize secretive
interviewing approaches for investigative reporting.
Having worked at Shenzhen Television Station for 10 years, Sun
Haoyuan, another journalist-turned-novelist, created what he claims is a brand-
new genre of “news-thrillers.” Sun’s novels feature an array of journalists and
suspensefully blend real-life news events with fictional murder cases in such a
way that readers cannot tell the difference between what is genuine news and
fiction.
In an interview with Global Times, Sun told about his own experience and
how the idea of writing novels came up.
16
In 2002, he was beaten up and had his
camera taken by thugs while conducting an interview during a “sexual
performance.” But despite his ordeal, the story was killed by the TV editor who
claimed, “It would harm social stability.” Sun became frustrated when such
spiking repeatedly happened to his stories. In late 2006, he started his first novel
after he was criticized for telling the truth in his blog. After finishing a 5,000-word
self-criticism examining his “mistakes,” he decided to write a fictional story to vent
his anger. “I seemed to have no choice, as negative reporting was not allowed,
nor criticism on the Internet,” he recalled.
Sun’s novels feature a group of journalists, and his stories show an
insider’s knowledge of newsgathering and dissemination. Being a veteran
journalist and facing such problems and conflicts, Sun Haoyuan blurs the image

10

of journalist in fiction and reality. The distinction between real journalist and
imaginary journalist is vague, as
Journalists—all of us—invent versions of ourselves that contain
[what] psychoanalysts call “personal myths” and “fictive
personalities.” Many journalists imitate mythic journalists, some
from reality and some from fiction. Real journalists realize, as
psychoanalyst Jay Martin writes, “life without imitation is impossible
and unthinkable.”
17

Howard Good theorized that fiction gave authors the freedom and form
necessary to express the anxieties they felt while working on newspapers for a
living.
18
While investigating the murdered journalists in the novels, Sun paints a
picture of the life and death of journalists and digs into their inner encounters,
trying to record the bizarre facades of journalism as a profession in a literary
form.

11

Chapter Two: Plot Summary and Characters
Sun Haoyuan graduated from the Journalism School of Fudan University
in 2000, which is widely known to be one of the best journalism schools in China.
Therefore, one might have expected him to create a popular literature of some
quality. But the restricted media environment hampers the trained storyteller
even one who has a solid college education and inside knowledge of journalism.
It stultifies his imagination and alters his artistic judgment.
On the whole, his novels have well-plotted murder cases, but they are
woodenly written. However, that does not mean we should automatically
disqualify his works from being studied, because there is much for readers to
value in such works, often present incidentally, even unconsciously: concrete
detail; local color; attitudes revealed through author’s intrusive comments, or
slanted situations in the present media industry in China.
A series of murders in newsrooms of metropolitan newspaper and TV
stations is the chief plot that pervades and runs through Sun Haoyuan’s four
novels. Readers can view these novels as one story: murders are happening in
the same fictional city of Shunning; journalists, editors, and TV program
producers from Shunning TV station and Shunning Metropolitan Newspaper are
killed one by one; the murder cases are related to one another. Author Sun
deliberately leaves clues in many places that foreshadow the climax in another
novel.

12

The novels are cloaked in mystery, like Sherlock Holmes stories, so that
readers often feel compelled to finish reading them in one night. However, Sun
Haoyuan does not pay much attention to the speculation; the author is trying to
unveil the work and life of journalist with close-up portraits.
The main plot of the novels dramatize the belief that journalists in China
have complicated images with a high degree of ambiguity, mostly associated with
their inner struggles of idealism and realism toward the profession.
The murderers, without exception, have had terrible and bitter experiences
with journalists, including bribery, corruption, and unjust reporting. This can be
read as a debate and critique of current media institutions and journalists in
China.
Sun Haoyuan creates an array of journalists — cubs and veterans, male
and female, heroes and villains — instead of focusing on one or two journalists.
Each journalist’s experience and character will be analyzed and explained in the
following chapters. Below is the plot summary of each book:
Mafia Game: The Hypodermic — Syringe Theory
Shunning TV journalist Yin Qianxi’s investigative report is killed by the
producer because the story would jeopardize social stability. For this political
mistake, Yin cannot get promoted. Because of this, Yin Qianxi has extreme views
on journalism. He believes in the gatekeeping theory in communication studies
that presumes that the media filter information and that journalists are always
looking for things to criticize. And he thinks that journalists in Communist

13

societies have to serve as the party’s organ, like its throat and tongue. Therefore
too much criticism is not good for maintaining the media’s function.
Yin Qianxi killed his colleagues Li Dayong, Feng Jing ,and Ding Chuanlin,
slitting their throats and cutting out their tongues because they all have done
investigative reporting which violates Yin Qianxi’s belief of the responsibility of
journalist.
Luo Zihan, Yin’s girlfriend, is a psychiatrist. Luo’s mother, a doctor at
Shunning Hospital, is sued for charging a hospitalized patient 8 million RMB
(approximately U.S. $1.2 million) for medical treatment. But she is a scapegoat.
Ding Chuanlin is the reporter covering the story, which has become a hot topic.
Facing unjust critiques and feeling humiliated, Luo’s mother commits suicide. To
avenge her, Luo Zihan becomes Yin Qianxi’s co-conspirator as they have the
same foes: the investigative journalists. She tries to hinder the investigation of Su
Jing, the Shunning Police Department’s chief detective, by giving him hypnotic
therapy.
Leng Jianguo, a former journalist at the Shunning Television station, has
suffered from paranoiac psychosis. Ten years ago, a traffic jam kept him from
attending a municipal government press conference that he was assigned to
cover, which irritated the mayor. Leng was asked to make a thorough refection
of his mistake and write a self-critique. Fair-minded, but stubborn, Leng doesn’t
think he is at fault. He writes an article criticizing the media system. The leader of
the TV station is angry and asks him to revise it over and over again until the 17
th

14

version is approved. Leng is outraged and publishes all 17 versions online. It
generates buzz and becomes the hottest topic for a while. Leng then is fired and
becomes insane. As Luo Zihan’s patient in the rehabilitation center, Luo gives
Leng psychiatric treatment and lets him murder Zhu Jianwen, who has also done
many investigative reports.
The four journalist victims are all injected with penicillin. Yin Qianxi is
alluding to an outdated communication model called the “Hypodermic Needle
Model.” It suggests that the media injects its messages straight into the passive
audience. This passive audience is immediately affected by these messages.
The public essentially cannot escape the media’s influence and is, therefore,
considered a “sitting duck.” The model suggests that the public is vulnerable to
the messages shot at them because of the limited communication tools and the
studies of the media’s effects on the masses at the time.
By telling the story, Sun Haoyuan sheds light on the dilemma and conflict
most Chinese journalists have faced: how much criticism should be included, it
will generate passive or negative reactions from the audience, and what is the
role of journalists and the media in a Communist society.
Mafia Game: The Media Violence
A train derails on a curve and plows into a residential building of
Shunning, resulting in 200 casualties. Yao Suohan, a journalist from Shunning
TV, is initially listed as a casualty, but is later discovered to have been murdered

15

before the train derailment. The killer left a card with a mysterious graph in Yao’s
pocket.
Detective Su Jing conducts a thorough investigation within the TV station.
He finds that Yao Suohan has been notorious for his directness and passion for
investigative reports. Yao interviewed the manager of a bank following a
consumer’s complaint about a cashier’s misconduct, and he forces or even
pushes the manager to say inappropriate words. When the story was broadcast,
Yao edited their dialogue, airing only the manager’s voice, which only tells part of
the story. Although one of the most basic tenets of journalism requires reporters
to be aloof observers and neutral participants, Yao took advantage of the media’s
influence based on his own judgment and failed to report the truth. He committed
“media violence” against those he interviewed.
Yao Suohan’s colleague Liu Ning is found dead in front of her house with
the same mysterious card left beside her. Liu Ning also has violated journalistic
ethics and committed media violence when interviewing the health bureau officer
Li Wanjiang regarding the more expensive healthcare that common people
cannot afford. Li Wanjiang’s debate with journalist Liu and his defense created
additional outrage from the audience. But the truth is that Liu Ning has erased
Mr. Li’s comments about possible further healthcare reform. The underlying
reason is obvious: the audience likes criticism and scandals, so the journalist
works to find such a conflict, ignoring basic journalistic ethics.

16

Likewise, evening news program producer Fan Yuqun is found murdered
on a mountain outside the city. He also violated ethics when interviewing a
transportation department officer.
Finally, Pi Huaming, the chief editor of Shunning Metropolitan Newspaper,
is murdered. Pi Huaming had threatened companies, schools, and hospitals with
exposing their wrongdoings or corruption. They can only stop the investigative
reporting if they pay to run an advertisement in the newspaper. This is
considered another kind of media violence and corruption.
A college professor from the Journalism School of Fudan University finally
discovers the mysterious card’s meaning: the paragraph is the interpretation of a
communication model developed by Wilbur Lang Schramm, the “father of
communication studies.” Journalists, who are responsible for delivering
messages to the audience in this theory, are criticized for abusing their power
distorting the truth.
The murderer is Qiao Zhaoning, a journalist who has personal grievances
against Fan Yuqun. But his scheme of using media violence to cover up his
crime unveils the bloody truth of some critical issues in the media industry in
China.
Mafia Game: The Live Broadcast
Ning Zichen, a Shunning TV news anchorwoman, is killed by cyanide
while broadcasting the evening news. Thousands of people witness her death on
television. The producer of the program, Yang Yufeng, comes up with the idea to

17

let audience vote for the suspects that Detective Su lists, and the evening news
will provide additional clues every night as the investigation goes deeper. The
evening news program becomes a reality show that draws local audience
attention. The program’s ratings skyrocket from 3 percent to 17 percent.
The investigation into Ning Zichen’s death reveals a connection with a
campus murder that happened 10 years ago. Program editor Xia Qiuyu’s
daughter was gang raped and killed through the manipulations of her classmate
Ning Zichen and three other girls. They weren’t charged, because they were
under 18. A decade later, Xia Qiuyu’s husband begins to take revenge and kills
them one by one. Detective Su determines that Yang Yufeng murdered
anchorwoman Ning to improve audience ratings. Yang thought that broadcasting
a murder case on his program would attract extensive audience attention.
Obsessed with ratings, he turned a heartbreaking murder case into a cruel reality
show. The novel clothes the fiction in the magic realism genre, which ironically
criticizes the ruthlessness and absurdness of Chiese media industry.
Hush Money
Four TV journalists — Lian Hengfu, Dong Qiang, Ye Zhenyi, and Yin
Xiaoning — are killed one by one, “knifed with glue put in their mouths, with
obvious implication”
19
that they should shut their mouths up.
After investigating within the Shunning TV station, Detective Su discovers
something the four have in common: they have fabricated their news stories: Lian
Hengfu fabricated that a company was forcing employees to contribute to charity;

18

Dong Qiang exaggerated a Panamanian disease that led to a huge economic
loss for banana growers; Ye Zhenyi wrote a story about a college student arguing
with a pregnant woman, which was later found to be completely fake; and Yin
Xiaoning made up the story of Sister Sharp following a heated discussion about
Brother Sharp, a handsome vagabond, trying to grab public attention.
20

In fact, Detective Su finds that three of the reporters were murdered by
Sun Dongliang, chief executive officer of an enterprise producing fake vaccines.
They report on the case despite accepting bribes from Sun Dongliang. Their
mouths are glued because in Chinese, hush money can be translated directly to
“the money that is being used to shut up your mouth.” Ye Zhenyi’s death is the
result of a murderous crime of passion by a colleague who loves the same
female journalist. The Global Times article pointed out that “through the fictional
deaths, Sun sheds light on actual social events, such as lead poisoning, fake
vaccines, tainted milk, toxic plastic lunch boxes, used cooking oil and 2010’s
spate of kindergarten massacres.”
21
Indeed, the author was inspired by a real
case in China. The article reported “on September 25, 2008, crowds of journalists
lined up for hush money handed out after a fatal coalmine accident in Shanxi
Province. Four journalists, 26 media workers and 28 bogus reporters were paid a
total of 319,300 yuan ($47,000) not to report on the accident, which killed one
man.”
22

19

Chapter Three: The Image of the Male Journalist in
Sun’s novels
In Sun Haoyuan’s novels, the roving reporter dashing off in pursuit of a hot
scoop, the correspondent risking his life to report from a natural disaster, or the
investigative journalist exposing injustice, corruption or wrongdoing make for the
ideal fictional hero. And yet, even the most inspiring fictional portrayal of the
journalist as a protagonist is necessarily that of the flawed hero. In the case of
the number of journalists being murdered or investigated, the flaw arises from
political pressures, commercialized media industry reform as well as ethical
considerations.
Lifestyle and Work Style: The Frontline Soldiers
In the United States, novels, movies, and TV programs about newspaper
reporters have created a stereotype that journalists are heavy smokers and
cynical night birds with alcohol problems:
23

The male reporter, cigarette dangling from his mouth, plays poker
and drinks as if his life depended on it. He was never called an
alcoholic, just a boozehound who always found a drink from a
hidden bottle in his desk or the bar around the corner from the
newsroom. A few films made alcoholism a major issue and dealt
with it. But most movies treated drinking as part of the character of
the journalist that made it possible for him to survive the job.
24

Unlike such a gritty image, the male journalist in Sun’s novels is more
conventional, conservative, and decent. They smoke heavily, especially on the
night shift, as this was the only way to relax, yet remain sober. Chinese
journalists never drink alcohol at work.

20

The author does not offer too many details on clothing and lifestyle, but
readers are told they wear “nice-tailored shirt and pants”
25
when they appear at
government news conferences. They are well educated with at least a college
degree.
26
They all have their own cars
27
, meaning they are well paid, because
having his/her own car is a symbol of being in the Chinese middle class.
Therefore, journalists are recognized as being part of a profession with prestige
and high social status.
Most of incidents take place at night, not only facilitating as the backdrop
of the murder cases, but also reflecting the long hours, fatigue, and loneliness of
the profession. In Mafia Game: The Hypodermic – Syringe Theory, the story
opens with journalist Li Dayong leaving the newsroom at 10 p.m., driving alone
on a snowy, chilly night, thinking about his relationship with the female journalist
He Xuan. Male journalists’ love interests frequently are secondary to their
deadlines. Likewise, in Hush Money, journalist Ye Zhenyi, leaves his wife’s
birthday dinner and goes out for an assigned interview and is killed later that
night. Long working hours also lead to tense relationships between journalists
and their spouses. The underlying reason for the loneliness comes from the very
nature of the craft, and having to be ready to work at anytime and at any place.
This situation among Chinese journalists reflects Saltzman’s observations about
U.S. journalists’ personal relationships:
28

Journalism wreaks havoc on most personal relationships ...
Journalists usually end up alone in the big city without a family.
Divorce rates ... are astronomical. The only marriages that seem to
work involve a man and a woman who are both working journalists.

21

The only friends most newspeople have are the people who work
with them.

Chinese journalism novels spend great deal of time describing journalists on the
job. Detailed descriptions of each man interviewing sources, commuting to and
from interviews, or putting in late hours in the office build a foundation upon
which each character’s reputation grows. Sun Haoyuan’s portraits, reveal many
situations in which journalists, like frontline soldiers, rush out to the most
dangerous place for interviews. “Journalists cannot turn off their cellphones, as
we are ready to be assigned tasks at any time.”
29
In Hush Money, when a
landslide occurs, Zhuang Xueya and Qin Shuyan are on site the whole night
interviewing residents and relatives of victims. They come back to the newsroom
in the morning exhausted, but still have to finish writing and editing their stories
before going home. “Breaking news like this, journalists can work without any
sleep for days,” a journalist tells Detective Su.
30

Ambiguity: A Flawed Hero
Although they receive social recognition, sacrifice personal relations for
their career, and are highly educated and knowledgeable, journalists are not
immune from criticism. The conflict between professional ethics and political
freedom is the dilemma underlying journalist’s ambivalent image. The journalist’s
image in China remains paradoxical and complex, placing him or her somewhere
between hero and villain.
Howard Good cites a common plot in U.S. newspaper novels in which a
college graduate goes through a hard experience before finally finding a scoop to

22

become a star newshound. Coincidently, in Sun Haoyuan’s novels, the young
college graduates go through the same bitter experience but, in contrast, end up
with a pathetical ending. After college these young men enter journalism full of
idealistic fervor. Suffer a series of setbacks at work, resulting from unjust
treatment, political pressure and corruption, all of which bring their original
idealism into question. Learning from bitter experience and moral examination,
some develop doubts about journalism and leave the craft. Others become
passive individuals who regard their work as a way merely to make a living. Cub
reporters Su Chuyi and Xu Weicai investigate overcharges on a toll highway.
31

When they question a toll collector and take pictures at the scene, security
guards wrest away their camera and beat them. Indignant, they return to the
newsroom and are about to report the story, when they are told that the story
was killed because the head of the Transportation Department, who should take
charge of this issue, is a close relative of the head of the TV station. Xu Weicai
immediately quits his TV station job. Yet Su Chuyi learns the subtle relationship
existing between the media and the government and the cruel reality of
nepotism. He never again touches a topic that might be controversial and
consequently he wins his boss’s favor. He is simply glad to be no longer
considered a cub. Losing his excitement for his job, Su Chuyi becomes a
sophisticated and worldly person. “He ages prematurely. His spirit slackens and
sickens until he becomes a sad and frightening caricature of his younger self.”
32

23

By the very nature of the profession, journalism is heavily dependent on
an adjunct referential domain without which it cannot exist. Journalists need to be
knowledgeable about wide range of topics, and they must build contacts to
acquire accurate inside information.
Having key business contacts not only facilitates their jobs as
newshounds, it also help them gain power, money, and fame. In China, as these
novels show, it is common for journalists take bribes under the table – from a
discounted nice apartment to their child’s admission to a prestigious
kindergarten. In some cases, there is stiff competition for the same business
connections.
In one novel, Sun Haoyuan tells of a journalist returning from vacation to
find that a colleague has snatched his business news beat and all his contacts.
Most importantly, he loses the sources to get “grey income,” the red envelopes of
cash that some journalists accept in exchange for favorable news
coverage. Journalists are depicted as social kings and queens who take
advantage of the profession, looking for shortcuts in every aspect of their
personal or professional life. The profession helps people climb the social ladder
because they have the access to and relationships with politicians, businessman,
and celebrities. When TV program editor Fan Yuqun gets promoted, he is
selected to be a member of the CCP’s standing committee after covering up a
critical news article about the government’s inefficiency.

24

In Media Violence, Yao Suohan, the first journalist to be murdered, is
depicted as heroic and masculine. When covering the Southeast China floods in
waist-deep water, he slips and almost falls into a well. His instinctive reaction is
to hold the camera above his head to protect it, because the camera is the TV
journalist’s only weapon on the battlefield. Likewise, the photojournalist Liu
Xiangming volunteers to cover the Sichuan earthquake. He brings instant
noodles, his laptop and camera, walking alone to the remote Yingxiu village, the
epicenter of the quake.
Nevertheless, being impulsive and irrational, both have abused their
power and rights as journalists. Yao Suohan’s steadfast belief in detachment and
objectivity as a prerequisite to honest writing begins to wane as he gets closer to
the action. Unconsciously, Yao Suohan deems himself as judge in trying to
shape public opinion. He wants justice and even more than that, he wants his
stories to change reality in some way. Liu Xiangming breaks through the police
barrier tape at a chemical factory explosion accident. A policeman tells him,
“What really annoys me is your refusal to admit that some things are more
important than the media’s right to access every occasion in the universe on
demand.”
33
In this circumstance, although the journalist risks his life to report the
accident as accurately as he can, he becomes more like a troublemaker than a
hero in the eyes of some.
Sun Haoyuan’s journalistic protagonists find themselves in situations
where they must choose between involvement and neutrality, attachment and

25

detachment and, often, damnation and salvation. Sometimes they have to
choose between being a journalist and being a human being. When Yao Suohan
visits hospitals and witnesses thousands of infants suffering from kidney stones
because of the Sanlu tainted powdered milk, he utters a string of oaths. He loses
his objectivity as a journalist but wins respect from the public. He encounters
men and women as warm human beings, seeing their passions, motives and
ways of looking at things. The dilemma affects journalist Zhuang Xueya
personally between objectivity and involvement when his baby son survives the
tainted powdered milk, only to die from a faulty vaccine. He becomes apart of the
news he tried to report, which is covered up by the Communist Party.
In U.S. novels, the easiest way show a journalist protagonist’s
professional achievement is to win the Pulitzer Prize. To Chinese journalists, the
China Journalist Award is accorded the same importance as the Pulitzer Prize. In
Media Violence, Qiao Zhaoning, a young ambitious reporter, dreams that today’s
assignment — however routine it may appear — will bring him a story worthy of
the China Journalism Award, the Holy Grail for Chinese journalists. When Qiao
witnesses a derailment on his way back to the newsroom from an event, his first
response is, “This is terrific!”,
34
because it is rare a moment that could help him
win the China Journalist Award. As Sun describes it, that means a lifetime award,
promotion to chief journalist, and, of course, a bigger paycheck. He shoots the
scene of a residential building that collapsed after being hit by the derailed train,
with a look of ecstasy on his face. Sun said in one novel that there are two kinds

26

of people who are excited about such tragedy: the first is the terrorist, the second
is the journalist.
35
To Qiao Zhaoning, his lust for the prize, as well as his daily
contact with tragedy, violence, and crime lead to his cold-bloodedness which cuts
him off from humanity. The scoop is the royal road to prestige, circulation, and
prosperity. Readers might conclude that the desire for an exclusive more than a
passion for justice inspires reporters to feats of ingenuity.
Dancing With Shackles
Sun Haoyuan paints a detailed picture of journalist’s bitter experiences
with the rules they should comply with in China. Journalists struggle under the
Communist Party’s rules and regulations. Their journalistic ideals soon get
extinguished by the reality of Chinese society. More than dancing with shackles,
journalists are like acrobats walking a tightrope who can fall to the ground any
minute.
In The Hypodermic – Syringe Theory, journalist Yin Qianxi, who is the
murderer, is asked to write a self-critique examining the mistake he made during
a news conference. He fails to shoot the party leaders’ images by their positions’
seniority. Yin’s colleague explains how Communist Party leaders must be treated:
if all the leaders are attending a municipal conference, the journalist should count
and rank the leaders by their titles. The secretary of the municipal committee
should be on the top, followed by the mayor, chairman of the Chinese People’s
Political Consultative Conference, the vice secretary of the municipal committee
and member of the Politburo Standing Committee, and so on. It is even harder

27

for television journalists as they have to identify each individual and shoot close-
ups of top leaders. The cameramen carefully calculate how many seconds they
should spend on each leader’s image. Otherwise, lack of proper treatment could
be considered a serious political fault.
Sun Haoyuan reveals that a front-page story is often determined by the
political significance of the news article, not by its value. It is commonplace for
editors to put a story on the front page about one mayor meeting another mayor
as opposed to another story on the same day reporting that 17 mine workers are
trapped underground.
As political control tightens up, bans on coverage of riots, calamities, and
serious epidemics are now regularly issued. Journalists know they may well be
punished for entering such minefields. Angering authorities has led to the
removal and even imprisonment of senior media managers as well as the closure
of news organizations.
In these circumstances, journalists are restricted by such rules and are
discouraged from being innovative. Their basic guideline is to stay out of trouble.
He Xuan, once sighed with emotion and said: “There is nothing as little and
insignificant as human beings as compared to the world, the society as well as
the system they live under.”
36
Journalist’s helplessness and powerlessness are
revealed between the lines.
Sun Haoyuan’s critique of Chinese newspapers and TV stations can be
found in the depiction of journalist Leng Jianguo. As a former journalist at

28

Shunning Television station, Leng has suffered from paranoiac psychosis. Leng
remembers all the rules of journalism in China, especially the rule that everyone
needs to be ranked by their title and position. In the rehabilitation center, the
nurse should follow the doctor while walking into the ward during daily rounds,
just as the vice president should follow the president on any occasion. These
rules are embedded into a journalist’s soul for the rest of his/her life. It reflected
by a short story Diary of a Madman (Kuangren Riji) written by well-known
Chinese author Lu Xun. The whole story was filled with two words “Eat Humans.”
Ah Q, the madman in Lu Xun’s story, is searching for the meaning of modernism
and getting rid of the old beliefs that the society was based upon. Leng is fighting
against a media system that he did not manage to survive once before.
Male journalists still have the dominant role in the newsroom in Sun
Haoyuan’s novels. Males fill all executive and managing level positions. Their
images are complex. On one hand, their education and knowledge, their
journalistic sharpness, and their masculinity all seem to give them a favorable
image. On the other hand, some are scandalmongers chasing fame, money and
power; some misuse their powers and lack of objectivity; some seem to be
crusaders fighting for equality and justice, but they do not let the public know
their true purposes. They are living in sufferable and contrast lives: “they may
have clothed themselves in the fictional newspaperman’s shiniest dreams and
coffined themselves in his darkest nightmare.”
37

29

Chapter Four: The Image of the Female Journalist in
Sun’s novels
In China, the institution and profession of journalism has been structured
by gender, “preventing women from receiving promotions, power, and a say in
news content.”
38
A 2005 survey in Guangzhou Province showed that the
proportion of female participation in journalism has increased: 43.8 percent of
journalists were female. But the proportion of females at the executive and
managing levels was significantly lower than that at the working journalist level.
39

Therefore, the news media will continue to maintain a male-oriented news
agenda that shapes the way the public views the world and their place in it.
As early as the beginning of the 20
th
century, Liang Qichao, one of China’s
most influential thinker listed three benefits for including women in newspaper
work: first, women’s views were “more likely to be fair” in writing editorials;
second, women were “more observant than men” in studying social phenomena;
third, women reporters were more “likely to receive courtesy from society” and
thus were in “a more advantageous position than men in social intercourse such
as interviews.”
40

Two well-known female journalists in China have succeeded in breaking
the male-dominated system. Chai Jing, a female journalist and host at China
Central Television (CCTV), is one of them. The public regards Chai as a
journalist who stands out with her sharpness and persistence. Chai once said,
“Journalism is my profession and also way of life.” She is famous for her direct,

30

get-to-the point interviewing technique. Chai left a deep impression on people
during the events of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) crisis in
2003, the Sichuan earthquake in 2008, and various coal-mining accidents.
Journalist Lvqiu Luwei, became famous as a war correspondent covering the Iraq
War and was dubbed the “rose in the battlefield.”
Nevertheless, these two well-know examples don’t indicate female
journalists’ success in the real world. In the male-dominant world, people believe
women journalists’ success stems from their gender. In some cases, interviews
done by female journalists from dangerous places are considered more like a
stunt to attract an audience’s attention. Female journalists are often viewed as
more humane as they depend on intuition instead of rationale. These stereotyped
images in real journalism practice are both reiterated and also challenged in Sun
Haoyuan’s series.
Attires, Relationships, and Work
Although Sun introduces his male journalist characters by describing their
background and experience, he chooses to introduce his female journalists by
describing their appearance and attire: eyes, chest, hips, hairstyle, and nail color.
These female journalists are beautiful, sexy and emotional, indicating that these
are the tools they use to excel in the male-dominated profession. In The Live
Broadcast, the image of Qin Xiaohe is an exception, and it strengthens the
stereotyped beautiful figure of the female journalist. Being less attractive, Qin
Xiaohe feels humble and unassuming in the newsroom, where she has many

31

pretty colleagues. She appears to be unfriendly to hide her lack of self-esteem.
She reads many books about journalism and communication theory in hopes of
gaining a professional advantage over her attractive counterparts.
41
But she fails
because her appearance would be the largest obstacle in her career.
Apart from their appearance and attire, female journalists’ personal life is a
key focus. They are expected to hunger for a good man or family as much as for
a good story. They sleep with news sources to get the scoop, or they become the
mistress of the head of the TV station to get promoted. At other times, they take
advantage of the journalistic profession to get to know wealthy middle-aged
businessmen and become their mistresses. Even more, Sun Haoyuan describes
that the goal of journalist Zhan Mingqiu at work is to get to know people who can
help her husband’s business. Ignoring journalistic ethics and objectivity, she will
try to stop a story that will hurt her husband’s company’s stock price.
42

Sun Haoyuan depicts female journalists as less innovative in practicing a
tedious craft.To female journalists, humility and patience, accuracy, reliability and
punctuality are more important than inspiration. Thus, they are always assigned
with unimportant tasks or to well-established beats with an easy routine to follow.
The Female with Manhood
In China, women journalists are actively carving out their own public
identities and challenging traditional gender roles. The female journalist is
depicted in Sun Haoyuan’s novels as single and young, attractive, independent,

32

reliable, courageous, competent, curious, determined, economically self-
supporting, professional and compassionate.
“For a woman to succeed professionally, she must possess certain
character traits, traits that are assigned to the cultural stereotype of the male”.
43
Sun Haoyuan’s novel reflects such statement. In his depiction, when hitting the
street and chasing down news sources, female journalists aren’t any different
than men. They help cameramen carry heavy equipment, lay the tracks and clear
the spot. To succeed, female journalists had to become “men,” denying their
womanhood. For instance, female journalist Liu Ning volunteers to investigate
the SARS crisis. The dramatic atmosphere, shaking camera, white protective
clothing, and her emaciated figure and pale face combined to make her
appearance impressive. She goes to Wenchuan immediately after the
earthquake in 2008 to cover the disaster. Liu chooses to live with the refugees to
experience the conditions first hand. She compiles the experiences into a
program. When the program is first broadcast, it attracts a lot of attention for its
narrative style and humanitarian emphasis. “In past shows Liu Ning was always
obviously aware of being young and pretty. It was in this program that she
became an adult, ” the editor commented. Liu Ning gets as close to the news as
she can, and her sensitivity and intuition make her an excellent news reporter.
TV Celebrities: The News Anchorwoman
In Sun’s novels, the news anchorwoman is a unique character who is
worthy of examination. Ning Zichen’s image and her personal experience is a

33

typical portrayal of a news anchor in China. The death of anchorwoman Ning
Zichen reveals the female TV celebrity’s life from an insider’s perspective. As the
news anchorwoman at the Shunning evening news, her daily routine is simple:
she starts her work at 4 p.m., dubs for the news that is going to be on air, and
sits on the broadcasting stage and gets ready to broadcast. All she needs to do
is to read the news aloud. “It’s a repetitive, boring craft,”
44
Sun says. The news
anchorwoman’s work has nothing to do with journalism. She cares about how
she looks in front of the camera as opposed to today’s breaking news. The
glamorous, egotistical anchor makes the reader aware that she is more important
than the news she presents.
After graduation from college, she is involved in writing or editing the news
for the evening broadcast. Beautiful, sexy and well dressed, she wants to attract
the attention of the TV station’s top executive. After becoming the leader’s
mistress, she is promoted to news anchorwoman.
As the celebrities in the media, news anchorwomen are denigrated, in Sun
Haoyuan’s estimation. In pursuit of fame, women sell their bodies and souls in
Chinese media. Such ambition and pursuit mirror how the public perceives the
image of celebrities in the entertainment industry.
Ning Zichen’s predecessor, Ouyang Binglan, is both the beneficiary and
victim of the news anchorwoman’s stereotype. Ouyang is replaced by Ning
Zichen after Ning becomes the mistress of the TV station’s top executive.
Ironically, Ouyang got her position the same way years ago. However, Ouyang is

34

professional and smart and popular with the public because of her unique
broadcasting style. She is very capable of improvising commentary for live
presentation, and she knows journalism well. After experiencing the dark side of
the profession within the newsroom, Ouyang excels and holds onto her position
with her professional capability. Perhaps, this is the only plausible way a news
anchorwoman can have success in China.
At times, female journalist’s images fall into stereotypes and, at others,
Sun Haoyuan strives to redefine the image of the modern, working journalist. As
reporters, they are relentless, committed, considerate, and truth-seeking no
matter the cost. Yet like their real-life counterparts, female journalists in Chinese
fiction struggle to be taken seriously as professional journalists and battle to keep
their personal and professional lives in balance.

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Chapter Five: The Image of the Investigative Journalist
in Sun’s novels
In the United States, investigative journalists are viewed as favored and
heroic figures. Loren Ghiglione called them “investigators” and pointed out that
they are often rewarded with greater official secrecy and public indifference in
doing their work: challenging muddy morality, attacking conflicts of interest and
uncovering cover-ups.
45
Joe Saltzman writes that the image of the investigative
reporter is often the only other legitimate hero besides war correspondent:
He or she usually risks life and limb to get the story that will help
the public. Investigative reporters join a handful of editors and even
publishers who do not let personal gain or safety stand in the way
of running down a story that exposes crime or corruption. They
often ended up dead — killed by a mobster they were trying to
expose, or a crooked policeman, or a corrupt politician. More often
they end up beaten — but never broken. They are always
threatened and show great courage in putting their lives on the line
to get the story into print or on television.
46

In his series, Sun Haoyuan portrays a variety of investigative journalists and
reveals the bizarreness of the culture. There is a perceptive difference between
how these journalists view themselves and how the author recounts their
experiences.
Watchdog on Party Leashes
In the novels, whenever mentioning the role of investigative journalism,
journalists would say “Yulun Jiandu” (which can be loosely translated as
“supervision” or “public scrutiny”). This expression appears to be at the core of
journalist’s self-image; it is bound up with the ideal that journalism responds to

36

people’s needs, the improvement of conditions and the punishment of
wrongdoers.
47
The expression means that journalists should agree to act like
watchdogs, keeping an eye on society and drawing attention to what the
authorities may have missed.
In Sun Haoyuan’s novels, investigative journalists are rarely asked to dig
out corruption or bribery. Instead, they take the initiative and look for news
sources as they develop investigative stories. Deemed “the conscience of the
society” by the public, investigative journalism is important in helping journalists
define their professional identity. By uncovering abuse or corruption, journalists
see themselves more independent from political power and providing a public
service. This self-conception has obvious analogies with Western concepts of
journalistic professionalism. Journalists take particular pride in exposes that
actually lead to improved governance and changes in policy. In addition,
successful investigative journalists enjoy higher prestige and status among their
peers, not to mention higher pay.
In China, rapid economic development has created an increasing gap
between the wealthy and the poor, leading to sharp conflicts and an invisible
social crisis. Therefore, the government has increasingly restricted media
coverage of social problems in the interest of maintaining social stability.
Because of this situation, investigative journalism is risky and can easily disrupt
important relations between media owners and other powerful social forces.

37

In Sun’s novels, journalists are required to always place political
compliance above professional values and goals if they are to keep themselves
and their organizations safe. The less politically sensitive the theme (or frame) of
a story appears to be, the safer it is to report.
Each novel features several arguments between the investigative
journalist and the editor/producer. Reporters are portrayed to be angry when their
story is killed. Constantly looking for things to criticize, they are crusaders who
fight for equality and justice but are always turned down by the editor/producer,
who is afraid that the story will irritate authorities. In Hush Money, journalist Yin
Qianxi questions the producer Yu Jianwen:
YIN: Producer Yu, why was my story of the “gutter oil”
48
not on the
air tonight?
YU: The senior officials killed it.
YIN: Why would they do that?
YU: They said it would harm social stability.
YIN: The citizens are blind. No wonder society is stable.
YU: Who has never had a story killed by the officials? Every
journalist is quite getting used to it.

Yin’s conscience makes him feel guilty about deceiving the public. And as a
veteran journalist, producer Yu obviously has been through Yin’s situation earlier
in his career. However, the lesson he can teach this cub reporter is to accept it
and “get used to it.”
At times, the reporter has to twist the facts. In one novel, a landslide
damaged a few residential houses. Upon investigating, officials determine it was
caused by shoddy construction of the reinforcement of the riverbank. Journalist
Qin Shuyan and Zhuang Xueya went to interview people at the accident. After

38

they return early the next morning, colleague He Xuan asks them about the
situation.
HE XUAN: How many people died in this accident?
ZHUANG: Two. It is said in the news that it was two.
DETECTIVE SU: What do you mean?
HE XUAN: If the death toll were over three people, it would be
counted as a major safety accident that needed to be reported to
the provincial government level.

Detective Su is shocked by the way the journalists handled the situation and asks
producer Yu whether that is the way journalists report the news. Producer Yu
says, “Don’t you think I am upset about it? Don’t you think I want to tell the truth?
But it would be offensive since the senior officials from the government notified
us to keep it quiet. I have journalistic ideals too, but I can do nothing at all.” This
conversation reflects the pressure that Yu feels from the senior government
officials and from peer’s criticism. The incident provides readers with the
perspective of constant struggle a veteran journalist endures.
In another situation, a journalist volunteers to investigate the heavy metal
pollution in Shunning River that has caused hundreds of children to have
excessive lead levels in their blood.
49
But the editor turns him down. Regional
commercial newspapers have investigated corruption and other abuses at the
local level, but only outside their own home province. This practice is called
cross-regional reporting (yidi jiandu). Since all local newspapers are part of
media groups belonging to the local government and CCP establishment, editors
naturally are reluctant to bite the hand that feeds them.
50
The journalists are

39

anxious, seeing their colleagues in other provinces coming to investigate an
issue in their hometown but losing their own voice on these issues.
Investigative journalist’s struggles can be further understood through
journalist Qin Shuyan’s experience. Qin joins the television station right after
graduation full of enthusiasm and dreaming of doing good journalism. Her first
story is declined by the editor. It is about how a restaurant is destroying drinking
water sources by discharging raw sewage. It turns out that the restaurant owner
is a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, and the government rejects
this story for the reason of “maintaining social stability.” Sad and disappointed,
Qin’s dream of being a good journalist dies. After many news stories are killed for
various reasons, Qin gives up on journalism completely. Qin’s experience could
be a typical example of how journalists “get used to it.” They dreamed, insisted,
hesitated, and finally gave up. They want integrity and fulfillment, but no one is
supportive. Journalism is only a job, not a mission.
Ethics, Misrepresentation, and Surreptitious Newsgathering
Sun unveils the hidden world of editors and journalists sacrificing
journalistic ethics to make a profit or get a scoop. In Media Violence, he reveals
newspaper profits do not come mainly from subscriptions. The real revenue
comes from illegitimate advertising: the editor threatens companies, schools, or
hospitals that the newspaper will expose their wrongdoing or corruption. The only
way to prevent exposure is by buying an ad. Here, investigative reports become
the way to make money.

40

In addition, Sun also casts doubt on the interview techniques that
journalists use to investigate. In Media Violence, Sun describes a situation where
journalist Yao Suohan interviews a bank manager. He asks about a situation
where a cashier claimed to gives a customer a hundred dollars more than he
should have but the customer denies it. The bank then freezes the customer’s
account. Yao asks the bank manager if there is a clause saying that the bank
does not take any responsibility once the customer leaves the counter. Since it is
the cashier’s fault, why should the customer return the money?
THE MANAGER: Who are you? Are you supposed to be the
police?
YAO: I am a journalist. Who are you? You thought you are the law?
You have damn no reason to freeze any citizen’s bank account
without legal authorization. You thought you are the law?
THE MANAGER: Yes, I make the law. I make the law. So what?

Next day, the title of the news story is “Facing query of imparity clause, the bank
manager said he is the lawmaker.” Yao deliberately did not include their
conversation, but only published the manager’s “I make the law” quote. He
seemingly lost his journalistic objectivity. It’s another kind of media violence, Sun
explains in the novel. Journalists force the interviewee to say something they
shouldn’t say and expose only part of the truth, or deceive audiences or readers
by publishing half-truths. Sun is criticizing the mass media for manipulating public
opinion, saying that it is a form of media violence.
Dubbed “stunt reporters” by some scholars of Chinese journalism,
investigative reporters place themselves in the midst of the story, going to any
lengths necessary to get the inside scoop. “Their bodies became part of the news

41

as they enrolled in mental hospitals, invaded drug dens, became employees for
corrupt corporations, sought out doctors who might perform an illegal abortion,
and faked illnesses to gain entrance into hospitals.”
51
Sun Haoyuan depicts the
controversial technique of journalists impersonating a waitress or police officer,
experiencing first-hand a story that might otherwise be lost or less dramatic. In an
investigative report on gutter oil, journalist Qiao Zhaoning is hired as a restaurant
waiter. He takes many pictures, shoots videos, and records conversations of the
owner asking the workers reuse the hot pot oil. Qiao’s insider information gives
him a big scoop, and his story is a success. However, Sun Haoyuan questions
Qiao’s behavior and the legitimacy of this kind of interview.
A Dangerous Craft
The author places these stories in a series of murders. All the victims are
journalists, reflecting that it is a dangerous profession. In fact, journalism has
become China’s third most dangerous profession. According to a survey
conducted by the All-China Journalists Association in nine provinces and 16
cites, nearly half the journalists interviewed said they had encountered threats
while covering stories. Insurance companies now offer special coverage for
journalists because of the risk involved in their work. In some cases, the murders
are a direct attack not only on individuals, but also on society as a whole.
52

In Sun’s novels, journalists cannot always expect protection from the
police; in many cases they can expect open hostility for investigative
reporting. “Journalists can easily offend people.” “Being a journalist is as

42

dangerous as being a detective,”
53
He Xuan once said to her husband, Detective
Su. “He/she would not become a qualified journalist if he/she never offends
others.” In his novels, Sun elaborates the sources of the offences in two
categories. The first is that journalists are threatened by blackmail and
intimidation while conducting investigative reporting. Second, government
officials can easily fire journalist if they write stories that displease them.
Government officials apparently shield one another, and businesses and
government officials collude with one another. Journalist’s positions, as well as
their lives, are at great risk.

43

Chapter Six: Conclusion
The significance of novels about journalism is multifaceted. “They reflect,
and very likely helped shape, the public’s image of the media."
54
This is
especially true in China, where citizens have demanded more democracy and
freedom of speech while the government is trying hard to leverage loosening or
tightening controls over the society. Journalists, who are always embracing
transparency and openness, have become both the crusader and witness in the
dramatic social and political change in this transitional period.
The situation in China reflects Howard Good’s analysis about American
journalist’s image in 1890 to 1930. China is trying to enter into a modern era, just
as America was then.
Journalism was a revolutionary force, tearing up traditions,
redefining public morality, and lending voice currents sweeping
through every phase of American life. The skyrocketing circulations,
the manic search for exclusive news, the sensational headlines,
and the concentration of newspaper ownership were signs of an
America changing journalism so clearly mirrored and so loudly
supported the new order, it became the preeminent symbol for the
mechanization, standardization, democratization and vulgarization
of culture. The contradictory portrayal of journalists in fiction
represents the extremes of what people hoped and feared amid the
upheavals that accomplished the birth of the modern era.
55

Under the special complicated social and political context, Chinese journalists
are struggling to find their way to do good journalism practices. The journalists in
Sun Haoyuan’s novels are a reflection of journalists in the real world, though
some images are stereotyped by his biases. But his novels provide a space to

44

examine the journalism and media world in China after being taboo for a long
time.
Overall, the depiction of journalists in Sun Haoyuan’s novels is largely
dependent on the social and political environment that journalists live within.
Journalist’s courage of seeking truth and constantly fighting for justice are
overshadowed by the tightened control from the government. There is a line that
the government draws that journalists cannot cross. In the novels, this factor
influences journalist’s self-consciousness toward the profession.
On the other hand, journalists also cross the boundaries of journalistic
ethics for various reasons. It can be seen through Sun’s summary about the
Chinese media’s three obsessions in The Media Violence:
56

1) Obsession with justice: When doing adversarial reports, journalists
unconsciously see themselves as the judge, trying to lead public opinion
to their conclusions. They even see themselves as higher than the judges
in the court system and vainly attempting to influence or manipulate the
judges.
2) “Kings without crowns” obsession: Journalists take advantage of their
privilege in every occasion, using every means to gather and get scoops.
Leaving alone some confidential contract they have signed and media
laws and regulations they should obey, they deem themselves as the
“kings” of society.

45

3) Profit obsession: to make a profit, journalists and editors can place as
many advertisements as they can during TV shows, and they can threaten
people with negative coverage if the don’t run advertisements in the
newspaper. They can do everything only for money.
In Sun Haoyuan’s novels, journalists have been portrayed as idealists and
cynics, crusaders and muckrakers, flawed heroes, newsroom beauties with both
femininity and masculinity. The readers’ attitude toward them continually swings
from dark to bright and back again, because these figures are flawed and
conflicted throughout. Within these images are pieces of real journalists whose
existence has been interwoven into fictional accounts. The author, as the creator
of the images, and the reader, as the consumers of the images, are both
expecting a brighter future for journalism in China.

46

Endnotes

1
Charles A. Laughlin, Chinese Reportage: The Aesthetics of Historical Experience, Duke University Press,
Durham, NC, 2002, pp. 35.

2
Loren Ghiglione, The American Journalist: Paradox of the Press, Library of Congress, Washington DC,
1990, pp. 97.

3
Rebecca E. Karl, “Journalism, Social Value, and a Philosophy of the Everyday in 1920s China,” Journal of
East Asia Cultural Critique, Volume 16, Issue 3, (2008), pp. 539.

4
Yuxing Ma, Woman Journalist and Feminism in China: 1898-1937, Cambria Press, Amherst, NY 2010,
pp.16.

5
Joe Saltzman, The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture (IJPC) Database (Annenberg: The Norman
Lear Center at the University of Southern California, Annenberg, 2006) available from http://www.ijpc.org/.

6
David Silverman, Doing Qualitative Research, Sage Publications, London, 2005, pp. 34.

7
Amanda Rossie, Beauty, Brains and Bylines: Comparing the Female Journalist in the Fiction of Sherryl
Woods and Sarah Shankman, (MA dissertation, University of Southern California, 2009).

8
David Hutton, “I’ll still be reporting, whoever wins”: Journalism and the Media in Graham Greene’s
Stamboul Train, It’s a Battlefield, and The Quiet American, (MA dissertation, University of Saskatchewan,
2007).

9
Hugo De Burgh, “The Journalist in China: looking to the past for inspiration”, Journal of Media History, Vol.
9, No. 3, (2003), pp. 197.

10
David Bandurski, Xinhua Kicks Western Press to Uphold Marxist View, Last modified July 20, 2011,
http://cmp.hku.hk/2011/07/20/13937/ , accessed on Feb 20, 2012.

11
Susan L. Shirk, Changing Media, Changing China, Oxford University Press, Cambridge, 2011, pp. 7.

12
Joe Saltzman, Frank Capra and the image of the journalist in American Film, (Image of the Journalist in
Popular Culture (IJPC) publication, 2002), pp. 181.

13

Reporter Without Borders, http://en.rsf.org/ .accessed on Feb 20, 2012.

14
Ibid

15
Zhang Xin, Deep Throat (Shen Hou), (Chunfeng Wenyi Publishing, 2004)

16
Lei Zhang, “Hush Hush”, Global Times, accessed on Feb 20, 2012.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/life/life/2011-01/617380_3.html

17
Loren Ghiglione, The American Journalist: Paradox of the Press, Library of Congress, Washington DC,
1990, pp. 916.

18
Howard Good, The Journalist in Fiction, 1890–1930,Journalism Quarterly (Summer 1985): pp.192.

19
Lei Zhang, “Hush Hush”, Global Times, Last Modified January 27, 2011,
http://www.globaltimes.cn/life/life/2011-01/617380_3.html

47

20
A homeless man who spends his days and nights wandering the streets of Ningbo, Zhejiang province, has
almost gained star status, thanks to his “good looks and sharp dress sense.” A growing number of Internet
users are tracking the whereabouts of the still unidentified man, whose “fans” have nicknamed him Brother
Sharp. He is one of the most talked about personalities in Chinese cyberspace today. Several netizens have
dubbed Brother Sharp as the “most handsome underdog of this century.”

21

Lei Zhang, “Hush Hush”, Global Times, accessed on Feb 20, 2012.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/life/life/2011-01/617380_3.html

22
Meilan Lin, “Fake Reporters Drill Mines for Hush Money”, Global Times, accessed on Feb 20 27, 2012,
http://www.globaltimes.cn/china/society/2010-03/515127.html

23
Shaeda Isani, “Journalism FASP & Fictional Representations of Journalists in Popular Contemporary
Literature”, (Langues & cultures de specialite a l’e prevue des medias, 2009), pp. 5.

24
Joe Saltzman, Frank Capra and the Image of the Journalist in American Film, pp. 179

25
Sun Haoyuan, Mafia Game: The Media Violence (Sha Ren You Xi: Mei Ti Bao Li), (in Chinese), Jiangsu
Literature and Art Publishing House, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 2010, pp. 44.

26
Fen Lin, “A Survey Report on Chinese Journalist in China”, Journal of China Quarterly (2010), pp. 423.

27
Sun Haoyuan, Mafia Game: The Hypodermic – Syringe (Sha Ren You Xi: Pi Xia Zhu She) (in Chinese),
Jiangsu Literature and Art publishing House, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 2009, pp. 6.

28
Joe Saltzman, Frank Capra and the image of the journalist in American Film, pp.184 -185.

29
Sun Haoyuan, Hush Money (Feng Kou Fei), (in Chinese), New Star Press, Beijing, 2011, pp. 52.

30
Ibid, pp. 76.

31
Sun Haoyuan, Mafia Game: Media Violence (Sha Ren You Xi: Mei Ti Bao Li), (in Chinese) Jiangsu
Literature and Art Publishing House, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 2010, pp. 97.

32
Howard Good, Acquainted with the Night: The Image of Journalists in American Fiction, 1890-1930, The
Scarecrow Press, Lanham, MD, 1986, pp. 20.

33
Sun Haoyuan, Hush Money, pp. 52.

34
Sun Haoyuan, Mafia Game: Media Violence, pp. 6.

35
Ibid, pp.10.

36
Ibid, pp. 55.

37
Howard Good, Acquainted with the Night: The Image of Journalists in American Fiction, 1890-1930,
pp.15.

38

Amanda Rossie, “Beauty, Brains and Bylines: Comparing the Female Journalist in the Fiction of Sherryl
Woods and Sarah Shankman”, pp. 32.

39
Fen Lin, “A Survey Report on Chinese Journalist in China”, Journal of China Quarterly (2010), pp. 423.

40
Qichao Liang, On the Prospects of Newspaper Work for Women, Comments on Journalism, trans. and
edited by J.H. Shen. Columbia, MO: Crippled Turtle. (First published 1922.)

48

41
Haoyuan Sun, Mafia Game: The Live Broadcast, pp.71.

42
Ibid, pp. 71.

43
Donna Born, "The Image of the Woman Journalist in American Popular Fiction: 1890 to the Present."
(Department of Journalism, Central Michigan University, 1981), pp. 9.

44
Haoyuan Sun, Mafia Game: The Live Broadcast, pp. 92.

45
Loren Ghiglione, The American Journalist: Paradox of the Press, pp. 49.
46
Joe Saltzman, Frank Capra and the image of the journalist in American Film, pp.184.

47
Yuezhi Zhou, “Watchdogs on Party Leashes? Contexts and implications of investigative journalism in
post-Deng China”, Journalism Studies, Vol 1, Number 2,2000, pp. 577–597

48
Reusage of cooling oil Chinese call it "gutter oil" – a foul slop fished up from sewage drains or collected at
restaurant back doors -- and it's being used widely in the country's eateries

49
Sun Haoyuan, Hush Money, pp. 78.

50
Susan L. Shirk, Changing Media, Changing China pp. 21.

51
Amanda Rossie, “Beauty, Brains and Bylines: Comparing the Female Journalist in the Fiction of Sherryl
Woods and Sarah Shankman”, pp. 8.

52
Cih-yu Yang, Journalism: China’s Third Most Dangerous Profession, wantchinatimes.com, accessed on
Feb 20, 2012, http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20110922000014&cid=1103

53
Sun Haoyuan, Mafia Game: Media Violence, pp. 46.

54
Howard Good, Acquainted with the Night: The Image of Journalists in American Fiction, 1890-1930,
pp.23.

55
Ibid, pp.95.

56
Haoyuan Sun, Media Violence, pp.183.

49

Bibliography
Bandurski, David, Xinhua Kicks Western Press to Uphold Marxist View,
Last modified July 20, 2011, http://cmp.hku.hk/2011/07/20/13937/

Born, Donna, “The Image of the Woman Journalist in American Popular Fiction:
1890 to the Present.” Department of Journalism, Central Michigan
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Burgh, Hugo De, The Journalist in China: looking to the past for inspiration,
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Hutton, David, “I’ll still be reporting, whoever wins”: Journalism and the Media in
Graham Greene’s Stamboul Train, It’s a Battlefield, and The Quiet
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Isani, Shaeda, Journalism FASP & Fictional Representations of Journalists in
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prevue des medias, 2009

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Congress, 1990

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Fiction, 1890-1930, The Scarecrow Press, 1986

Good, Howard, The journalist in Fiction, 1890 – 1930, Journalism Quarterly
(Summer 1985): pp.187-214.

Karl, Rebecca E., Journalism, Social Value, and a Philosophy of the Everyday in
1920s China, Journal of East Asia Cultural Critique, Volume 16, Issue 3,
2008 pp. 539 – 567

Laughlin, Charles A., Chinese Reportage: the aesthetics of historical experience,
Duke University Press, 2002

Liang, Qichao, On the Prospects of Newspaper Work for Women, reprinted in
Q.C. Liang, Comments on Journalism, trans. and edited by J.H. Shen.
Columbia, MO: Crippled Turtle. (First published 1922.)

Lin, Fen, A Survey Report on Chinese Journalist in China, China Quarterly, 2010

50

Lin, Meilan, Fake Reporters Drill Mines for Hush Money, Global Times, accessed
on Feb 20 27, 2012, http://www.globaltimes.cn/china/society/2010-
03/515127.html

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in the Fiction of Sherryl Woods and Sarah Shankman, MA diss. Univeristy
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Zhu She) (in Chinese), Jiangsu Literature and Art publishing House, 2009

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Li), (in Chinese), 2010

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http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-
cnt.aspx?id=20110922000014&cid=1103

51

Yi, Fei, Kings without Crowns (Wu Mian Zhi Wang), A Glaring Lie (Mi Tian Da
Huang), and The Paradise (Tian Shang Ren Jian)

Zhang, Lei, Hush Hush, Global Times, Last Modified January 27, 2011,
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2004

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investigative journalism in post-Deng China, Journalism Studies Volume
1, Number 2, pp. 577–597, 2000

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This paper examines the image of the journalist in a series of novels by the Chinese journalist-turned-novelist Sun Haoyuan. The author uses journalistic characters as vehicles to critique the practice of journalism in China in four novels: Mafia Game: The Live Broadcast (2009)

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Asset Metadata

Creator Chen, Chengnan (author)

Core Title Within and without bounds: media and the journalist in the fiction of Chinese writer Sun Haoyuan

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Strategic Public Relations

Publication Date 05/04/2012

Defense Date 05/04/2012

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag China,image,journalist,OAI-PMH Harvest

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Saltzman, Joseph (committee chair), Fong, Mei (committee member), Wang, Jay (committee member)

Creator Email chen90@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-29556

Unique identifier UC11289038

Identifier usctheses-c3-29556 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-ChenChengn-757-0.pdf

Dmrecord 29556

Document Type Thesis

Rights Chen, Chengnan

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA