Outsourced Propaganda: The Role of Journalists in China’s Government Social Media

Chunyan Huang and Haiyan Wang
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Chunyan Huang: Department of Communication, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
Haiyan Wang: Department of Communication, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China

Media and Communication, 2025, vol. 13

Abstract: This research explores an underexamined aspect of government communication—the role of journalists as outsourced propaganda content producers in the Chinese context. Based on 15 semi-structured interviews with journalists who have first-hand experience managing outsourced government social media accounts, and grounded in boundary work theory, this study examines how journalists navigate the tension between journalism and propaganda in relation to their role identity, work routines, and professional values. Findings reveal that outsourced journalists, often referred to as Xiaobian , occupy a contested hybrid position. Their identity negotiation is constrained by dual pressures from both government agencies and news organizations, leaving limited room for professional autonomy. In their daily practices, bureaucratic logic takes precedence over journalistic logic, intensifying the tension between serving the state and serving the public. These dynamics highlight journalism’s boundary crossing in the digital era, shaped by changing economic and political conditions within the media landscape.

Keywords: boundary work; China; government communication; journalism; propaganda; social media (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cog:meanco:v13:y:2025:a:10451

DOI: 10.17645/mac.10451

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