The Organization of Entertainment Media with the Chinese Fan Groups and Artists through the "Qinglang Measures”, along with Norms and Social Relationships in Communist China

Abstract

  Chinese communist society has a political governance system based on authoritarian theory. The media is used as a tool by the authorities to maintain political ideology, inherit traditional culture, and create a favorable media environment. This control and use of media also include entertainment media. As a result, the Chinese authorities have implemented the "Qinglang Measures" as a tool to control the affiliated studios of artists and their fan clubs, ensuring they remain within appropriate behavioral boundaries.
   This article is divided into two parts. The first part involves using the Normative Theories of Media to analyze the relationship between the media and the fan communities of Chinese artists in the context of the norms of the People's Republic of China, which has a political system governed by authoritarianism according to the theory of power. The analysis reveals the ideology of Chinese communism, which emphasizes norms of equality, prioritizing the common good over individual interests, and opposing capitalism by dismantling any activities that create inequality, eliminating all risks that could lead to conflict, and prohibiting the encouragement of excessive spending.
   The second part of the article analyzes the structure and social functions of fan groups of Chinese artists using the theory of hegemonic critique. The analysis reveals the social structure and the relationship between the Chinese authorities, who are the ruling class, and their use of hegemonic power to implement measures to control studios or record labels of the artists, as well as the fans themselves, keeping them within the framework desired by the state. It also analyzes this through the lens of structural functionalism, focusing specifically on the functional framework of "transmitting social heritage from one generation to the next." The analysis shows that artists and entertainment media are not only a source of emotional support for fan groups but also serve as tools for the Chinese authorities to maintain political ideology, perpetuate traditional culture, and create a favorable media environment.