After Global Hollywood: The Prospects and Perils of Chinese Media Capital

Michael Curtin, Visiting Scholar for Framing the Global

Since the 1990s, media imagery has flowed more freely across national borders as a result of new technologies and market liberalization, much to the delight of Western conglomerates that have expanded their operations and exports around the globe. Yet the People’s Republic of China offers a significant counter-example of a government that has been relatively successful at protecting its national media and fostering new domestic enterprises. This has allowed China to exercise political and cultural leadership at home while also expanding its influence abroad. The government has furthermore manipulated Western joint-venture partners—such as Disney, DreamWorks, and News Corp.—to serve its broader strategic ambition, which is to develop media industries that are popular with audiences and ultimately competitive with Hollywood. This case example allows us to explore the implications of Chinese policy within the broader processes of media globalization, providing a framework for understanding the logics of media capital and the challenges for cultural policy. The presentation furthermore makes comparisons to Arab, African, and Indian media, reflecting on the prospects for creativity and cultural diversity in transnational film and television.

Professor Curtin will also participate in the Global Studies Positioning Series (GSPS) on Monday, September 24, 2012. The GSPS will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Global Center.

For more about Professor Curtin, see Visiting Scholar-In-Residence