How do we know what we know about China? The images most Americans hold of China were shaped by news coverage. Our multipart documentary series Assignment: China focuses on the journalists who have described the remarkable changes in China since the 1940s. Two of the most influential moments in this history were the Nixon visit in 1972 and the Tiananmen demonstrations of 1989. The correspondents interviewed for the series have helped news consumers understand how China's opening up and subsequent economic rise have reshaped the world. 

Associate Professor of Practice Jason E. Squire just returned from China, where he presented at the Beijing International Film Festival. His keynote was part of a segment titled “The Charm of Comedy Films” at the Summit on the Beauty of Film.

The USC U.S.-China Instituted hosted Terry Flew from the Digital Media Research Centre at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia. He examined the case of China's investments in exporting entertainment media as case study of the opportunities and challenges of a changing global media landscape.

This presentation draws on in-depth interviews in Shanghai to explore how local audiences understand visual expressions of their urban culture, and how their personal experiences shape what people take away from these images of the city.