Guangming Daily is a Chinese national daily newspaper that was first published in 1949. At that time, the paper was under the control of the China Democratic League. During the 1970s, the paper assumed a prominent position in the political landscape of China. In recent years, the newspaper has experienced a decline in popularity. In an effort to enhance its appeal to a broader audience, it has expanded its coverage to encompass a greater range of cultural and scientific topics. Nevertheless, its current circulation is a mere fraction of what it was in the 1990s.
Media assets
Publishing: Guangming Daily
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
Guangming Daily is a publication of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CCPPD), which is a division of the Communist Party of China with the mandate of disseminating information about the Chinese government and censoring the information content produced by Chinese media outlets.
Source of funding and budget
As is the case with all media outlets in China, Guangming Daily has been pursuing strategies to augment its advertising revenues and diminish its dependence on government funding. The newspaper does not disclose information regarding its financial performance. However, local journalists and experts interviewed for this report in March 2024 have indicated that it is financially reliant on government funding.
Editorial independence
Guangming Daily is regarded as a propaganda outlet that frequently disseminates the perspectives of the government. Despite a reduction in political coverage in recent years, the newspaper’s editorial line remains subject to strict government and Communist Party control. In its published material, Guangming Daily explicitly advocates for governmental control over the dissemination of information within China.
There is no legislation in place, nor is there an independent assessment or oversight mechanism, to validate the editorial independence of Guangming Daily.
September 2024