For Whom Do You Speak?Understanding Media Regulation in a

Luhmanian Way: Functional Differentiation and Contingency

Ge Xing The University of Tokyo

2012

Outline Motivation & Problem Statement

Related Work

Theoretical Background

Discussions

Conclusive Points

Further Discussion & Future Work

Motivation and Problem Statement

For whom do you speak for? Asked by officials to reporters (2009, 2011)

Two systems communicate within itself

Functional differentiation and Globalization

Function systems which are operationally closed

How can state steer the society if systems are closed?

Motivation and Problem Statement

Two questions to be discussed

1, How to understand regulation from the perspective of functional differentiation

2, How to understand regulation from the perspective of autopoietic organizations

Related Work

What is regulation?

Regulation is the sustained and focused attempt to alter the behavior of others according to define standards or purposes with the intention of producing a broadly identified outcome or outcomes, which may involve mechanisms of standard-setting, information-gathering and behavior-modification. (Black 2002:20)

Related Work

External factors affecting regulation in previous researches: Market, Political Reform, Cultural structure, Public Interests

(B.H.Winfield & Z.Peng,2005; R.Cullen & H.L.Fu,1998; B H.Winfield, T Mizuno & C E.Beaudoin,2000; Lin,2006; Zhao,1998)

Social Consensus (Ideology or cultural Structure) )

Mass Media

State

Market

Related Work

A

Economic System/ Market, Enterprise

G

Political System/ Party-State

L

Local culture/ Journalism Education / Ideology

Mass media in I level

I

Market-Oriented Mouthpiece Role

Professionism/ Public interests

Inner Structure

Discussion I: Social Differentiation and Function

Systems

Differentiation is not harmonious

Function systems construct realities respectively

There are no “good” or “bad” function systems

Pseudo-communication between systems based on observation and irritation or HACS (Hierarchical Autonomy Communication System, Nishigaki 2008)

Discussion II: Organizations and Function Systems

Organization and social systems

I level of AGIL

Market-Oriented Mouthpiece Role

Professionism/ Public interests

Inner Structure

Mass media organization

Academic System

Mass media System

Economic System

Political

system

Two Types of Organizations

Mass media as an autopoietic organization coupled with several function systems (for instance, mass media system, political system & economic system)

State as a special organization which is also autopoietic (Thyson,2007;W.Schirmer,2007 )

- mainly coupled with one function system - a second order organization that supports

the society - try to steer other organizations in a

paradoxical way

Observation: Daily Regulation on Shanghai media

Shanghai Style: media in a developed capitalist market with relatively close relationship with government

Journalists and editors deal with daily regulation frequently everyday

Observation: Daily Regulation on Shanghai media

----- We receive official documents everyday and sometimes we try to make the news stories appear on screen or newspapers before the documents come. (Informants from different media)

----- Some press even can disobey the official demand occasionally. But usually we try to guess the meaning of the documents and find the “grey zone” for reporting. (One informant from one TV station)

Decision-making Through Double Contingency Situation

Propaganda Department Mass Media

(Decisions coupled with political system)

(Decisions coupled with several function systems)

high

contingency

low

Demand (Positive)Obedience (Negative)

Further punishment/ Tacit permission (Negative) Disobedience (Positive)

Demand (Positive) Game (Contingent)

Further decisions (Contingent)

Game (Contingent)

Observation & Irritation

Observation & Irritation

Conclusive Points

Contingent media regulation

1, Regulation can be regarded as pseudo-communication between function systems from the perspective of function differentiation

2, Regulations from the perspective of autopoietic organizations can be regarded as contingent decision-making produced through a situation of double-contingency, as is shown in Shanghai Style