Abstract
Science popularization (SP) in China can be divided into the for-profit SP industry and non-profit SP undertakings. The SP industry is the sum of the activities providing SP products and SP services to the state, society and the public on the basis of market mechanisms and related activities. The industry has SP content and services as its core products and involves the four links of creation, production, dissemination and consumption of SP products, which not only spread scientific knowledge, thought, spirit and methods but also create jobs and increase the public’s scientific literacy. According to the classification of cultural industries, SP industries can be divided into science news, SP news, SP books, SP magazines, SP radio and television programmes, science fiction movies, SP plays, SP exhibition halls, SP tourism, SP websites and so on. Science communication has entered a new era using highly integrated digitalization in society and the economy, so the SP industry in China is gradually changing. Today, as emerging technologies find wide application and permeate everyday life, the public relies on web-based information resources, content, services and a variety of media and information service platforms to satisfy its demand for SP. New media platforms, such as websites, Weibo and WeChat, have become more and more important for SP. This chapter describes the background and development of China’s SP industry and research related to the industry. We use representative comprehensive SP brands from government and private enterprise—China Science Communication and GuoKe (guokr.com)—as typical cases and analyse their status and the characteristics of new media platforms based on 5 W theory. Through comparative analysis, we identify problems in the development of the new media SP industry in China and make suggestions on that basis.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Science Popularization Law of China, http://www.npc.gov.cn/wxzl/wxzl/2002-07/10/content_297301.htm.
- 2.
National Public Literacy Scheme of China, http://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2006/content_244978.htm.
- 3.
China citizens’ scientific literacy report IV, China Science and Technology Press, 2018.
- 4.
Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China, China science popularization statistics, 2008–2017 editions, Scientific and Technical Documentation Press, Beijing.
- 5.
China SP Sites Ranking (2018), https://www.wkepu.com/top/2018.html.
- 6.
WeChat Communication Index, http://www.gsdata.cn/.
- 7.
Alexa, http://www.alexa.cn/.
- 8.
‘Weibo releases 2020 third quarter financial report’, media release, 28 December 2020, http://finance.sina.com.cn/stock/usstock/c/2020-12-28/doc-iiznezxs9422515.shtml?cref=cj.
- 9.
Data from Sina Weibo (https://weibo.com/) search results.
- 10.
‘Tencent releases third quarter 2020 financial report, QQ monthly active users hit a new low’, Sohu, 12 November 2020, https://www.sohu.com/a/431392914_100191017.
- 11.
Peng Lin Ye Dan, ‘In 2018, there were approximately 1.08 billion WeChat monthly active users, and 45 billion WeChat messages were sent every day’, People.cn, 10 January 2019, http://tc.people.com.cn/n1/2019/0110/c183008-30513620.html.
- 12.
Data from search results on the Gsdata platform (http://www.gsdata.cn/).
References
CAST (China Association for Science and Technology) (2019) Report on search behavior of Chinese netizens’ popular science demands (first quarter of 2019). CAST, Beijing. https://www.cast.org.cn/art/ 019/4/26/art_1281_94546.html
CNNIC (China Internet Network Information Center) (Feb 2018) 41st statistical report on China’s internet development. CNNIC, Beijing
Dongmei Y (2015) Discussion on the development of the SP industry and modern science and technology museums. Sci Technol Econ Inner Mongolia 13:25–26
Fujun R, Yizhong Z, Xuan L (2011) Research on science popularization industry development: relevant issues. Studies Sci Popularization 3:5–13
Huang ZGG (2010) Thoughts on the science popularization–culture industry. Studies Sci Popularization 5(1):5–11
Hansheng L (2004) A strategic study on the development of popular science in China. Sci Technol Rev 8:55–59
Hansheng L (2005) Study on the strategic framework for the development of China’s SP cultural industry. Studies Sci Sci 2:213–219
Huang Gu, Guoping Z (2012) The integration of science popularization enterprise and science popularization industry: a study based on the theory of public goods. Studies Sci Popularization 7(1):23–28
MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) (Jan 2017) Province-by-province statistics of telephone users, 2016. MIIT, Beijing
Moore I (2014) Cultural and creative industries concept—a historical perspective. Procedia Soc Behav Sci 110:738–746
MST (Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China). China science popularization statistics, 2008–2017 editions. Scientific and Technical Documentation Press, Beijing
MST (Ministry of Science and Technology) (no date) National medium- and long-term S&T development plan of China, http://www.most.gov.cn/kjgh/kjghzcq/
O’Connor J (1999) The definition of ‘cultural industries’. http://www.pedrobendassolli.com/pesquisa/ cc1.pdf
Ren F, Zhang Y, Zhou J et al. (2010) Report on the development of the SP industry during the 12th Five-Year Plan period. CAST, Beijing
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) (1982) Cultural industries: a challenge for the future of culture. UNESCO, Paris
Xinfang L (2010) A study on the history of science popularization of the People’s Republic of China. University of Science and Technology of China
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 China Science and Technology Press
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ren, F., Liu, X., Ma, J. (2021). Emerging Practices Based on New Media in the Chinese Science Popularization Industry: Transformation in the New Era of Science Communication. In: Schiele, B., Liu, X., Bauer, M.W. (eds) Science Cultures in a Diverse World: Knowing, Sharing, Caring. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5379-7_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5379-7_15
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-16-5378-0
Online ISBN: 978-981-16-5379-7
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media StudiesLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)