This document contains summaries of presentations given to students on communication media theory and related topics. It includes: 1) Discussions of the differences between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 eras, and how social media has enabled two-way and multi-way interactions. 2) An overview of how public broadcasters are funded in different countries, such as through TV license fees in Europe or government funding in China. 3) A summary of Jurgen Habermas's views on the public sphere and how it should not be influenced by politics, business or allow exclusion. 4) Examples of exercises assigned to students, including debates on introducing ebooks and analyzing the impacts of spreading rumors online

1. S
Communication Media Theory
Sample Presentations
David Feng
Communication University of China, Beijing
Academic years 2012/13 and 2013/14
These are a small selection of all presentations given to students at
the Communication University of China. They were either enrolled
in the Mass Communication or Media Theory courses, or both.
This sample not necessarily for use in educational and research
institutions.

2. Discussion:
“Will the Weibo kill the
newspaper?”

3. The Internet can roughly be summed up in two different
"eras", according to more modern summaries:—
the "Web 1.0" era, the name of which debuted after the
social media-dominated Internet of the present day,
was named "Web 2.0". In the Web 1.0 era, which was
mainly around the 1990s, interaction was somewhat
limited, in particular to comparisons to the present day.
Communications was much more a case of "one to
masses", which would be notably different to the flow of
communications in the Web 2.0 era;

4. Exercise C.1 | eBooks
Should our university introduce eBooks in regular
classes?
Get together in three groups.
•One prefers the introduction of the eBook.
•The other group is strongly against such an
introduction.
•To a third group, this doesn’t matter much.
Timing (30 minutes allotted):—
• 15 minutes preparation
• 10-15 minutes debate

5. Social media has four special characteristics which are of importance
in this day and age. These characteristics are neither present nor
comparable to that of traditional media.
The four special characteristics that solely social media has are:—
• Timeliness
• Interaction
• Scope
• Topic derivation & development
Social media creates a two-way or a more complex (multiple-way) dialogue. In
any case, interaction occurs both or in many ways. Everyone taking part in
social media can add their thoughts on such a platform. If debate continues, the
so-called “butterfly effect” might happen. (If you know the phrase, Does the flap
of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?, then you must be quite
familiar with the butterfly effect).

6. Public broadcasters are funded through several ways:—
• In some countries, a TV licence fee applies — this is most often
seen in Europe, the UK and Switzerland being clear and current
examples.
• Government funding may apply for other countries — for
example, in China, although CCTV is not a “full” public
broadcasters (public broadcasting being just one of its missions),
the central government channels a significant amount of financial
resources — funding included — to enable CCTV to go on air, and
to remain on air.
• In other situations, public broadcasters may be (controversially,
at times) funded by commercial organisations.
Economics8.1.1

7. Habermas & Public Sphere
In a contemporary context, to sum up Habermas:—
• Habermas’s public sphere does not allow anyone to
be excluded;
• Everyone is allowed to take part, at least in theory,
even the poor or otherwise disadvantaged;
• Politics is not allowed to interfere (otherwise the
public sphere would not exist);
• Big business (capitalism) is also not allowed to
meddle in the public sphere (otherwise it would also
not exist).

8. Exercise 1
Create and complete a word list on the following topics
(one per group) — you might also want to define terms:
LIBEL SCANDAL RUMOURS
(诽谤) (绯闻) (谣⾔言)
Exercise 2
Think of the negative consequences that rumours
propagated by people such as “Qin Huo Huo” might
cause upon society at large. Write a list / hypothesise.
(Reference: 《⺴⽹网络红⼈人“秦⽕火⽕火”案开审》, news today)
Rolling evaluation
20 minutes thinking time per question

9. Content Not Permitted
Under PRC Laws
‣ 含有法律、⾏行政法规禁⽌止的其他内容的
‣ other content in violation of laws or
administrative regulations

10. Media Regulation - UK
• Laws in regard to libel and defamation (as an
example here: The Defamation Act 1996) dealt with
rumours, libel and defamation. Such laws were
enacted to protect the public reputations of
individuals. This law is binding on the media as
well.

11. Exercise 7.1 | Ya’an Earthquake
The class presents on the Ya’an earthquake based on the
following topics:—
A The reaction via Weibo
B The “discrediting” of the Chinese Red Cross
C Dealing with rumours and factual inaccuracies
D The active role authenticated media and government
organisations had in the wake of the earthquake, and their
efforts via social media
Time:—
• 40 minutes preparation
• 10 minutes presentation / group
Use Worksheet W7 as your notes page.