In countries undergoing major transformation, the media will move from a position of subordination to one of independence, in the course of which civil society will gradually mature. There are two paths by which the media can break free from government control and become part of civil society. One is to emerge as an opposition faction outside the establishment and draw a clear line between itself and the government, while surviving on the basis of moral resources in the political sphere. The other way is to cater to the needs of a market economy and ally with private capital, while gradually working to grow its own wings and attain economic independence. The first path is now unfeasible in China because of the harsh political environ-ment, but by following the second path, the Chinese media have begun stealthily to increase its distance from the government.
China has no private media.
All media have long depended on the government for financial support. As a result, they cannot cross the government's line on major news events. As the market economy gradually expands, however, advertising and circulation revenues have increasingly become their main sources of income. In concrete terms, some media have already started to seek expansion by being listed on the stock market, pooling capital to establish subsidiary companies, and engaging in cooperative management, mergers, acquisitions and restructuring. The media's progress towards financial independence allows some among them to try to speak with an independent voice.