What is Zimeiti? The commercial logic of content provision on China’s social media platforms

IF 2.1 2区 文学 Q2 COMMUNICATION Chinese Journal of Communication Pub Date : 2021-12-21 DOI:10.1080/17544750.2021.2016877
Kecheng Fang
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引用次数: 4

Abstract

Abstract “Zimeiti” (we media or self-media) is a buzzword in China that has never been clearly defined. It generally refers to non-institutional content providers on social media platforms such as WeChat and Weibo. I conducted a systematic analysis of metadiscourse about zimeiti, including industry reports and conference speeches by important figures in this community. I found that zimeiti is mainly seen as an emerging commercial sector monetizing user attention. Its boundaries are set loose enough to include any new forms of monetization on social media platforms, while at the same time strict enough to exclude discussions on social and political implications. To legitimize this industry, the community adopts depoliticization strategies that emphasize market mechanisms. Based on the findings, I propose a “push and pull” model to explain the variances in politicization/depoliticization across media types. The findings provide an important reality check on the zimeiti community and help us gain insights into China’s restricted yet highly commercialized online content ecosystem.
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什么是子美体?中国社交媒体平台内容提供的商业逻辑
“自媒体”(自媒体或自媒体)在中国是一个从未被明确定义的热词。一般指微信、微博等社交媒体平台上的非机构内容提供者。我对紫梅体的元话语进行了系统的分析,包括行业报告和社团重要人物的会议发言。我发现,紫美体主要被视为一种新兴的商业领域,通过用户的关注来盈利。它的边界设置得足够宽松,可以包括社交媒体平台上任何新的货币化形式,同时也足够严格,可以排除有关社会和政治影响的讨论。为了使这个行业合法化,社区采取了强调市场机制的去政治化策略。基于这些发现,我提出了一个“推拉”模型来解释媒体类型中政治化/非政治化的差异。这些发现为子美体社区提供了重要的现实检查,并帮助我们深入了解中国受限但高度商业化的在线内容生态系统。
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CiteScore
4.70
自引率
3.70%
发文量
38
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