Analysis of values reflected in "People's Daily Online" from 2020 to 2022

Khao Xiaoxiao Postgraduate student; Department of International Journalism; St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya nab., 7/9 haoxiaoxiao95@gmail.com Labush Nikolai Sergeevich Doctor of Politics Professor; Department of International Journalism; St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya Nab str., 7/9 n.labush@spbu.ru

Vei Yuitsi Postgraduate student; Department of International Journalism; St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya Nab str., 7/9 weiyuqi990314@gmail.com

Introduction

Values are the basis of most human actions and deeds, determine the subject's awareness of his attitude to the objects for which the activity unfolds, thereby generating a personal meaning of this activity or a subjective value correlated with the needs, motives, attitudes, goals and ideals of the individual. [Kulyutkin Yu. N., Bezdukhov V. P., 2002]

S. L. Rubinstein believed that "value is the significance for a person of something in the world, as a necessary derivative of the relationship between the world and man" [Rubinstein S. L., 1973]. The Soviet philosopher and cultural critic M. S. Kagan emphasized that value, existing as a quality of an objective carrier, is reflected in the consciousness of the subject and generates a value attitude of the individual to the world, which manifests itself in value assessment and value attitude. [Kagan M. S., 1997]. In China, scientists have also proposed their own definitions of "values." Chinese scientist Li Deshun writes in his book "The New Theory of Values" that "values are the basic view and general concept of the value of a certain kind of things in people's minds, expressed in the form of relatively stable beliefs, faith, ideals, etc." [Li Deshun, 1991].

The axiology of journalism is an important area of axiology, and one of the most effective channels for the formation of each individual soul and a healthy moral climate in society as a whole. The formulations "cultural and cognitive activity" of journalists and the media, often found in scientific and educational literature, relate to the dissemination of knowledge, culture, that is, to the widely understood education of consumers of journalistic information. According to Professor V.A. Sidorov, the media are the creators not only of the content, but also of a certain value system. [Sidorov V.A., 2012] V. P. Baryshkov draws attention to the importance of values in the process of human perception of information and the influence of value aspects on information choice. A person acts not only as an object of influence, but also as a subject who makes information choices based on values. The media space plays the role of an intermediary between a person and the world around them, facilitating interaction between them. [Baryshkov V. P., 2005].

According to E.V. Polikarpova, mass media has long been one of the components of the psychosocial environment of mankind. They claim to be a very powerful factor in shaping the worldview of a person and the value orientation of society. They are the leaders in the field of ideological influence on society and the individual. They have become translators of cultural achievements and actively influence the acceptance or denial of certain cultural values by society. But the media themselves take part in the formation of these values, and these processes often remain uncontrolled and poorly understood. (Polikarpova E.V. Axiological functions of mass media in modern society.URL: http://www.gumer.info/bibliotec_Buks/Polikarp/01.php , accessed 02.12.2023)

In China, leading media outlets such as the People's Newspaper play an important role in shaping and promoting values. The term "mainstream media" gradually became associated with Chinese local news journalism practices in the second half of 1999. The rich experience of Chinese news media on the Internet and the need to strengthen China's influence on international public opinion have prompted the journalistic community to engage in dialogue and research on the development of Chinese news media in the digital age. [Luo Yicheng, 2002]

In 2001, Zhou Shengling, a professor at Fudan University, published an article "On Leading Media", in which, for the first time in Chinese journalism and communication, the standards and functions of leading media were specifically discussed. He defined mainstream media as "provincial and higher media that have great influence, play a leading role and are able to represent or direct public opinion" [Zhou Shenglin, 2001]. The essence of the leading media lies in their credibility and influence, which is based on the social value of the media, namely their role in promoting the development of various spheres of society. It also reflects the sense of mission that the media should have. [Xia Hong, 2002]

Chinese mainstream media are distributors of government values. The study of the values reflected in the Chinese leading media has important political and social significance. Firstly, this research contributes to a deep understanding of the Chinese government's value orientations and its information dissemination strategies, as well as reveals the mechanisms through which the media form public opinion and social identity. Secondly, from an academic point of view, this research enriches the theory of media and communication studies, especially in the context of its application in a non-North American environment. Finally, analysis from an international perspective can serve as a guide for other countries, helping them better understand and effectively cope with the challenges of information dissemination and value competition in the era of globalization.

 In this study, the object is the official website of Narodnaya Gazeta Online, and the subject is the values presented in the materials published on this site in 2020-2022. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, in this work we analyze the basic values reflected in the materials of the site, as well as alternative values that conflict with them.

When studying the values in Narodnaya Gazeta Online, we highlight the following core values from China's modern values: "patriotism" and "collectivism", focusing on the interests of the state and the collective, the spirit of "selfless service", "friendliness" as a combination of "respect, tolerance, compliance, care and mutual assistance", "diligence and thrift" as family values, professional values based on "dedication" and appropriate the requirements of the time (in this study, we use the term "people following the dream", proposed by President Xi Jinping, to denote professional values). Ideas that contradict these basic values include: "selfishness", "malevolence", "laziness", "greed", etc.

Research objectives:

1. To systematize and analyze the basic values and forms of their manifestation reflected in the publications of the website "Narodnaya Gazeta Online" in 2020-2022.

2. Identify and analyze alternative values that conflict with the core values presented on the website of Narodnaya Gazeta Online in 2020-2022.

3. To investigate the features of the representation of values on the website "Narodnaya Gazeta Online".

The novelty of the research is as follows:

1. Application of a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods for a comprehensive systematic analysis of the coverage of values on the Narodnaya Gazeta Online website in 2020-2022.

2. Consideration of basic and alternative values as key objects of research, which contributes to a deep understanding of the dynamics of value orientations in modern Chinese society.

3. Using the Narodnaya Gazeta Online website as a case study for studying the role of leading media in value orientation, which can serve as a practical guideline for other leading media.

Methodology and methods and research:

As part of the study of values and value conflicts in the leading media, this study was focused on the official website of the newspaper Narodnaya Gazeta Online. Using python tools, all the materials published on the Narodnaya Gazeta Online website in 2020-2022 were collected, which were then classified by date. Using the Anaconda analytical tool, keywords reflecting different values were identified and a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the relevant publications was carried out. The quantitative analysis included statistics and a comparison of the frequency of use of various value-colored terms, as well as their compatibility with other words. The qualitative analysis consisted in a meaningful study of proposals and articles containing these terms to determine their value orientations.

Thus, the following methods were used in the course of the study:

1. Method of literature analysis: extensive study of relevant theoretical sources to provide a scientific and theoretical basis for research.

2. The content analysis method: a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches to analyze the value aspects of the publications of the Narodnaya Gazeta Online website in 2020-2022.

3. Case-study method: in-depth case study of the website "Narodnaya Gazeta Online" to study the features of its value orientation.

4. The method of comparative analysis: comparison of the value aspects of the publications of Narodnaya Gazeta Online in different years to identify the dynamics.

The results of the study

In the course of the study, we calculated the frequency of use on the Narodnaya Gazeta Online website for the period 2020-2022 of words reflecting basic values, such as "the spirit of self-sacrifice", "the spirit of Lei Feng", "hard work", "people following the dream", "kindness", "thrift", as well as terms that contradict basic values, such as "selfishness", "utilitarianism", "hedonism", "greed for money", "sudden enrichment", "Tang ping" (this is a meme that appeared in 2021, it means "recumbent lifestyle" - stop competing and fight, in moderation strives for a quiet life without overwork and anxiety).  The results are presented in the table. 1 and Table 2.

Table 1

Table 1

The number of words reflecting the basic values for the period from 2020 to 2022 on the website "Narodnaya Gazeta Online"

The number of words reflecting the core values on the website "People's Daily Online" during the period from 2020 to 2022.

Table 2

Table 2

The number of words that contradict the basic values for the period from 2020 to 2022 on the website "Narodnaya Gazeta Online"

The number of words contradicting the core values on the website "People's Daily Online" during the period from 2020 to 2022.

Textual analysis allows us to conclude that terms representing core values, such as "the spirit of self-sacrifice", "hard work", "thrift", are often used together with positive verbs such as "propagandize", "develop", etc. The frequent use of the word "kindness" also indicates the trend of the leading media "convince people to do good" and promote the core value of "benevolence". In 2022, the use of the term "people following a dream" has significantly increased, which, in our opinion, is due to the spread of the "Tang Ping culture" in society, when many people are confused about the future and "unwillingness to make efforts". The leading media use the term "people following a dream", which embodies the spirit of aspiration and lofty ideals, for the value orientation of the population.

On the Narodnaya Gazeta Online website, the frequency of using words that contradict basic values, such as "selfishness", "hedonism", "greed for money", "sudden enrichment", "Tan ping", is noticeably lower than the frequency of mentioning basic values in the table above. In addition, these terms are usually used together with negative words such as "prevent", "counteract", "streamline", "thoroughly investigate", which corresponds to the function and position of the leading media in promoting core values and countering values that contradict the core ones.

To compare the total number of mentions of various terms over the course of three years, we have built Fig.1:

Fig.1. The number of words reflecting the basic values for the period from 2020 to 2022 on the website "Narodnaya Gazeta Online"

Fig.1. The number of words reflecting the core values on the website "People's Daily Online" during the period from 2020 to 2022.

Figure 1 shows that among the terms we have studied reflecting core values, "hard work" is most common - 2,090 times in 1,327 articles. "Hard work" is an important component of outstanding traditional Chinese culture, as well as one of the key values emphasized by the Chinese Communist Party these days. For example, an article in the People's Newspaper Online dated February 2021 reported on Xi Jinping's speech at the New Year's tea party of the National Committee of the People's Political Consultative Council of China, in which he stressed the need to "develop the spirit of serving the people, like bull workers, the spirit of developing new lands, like bull pioneers, and the spirit of hard work, like old oxen." The article further explains: "The power of the spirit is unlimited. Without the spirit, the nation cannot stand on its feet, and the state cannot strengthen itself. Only by standing firmly spiritually can one resist the historical currents, keep the course on the crest of the wave." (Active promotion of the spirit of the worker bull, the spirit of the pioneer bull and the spirit of the old ox.URL: http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2022/0627/c1002-32457406.html , accessed: 04/10/2024). The images of the "worker bull", "pioneer bull" and "old ox" are well known, being deep cultural symbols, they carry the spiritual code of the Chinese people, their indomitable will to self-improvement and persistent movement forward.

At the same time, references to the "spirit of Lei Feng" are relatively few. This indicates that although "hard work", "thrift", "kindness" and a collective-interest-oriented "spirit of self-sacrifice" still belong to the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, in the context of China's modern socialist market economy, the importance of "work" as a means of "creating wealth" is emphasized. In modern Chinese society, despite the fact that we still extol "self-sacrifice" and "the spirit of service", we also pay more attention to the legitimate interests of citizens, and compared to traditional society, we emphasize more "the primacy of the legitimate interests of citizens with the priority of state and people's interests."

Among the terms representing alternative values, the word "egoism" has the highest frequency of use (Fig. 2). Content analysis shows that the word "selfishness" is often found in political news, where it is usually used to characterize the "extreme selfishness" personified by the United States in international relations. For example, the article dated June 27, 2022 says: "Undoubtedly, the variant of the Omicron strain has significantly complicated anti-epidemic measures, but choosing a supine course of action would be disrespectful to science, irresponsible towards life and would lead to the loss of hard-won results in the prevention of the epidemic in our country."  (Together on the same boat, we jointly achieve mutually beneficial cooperation — Reflections on President Xi Jinping's speech at the opening of the BRICS Business Forum.URL: http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2022/0627/c1002-32457406.html , accessed: 04/10/2024).

Fig.2. The number of words that contradict the basic values for the period from 2020 to 2022 on the website "Narodnaya Gazeta Online"

Fig.2. The number of words contradicting the core values on the website "People's Daily Online" during the period from 2020 to 2022.

The term "utilitarianism" is often used in articles by Narodnaya Gazeta Online devoted to working with CCP personnel. An article from 2020 provides an analysis of Secretary General Xi Jinping on "formalism": "Formalism is inherently subjectivism, utilitarianism, its root is in a mistaken understanding of job evaluation, lack of a sense of responsibility, when formal work replaces real actions, and external attractiveness hides contradictions and problems." (Narodnaya Gazeta on thoughts and prospects: Look at the long term, eradicate formalism. URL: http://opinion.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0722/c1003-31792377.html , accessed 05.05.2024).

The terms "greed for money" and "Tang ping" stand in stark contrast to core values such as "hard work," "hard work," and "dedication." Narodnaya Gazeta Online not only forms the right values among people, but also often publishes articles calling for a fight against the ideology of "greed for money." For example, the article "Hard work, struggle, innovation, dedication: fostering the spirit of work among young people" dated June 16, 2020 emphasizes: "It is necessary to create a cultural atmosphere that encourages hard work, direct young people to consciously counteract such erroneous ideas as "greed for money" and hedonism, to form a healthy and civilized lifestyle and consumer views" (Commentator of People's Daily: Active promotion of the spirit of the worker bull, the spirit of the pioneer bull and the spirit of the old ox. URL:http://dangjian.people.com.cn/n1/2021/0104/c117092-31987815.html , accessed 05.05.2024). "Sudden enrichment" is an expression that has become popular on the Internet. The frequency of its mention in the mainstream media is low, but it, along with "hedonism", was included in the list of incorrect values that contradict the basic values of labor. An article dated March 27, 2020 on "The opinion of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on the comprehensive strengthening of labor education in a new era for children and adolescents of all ages" in the section "Strengthening propaganda and direction" states the need to "actively promote hard work, honest and creative work, outstanding personalities and labor-related events to glorify work as an honorable cause, to create an atmosphere that vividly supports labor education and vividly expresses opposition to all wrong views on earning income without work, the pursuit of pleasure and reverence for "wealth through violence", to form a favorable social atmosphere conducive to care and support in the field of labor education." (Active research of the labor education model education with Chinese characteristics is the interpretation of the head of the Ministry of Education according to "The opinion of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on the comprehensive strengthening of labor education in a new era for children and adolescents of all ages."URL: http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/zywj/2020-03/26/c_1125773738.htm , date of application: 05.05.2024)

The term "Tang ping", which became popular in Chinese online media at the end of 2021, also attracted a lot of attention from the leading media in 2022. In 2022 alone, Narodnaya Gazeta Online published 108 articles explaining the phenomenon of "Tang Ping" and urging "not to give up."

An article published by Narodnaya Gazeta Online on November 5, 2022, explains the reason for the emergence of "Tan Ping": "The popularity of the term "Tan Ping" did not arise from scratch. Modern society, developing at a high speed, is becoming more and more competitive, like a speeding train. This undoubtedly provides platforms, opportunities and development prospects for young people at the forefront of the era, but it also creates enormous pressure, anxiety and difficulties. As these difficulties accumulate, more and more young people choose Tang Ping. If all efforts are in vain, it is better to give up, let go of the situation and go with the flow. There is a sense of impotence and despair in this. Therefore, more and more young people, who have high hopes, choose to "let go of themselves" in their youth, when they should have worked hard. However, the article also urges young people not to give up, but to fight: "Youth is meant to fight, the struggle itself is happiness." (Young people strive for an active life, abandoning the "Tang ping" and the "inner spiral". URL:http://opinion.people.com.cn/n1/2022/1105/c447715-32559516.html , date of application: 05.05.2024)

In a broader sense, Narodnaya Gazeta Online also writes: "In order to achieve the great goal of universal prosperity, we must work tirelessly and move forward." (Abandoning "Tan Ping" is a dead end, "dynamic zero" is the best solution (Forum of the People). URL:  http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2022-04/20/nw.D110000renmrb_20220420_3-04.htm , date of application: 05.05.2024)

In addition, an analysis of the content of the articles shows that the term "Tan Ping" in Narodnaya Gazeta Online is used not only to refer to the "unwillingness of young people to fight", but is also often applied to the policy of "giving up control" during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the article "There is no way out of Tan Ping, dynamic zero is the best solution" (People's Forum) dated April 20, 2022 says: "Undoubtedly, the omicron strain has significantly increased the complexity of fighting the epidemic, but if we choose Tan Ping, it will be disrespectful to science, irresponsible towards life and will negate all our achievements in the fight against the epidemic." (Hard work and thrift, struggle, innovation and dedication. Narodnaya Gazeta: To educate and guide young people to foster the spirit of work. URL:http://opinion.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0616/c1003-31747766.html , date of application: 05.05.2024)

Conclusions and recommendations:

In 2020-2022, Narodnaya Gazeta Online, through extensive publications, actively promoted basic values such as patriotism, collectivism, the spirit of self-sacrifice, and at the same time consistently opposed alternative values such as selfishness, the cult of money, etc. It can be said that Narodnaya Gazeta Online fully fulfilled the role of a leading media outlet in value orientation, striving to create a favorable ideological atmosphere in line with the socialist orientation. At the same time, there are still some shortcomings in concrete practical work that require further improvement, such as the need to increase the power of value propaganda, improve its obvious results, etc.

In the future, Narodnaya Gazeta Online should continue to play a leading role in the media, deeply disclose and promote socialist values, guide the entire society in forming the right worldview, life and value orientations, consolidating spiritual forces for the great revival of the Chinese nation.