COM404 Contemporary Chinese Media
ESSAY (70%)
LEARNING OUTCOMES
A. Demonstrate critical understanding of contemporary Chinese media
B. Critically evaluate empirical and theoretical approaches to the study of the changes in Chinese media
C. NOT applicable
D. Conduct original research into contemporary Chinese media
E. Apply an academic referencing style. correctly and consistently
ASSIGNMENT
Students are required to produce an essay on the topic of their choice from the eight main topics that the module has covered:
1. Media reform in contemporary China;
2. Chinese television broadcasting;
3. Chinese film industries;
4. The internationalization of Chinese media;
5. Representations and stereotypes in Chinese media;
6. Digital media and platformization in China;
7. Datafication and AI in China;
8. Media convergence in China;
9. Media governance in China.
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
The essay should include:
1. Introduction:
A clear, well supported description of your topic, point of interrogation, and case studies. Contextualize your topic with discussions on the history, reform, development, and/or current role of the chosen media form/industry/environment in China. Propose a clear and constructive research question to lead the following discussion.
2. Literature review:
A critical discussion of relevant literature related to the topic and of use to the analysis of the question at hand. Conceptualize your discussion questions with relevant literature. Talk about the previous scholarly claims made to the chosen topic and draw the questions/hypotheses you propose to explore. Also briefly discuss the analytical angles chosen for the project and justify the choice.
3. Main analysis section:
Adopt an empirical approach to analyze the specific relevant case studies, discuss the relevant media/academic materials and provide analysis of them in relation to the literature reviewed, in order to answer the proposed research question.
4. Conclusion:
Summarize the overall findings that have been made through the case studies in the essay, and reflect on the limitations of the current research and further research directions.
In the essay, you are expected to demonstrate:
1. A strong comprehension of the issues related to the chosen topic;
2. The ability to propose a clear and constructive research question based on the chosen topic;
3. The ability to conduct an effective, critical literature review;
4. Adequate knowledge on the existing scholarly discussions on and/or analytical approaches to the chosen media form/environment/industry;
5. An ability to propose clear and logical research questions, and construct coherent arguments;
6. An ability to identify relevant case studies to support your arguments, questions and/or hypotheses;
7. An ability to incorporate relevant academic texts in the appropriate context to support your analysis and arguments;
8. Critical thinking and reasoning
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
• Upload the essay to LMO before 12:00pm at noon, Friday, 12 December 2025 (Week 13)
• Include a title above your essay that follows academic conventions.
• Engage with at least eight relevant and credible academic references (Eight is the minimum requirement.)
• Format the essay 12 pt. Times New Roman, double-spaced.
• Include the submission cover sheet as the first page (See LMO).
• Required word count: 3,000 (+/- 10%), excluding Reference List.
• Write down the number of the words at the end.
• The Reference List should follow APA 7th referencing style.
• File name/Header: Student Number_Your Name_COM404_Final Essay
• The assessment will be checked by Turnitin for similarity.
GENERATIVE AI
The use of Generative AI for content generation is NOT permitted on all assessed coursework in this module. Using Generative AI to correct grammatical errors is permitted. For more information and resources on Generative AI and your learning and assessment, please consult the “XJTLU AI for Learning” pages of the Learning Mall Core.