On location: reflections on fieldwork in Chinese journalism studies

Research access to mainland China, once severely circumscribed, has expanded tremendously during the post-Mao reform period, with important implications for the study of Chinese mass communication. Fieldwork possibilities mean that scholars are privy to a great deal more of the media circuit – not only to voluminous content that can be systematically sampled, but also to structures, contexts, practices, processes, places, and people involved in production and reception. Drawing on experiences in the field, this article discusses challenges and rewards of studying Chinese journalism from within.