Research on Chinese Local Government’s Media Strategies in Public Crisis Management Dalian Nationalities University Liu Tangdeng

The General Characteristics of The Current Chinese Society Chinese society maintains political stability, economic development and social change. It also demonstrates that: 1. A higher risk 2. Interest differentiation 3. Suspicion between official and civil 4. Realization of rights 5. Resource consumption 6. Variable opinion

A Higher Risk In recent years, people can perceive that Chinese society has entered into the risk society. All kinds of Crisis:  Economic, public security, food, energy, environment, information security  Reality of high risk on social management and the middle-income trap theory.

Interest Differentiation The interest differentiation refers to difference and distinction on the interests of members of the society. The difference is getting bigger and bigger than before. The poverty gap and widening of income distribution become the biggest hotspot in Chinese society. Data released by National Bureau of Statistics shows that the Chinese Gini coefficient is in 2013.

Suspicion between Official and Civil Low credibility of the government Low trust level People have some doubts on the work of the government. High corruption rate

Realization of Rights This is the achievement of legal state construction, development of the market economy and human rights education. More people concern about their individual right. Effect of information society on citizens’ conscience on right

Resource Consumption China surpassed the USA as the world's largest consumer of energy since It exceeds the USA, ranked second in the world, more than 4.2 percentage points of global energy consumption in 2012.

Diversity of Opinion Public opinion relying on the network becomes more and more important besides the official. Citizen journalism diversified opinion. More diversified opinions

Characteristics of Public Crisis Management Overall, the natural factors and anthropogenic factors lead to public crisis 1. Events happened suddenly 2. Countermeasures made quickly 3. Multi-side participation 4. Far-reaching influence 5. The stability of treatment

Performance of Chinese Local Government's Media Strategies in Public Crisis Management Citizens have rights to know in information society and democratic society. In the past, the Chinese Government's first response was to concealing the fact. But now, the Chinese Government will report to senior departments in time and limited open to public. Many official lack of communication skills and effective media literacy. The most recent case is that in the place of Lanzhou of Gansu Province in China on April 11, 2014, the prograss of local government's information disclosure for water pollution event.

Demand and Measure 1.Completing the legal of management 2. Clearing the responsibilities of department 3. Improving the media literacy 4. Leading public opinion 5. Responding the concern of citizens

1.Completing the Legal of Mmanagement China has not enacted “press law”, but mainly rely on the policy file for the management of the news consensus in practice. In March 10, 2011, the NPC Standing Committee Chairman Wu Bangguo announced that socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics was officially formed. However, Jiang Ping,the famous jurist,more than once evaluated that China's legal system coupled with a “press law” can really regarded as the formation of system.

2. Clearing the Responsibilities of Department Defining the government departments have the responsibility and obligation to publish specific information timely in public crisis management, to meet the right to know and right to publish of the media and the public.

3. Improving the Media Literacy The Government should strengthen institutional building and training to improve government officials’ media literacy. Making a good communication of information with old and new media. For example: establishing the spokesman system for each department.

4. Leading Public Opinion In the public crisis process of information management, government not only respond "what is it" timely,but also should specialize in leading public opinion, in order to control the situation of public crisis management comprehensively,avoiding a series of public questioning, distrust and imparity by a crisis. In fact, the Chinese Government has stepped up controls on opinion, particularly Internet opinion since the second half of 2013.

5. Responding the Concern of Citizens Firstly, government should timely response to problems focused by the media and the public in the process of public crisis management. Secondly,government should draw inferences about other cases from one instance. Government should take effective measures for prevention and treatment to the related and risk problems raised by the media and the public.

Conclusion In the risk society and the media age, Chinese local government should pay attention to media’s performance in public crisis management in order to achieve unity of effective governance crisis, and winning the public support. Public trust and communication are important task.