ABSTRACT
Simply based on their aspirations, one might say these Chinese journalists are rather powerful in their capacities. But the aspirations often are only aspirations, not the reality. As put by one reporter, media are viewed as an “all-capable institution,” but actually, “the media are not power agencies, and journalists are rather powerless” (September 27, II). In fact, my fieldwork revealed that the journalists’ desired meanings of work often are not fulfilled in practice. Why so? The answer, I would suggest, lies largely in the myriad constraints, obstacles, and limitations that the journalists in Kunming face in their daily work. The many constraints significantly shape this journalism culture, and journalists’ responses to the constraints-cognitively, symbolically, emotionally, and in practice-also constitute an essential part of their occupational culture. This chapter discusses these constraints and journalists’ responses.
