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New analysis of InterMedia data shed more light on the urban-rural split in ICT access. The data show notable growth in rural dwellers' access to cellular telephony. An InterMedia survey shows that a majority of urban and semi-urban residents view their financial situation as above average or well off, while only two-fifths of rural residents feel the same. The roots of a vibrant blogging community are taking hold in China as more internet users are reading and writing weblogs regularly. This trend makes it likely that a citizen journalism culture will develop in China, though the government is determined to keep a tight grip on online content and is doubtless on the lookout for blog authors who criticize official policies. Word of mouth is a key component of media impact among Tibetans and Uyghurs-especially for politically sensitive or proscribed information. Resilient social networks in a repressive society provide access to information not available from mainstream media. A new media landscape, including bloggers and texters, is taking shape as the use of cutting-edge communication technology booms. But this is mainly restricted to urban areas. The rural inland continues to rely primarily on traditional media. InterMedia surveys show that many Chinese aren't averse to government control of the media. This article explains why the issue touches a nationalistic nerve. The Chinese rely heavily on interpersonal networks (word-of-mouth information and informal communication networks) to educate themselves about various technology brands and choices. |
Regional Overview
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For more information on InterMedia's research in the Asia region, contact: |
India and China, the giants of Asia with populations of around one billion each, are symbols of the polarized state of Asian media markets. On the one hand is the highly developed and sophisticated Indian media scene, where a range of private satellite TV news channels churn out investigative reports on highly-charged political issues. Granted, state-run stations have a monopoly on radio news, but the proliferation of private music-based FM stations since 2000 raises the prospect of more liberalization in that medium.
On the other hand is China's effort to tightly control of domestic information sources, relegating the country to a lowly 181st place on Freedom House's rankings of media freedom (North Korea is at the bottom rung at 195th). Beijing's media monitors are busy, considering that the country has about 2,000 newspapers, 8,000 magazines, more than 700 national and local TV stations and nearly 2,000 cable stations broadcasting 56,000 hours of programs. Meanwhile, some 18% of the Chinese adult population are weekly internet users--twice that in urban areas and more than half of young adults. What's more, more than two thirds of regular internet users have broadband access. China surpassed the U.S. in total regular web users in early 2008, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. Part of Beijing's strategy in this era of expanding media choices is to increase both the quantity and quality of domestic offerings to compete effectively with what gets through from abroad.
In Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as India to some extent, print media are more independent and frequently outspoken than broadcast media. However, television dominates media use, even in this overwhelmingly rural region. In Pakistan, 45 percent of adults surveyed by InterMedia say they watch TV daily, vs. only 12 percent who are daily radio listeners. Urban Pakistanis with access to cable are tapping in to a new generation of private channels such as news stations GEO News and ARY Digital. Internet access is generally low throughout southeast Asia.
Web access in southeast Asia is as varied as the political regimes are there. The highest levels of connectivity are found in large Vietnamese cities (28 percent of adults are weekly users) and greater Bangkok, Thailand (23 percent of adults in a 2005 survey). Web surfing for Vietnamese comes at a price, though: to use popular internet cafes, customers must present personal ID which is stored on computer servers for 30 days. All web traffic at the cafes can be tracked by the authorities. In Burma, run by a repressive military junta, 11 percent of adults surveyed in nine key cities say they have Web access and 4 percent say they use it weekly. The government bans many international sites, including Hotmail and MSN, but some users access them via proxy servers.