A Study On The Communications And Reform Of Hometown Newspapers

Hometown newspapers are a form of journalism, and a cultural heritage, unique to China. The term refers to tabloids edited and published in the home regions of overseas Chinese, which are circulated or presented at home and abroad, aimed at communicating hometown news and strengthening the emotional bond between people from the same area. As an important complement to mainstream publicity media, hometown newspapers have a loyal overseas readership, and are praised as 'civic messengers' and 'a collective letter from home.' They fill an irreplaceable publishing function. Owing to its objectivity, however, it's geographically and financially restrained, pressured by competition, and faces other predicaments; modern hometown newspapers face many problems, and are in a dilemma as to how to continue.Due to the Chinese publishing environment, hometown news is a relatively small-scale medium, and little attention has been paid to it. Based on the situation of hometown newspapers, this thesis explains and provides a theoretical structure for hometown news, which originated from Fujian Province, with "Hong Kong and Macao compatriots, Taiwan compatriots and overseas Chinese" as the main readers. Based on this, with a case study on Xiamen Overseas Chinese News, a typical hometown newspaper founded in 1956, the writer analyzes and explores hometown newspapers' space and development in the current market and media environment, hoping to provide reference to the reform of current hometown news and publicity.