Journalists Identity And A New Style Of Writing In Late Qing

From the perspective of stylistic development, the invention of any new style is usually theresult of social changes as well as that of its own logical evolution. During Late Qing Dynasty inChina, internally and externally, social conflicts were throughout the country in a precariousturmoil. In order to save the nation from declining, a number of Illuminati took responsibility forsaving the country, beginning to advocate on "People with New Ideas" and " New People" as thetheme of enlightenment activities. With newspapers as the disseminator of knowledge andinformation, it carried the function of propaganda and were regarded as an important role in thelate Qing’s Enlightenment. Promotional platforms founded on newspapers were then built toachieve their goal of enlightenment, which also established the identity of the illuminati as"journalists". Meanwhile, in order to disseminate new science and new ideas more effectively,they strive to change the language in form, advocating the same style in writing and speaking soas to eliminate he obscure classical language. Combining the characteristics of newspapers, theycreated a new literary forms-the new style, which is closely connected with the modern meansof communication and carried the responsibility of ideological propaganda prevalent in the lateQing moment. Later it also became a major literary writing style with its influence spreading tothe May Fourth prose writing. Liang Qichao, Zhang Shizhao, and Huang Yuan Yong are therepresentatives of the new style of writing. In the late Qing, Liang Qichao advocated a "stylerevolution " and " newspaper body ", which established the basic paradigm for the new style.Since the early Republican Zhang Shizhao created a clear distinctive dialectical reasoning"logical text" according to the characteristics of the body of the press. At the same time, thecreation of a professional reporter Huang Yuansheng invented a more vivid ‘News Report’ whichis in conjunction with the rule of newspapers. As one of the newspapers text needed forintellectuals propaganda, logical text and news report were the same vein in a specific period,with the same or similar values and stylistic features, constituting a new style of writing in lateQing. The new stylistic language forms coexist in Elegance and Vulgarity, with rich emotionalexpressions, strict logical reasoning, and vivid language, breaking the traditional metrical speech,establishing and disseminating a new theme. The value implication that it contains is not only interms of stylistic innovation, but it also marks the late Qing enlightenment for newspapers andcognition and establishment of their own values. The new style played a major role inpreparation of public opinion for social changes, while its rich stylistic forms also create meanings in Chinese literature in the transition period. It provides a practical foundation andcherished experience for the May Fourth New Literature Style.