Abstract

“Convergence”is one of the key words to describe the developing trend of media. Nowadays, the meaning of“media convergence”has gone far beyond the scope of media technologies, media forms and media industry. It's worth noting that media convergence is profoundly changing the interactive mode of media system and social system. Institutional demand and innovation is caused by the change. The main aim of this research is to apply the theories of institutionalism, structural functionalism and game to the analysis of institutional issues about media convergence in China.

This research takes the analysis of the law of media development and media institution transformation as a starting point. Technology and institution are the key elements in the evolution of media system, and the media development is the endogenous stimulus for institutional transformation. The media convergence, which is driven by the innovation and diffusion of information technology, is causing the inadaptation of institution in a bottom-up approach. Being dominated by the government, China's media institution has experienced three times of important reforms. However, the media institution, formed in the era of mass media, is becoming the obstacle for media convergence.

Since the 1990 s, the United States, Britain, Japan, Korea and other countries have made many necessary institutional innovations and reforms. The changes are mainly carried out in three levels: media governance mode, supervision system and legal system. Deregulation policy has been adopted by most counties. But, some puzzles, such as“how to divide the boundary between the government and the market? ”and“How to coordinate the market and public interests? ”are still challenges to the new media institution.

The relative equilibrium and the gaming relationship between government departments, media, the public and the companies in other industries have been broken by the development of information technology industry and the media convergence, causing a new round of gaming for interest redistribution. The gaming solution set determines the path of China's media institution reform.

By analyzing the history of China's media institution transformation and the current situation of media convergence, and considering the practical experience of other countries, we come to the following conclusion. China's media convergence occurs in the special historical period, in which overall socioeconomic transformation is taking place. When we set the arrangement of institution and make policy choice for China's media convergence, we should take its particularity into full consideration. So our value orientation of media institution should be equality, security and efficiency, and the goals should be to construct the suitable media system, to enhance people's media literacy, and to build applicable media governance mode. By clarifying the structure and functions of government departments, developing technical and service standards, and constructing the law and self-regulatory system, the operation rules for media convergence will be reset. And the policy innovation can give guidelines to media development.

Keywords: Media; Media Convergence; Media Institution; Media Policy; Game