China in the West
I am a double major in political science and journalism. Prior to returning to school, I traveled and lived abroad for the majority of seven years. I backpacked Asia for 20 months, including five weeks in mainland China, and I lived for three months playing poker in Macau.
I chose news outlets on China due to my interest and experiences traveling in the country. In addition, China is projected to have a larger economy than the United States within 20 years. It is critical to follow developments within the country as they take their place as a world power that balances the United States in world affairs.
I have followed China Daily on facebook for years and they are the only ethnic news I regularly read. Ethnic media is designed to provide information to an ethnic minority group. China Daily’s target audience is not ethnic Chinese living in the west, but English speakers such as myself. I view them as a state sponsored news outlet that represents the Chinese governments views to English speakers, more than ethnic news. I have always found it fascinating to compare how western outlets and China Daily cover the same events. For example, American news often describes China’s increasing role in Africa as signs of growing Chinese imperialism. China Daily tends to portray it as contributing to the development of the continent.

LA 4 Chinese targets Chinese who live in Los Angeles. They serve the purpose of addressing issues Chinese Americans face and creating a doorway for their readers into American culture, while maintaining a connection to events in China. This follows in the tradition started by Benjamin Franklin’s German newspaper of integrating people into the United States by accommodating them with a taste of their former home, including native tongue.
LA 4 Chinese also provides a parallel Chinese internet. They offer links to Chinese restaurants resources for Chinese people including doctors and car salesman who speak Mandarin or Cantonese, and lists of VPNs to access the internet in China. The standard yelp reviewer may not appreciate the same qualities of Chinese food as a Chinese person who better understands the differences and knows if the noodles are hand-pulled or knife-shaved. This parallel internet makes it easier for the Chinese population to live their daily life in Los Angeles.
