Growing up in China, a socialist country, and spending the last five years in the UK, I’ve had the chance to experience two very different media environments. In China, the state tightly controls the media, with outlets like CCTV shaping public view to align with government perspectives. While platforms like WeChat offer space for individual expression, they still operate within the framework of state oversight. It might be overwhelming to some of you that if an individual post anything contradicts the government or the law there is a possibility that the officials might question them. This media system is designed to foster a cohesive national identity, where commercial and individual interests take secondary roles to ideological alignment. The focus is on promoting a unity society, less diverse viewpoints or critical discussions. Media is operating more as a tool for the state rather than an liberated entity that serves the community interest.

On the other hand, the UK’s media landscape is more diverse, blending public broadcasters, private companies, and nonprofit organizations into a more complexed system. It is a blend of commercial media alongside those that are meant to serve the public good. The BBC, for example, focusing on public service broadcasting. Funded by license fees rather than advertising, if you are leaving in the UK, you definitely received one of those letters from BBC asking for TV license fee. It seems remain independent from commercial pressures and biased content that guidelines emphasize fairness, impartiality, and accuracy in its reporting. It aims to inform and educate, entertain take secondary role. It is offering balanced coverage and considered as a trusted source of reliable news. In this way, it aligns with media scholar Robert McChesney’s argument that media systems should empower citizens and prioritize democratic values over corporate interests.

However, I’m not saying the UK media system is perfect. Most of the media landscape is dominated by massive private companies and organizations such as the Guardian. These commercial outlets often focus profits over content by chase sensational stories and eye-catching headlines, sometimes leaving deeper, meaningful discussions behind. This could impact the quality of journalism, limiting the range of perspectives for publics.

However, I’m not saying the UK media system is perfect. Most of the media landscape is dominated by massive private companies and organizations such as the Guardian. As media is often treated like any other business in a free market.  The lack of attention to how these media giants might shape the society leads to the lack of oversight. The commercial outlets often focus profits over content by chase sensational stories and eye-catching headlines, sometimes leaving deeper, meaningful discussions behind. This could impact the quality of journalism, limiting the range of perspectives for publics.

Moreover, in this digital era, platforms like Instagram and Google have dramatically changed the game for traditional media globally. Smaller organizations while these tech giants dominate online advertising, are especially hit hard, as well as leaving traditional news struggling just to stay afloat. To keep up, companies start to just aiming to grab readers’ attention. Unfortunately, this leads to unmeaningful content and having the risk of spreading misinformation.

McChesney points out that giant media companies have the power when it comes to influencing politics, from elections to policy decisions. He believes that reshaping media is possible through activism. Around the world, people have already fought for changes like stricter rules on who can own media outlets and creating independent, nonprofit media organizations. These efforts show that media system could be fairer, more diverse at serving the public.

So, overall, while the UK’s media landscape is definitely more open and diverse than China’s, it’s not without its own issues. Big corporations and the dominance of digital platforms have made it tougher to keep journalism high-quality and discussions well-informed. However, organizations like the BBC shows that not all media is about profit. If we back these kinds of models and push for changes in how media works, we can build a system that better serves the public, strengthens democracy, and keeps people informed on what really matters.