China and Russia: Legitimation of New Kinds of Internet Governance

• In Event: Pushing the Boundaries of Journalism Studies: The NSA Affair and the Global Legitimation Challenges of Journalism

Abstract

In a number of contexts, the revelations of Snowden are mainly discussed in relation to the US monopoly over the global communication networks. This presentation draws on discourse analysis of media texts from Russian and Chinese media, focusing on the theme of alternative initiatives of internet governance in these countries. China has already been known for its great firewall. Russia is a crucial communication hub between Europe and Asia and is a key context for the evolving NSA-Snowden scandal. The irony of the Snowden’s situation is that as a freedom fighter he is hosted by a country rated low in its attitudes towards freedom of speech. Analysis shows that Russian and Chinese media articulate the NSA scandal as an imperative to reshape the existing internet governance. Internationally, both countries use the scandal as a counter-hegemonic moment. On a national level, it serves as a legitimation of media restrictions.

Authors

• Dmitry Yagodin, University of Tampere

• Haiyan Wang, The Chinese U of Hong Kong