In the 30 years since China opened up economically, hundreds of millions of people have ascended into its urban middle class. However, the Chinese miracle is slowing down and young people are becoming disillusioned. High property prices prevent the young from buying homes, but measures to lower property prices would drastically reduce the wealth of their parents and grandparents. While there’s no real challenge to China’s one-party system, the state does have serious obstacles to overcome in pursuit of expanding middle class society. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
