China Media Observatory was created in September 2006 by the Faculty of Communication Sciences at the University of Lugano in Switzerland in view to answer to three kinds of stimulus. Since several years the evolution of the Chinese economy and society has been at the centre of debate in the main media: the dynamism of the Chinese economy, the growth rate of its import-export, the deregulation process of the market, the opportunities open to European companies and the social contradictions that all this implies. However, despite this increased attention, the discourse on media appears little studied in depth. From an analysis of news in main European media, with a reference to media in China, there is evidence that a large majority concerns directly or indirectly censorship exerted by the central and local organs of the Communist Party. We want to go beyond, understanding the structure, the functioning and the activity of its media system.
The second stimulus comes directly from the University. Thinking at the prospective strategies of our Faculty and the intellectual and professional education of students, we find it not only interesting but necessary to open the eyes of who is preparing to enter the world of media and communications towards a reality such as the Chinese one.
The third stimulus is of more contingent nature and comes from some media companies, Swiss and of other European countries, with which we are in touch for research and education reasons. These companies have asked us for specific information on the Chinese media market, the deregulation process and open opportunities in China for who is active in the media market in Europe.

China Media Observatory’s activities mainly focus on:

• collecting and updating of material and documents on media and communication in China through our documentation centre;
• the production of scientific and operative research projects (for public and private principals) regarding the structure, the economy, the contents of media in China;
• the exchange for teaching and scientific activities with Chinese universities;
• partnership with European universities which have established permanent research activity on media in China;
• the periodical production of reports on specific aspects of media and communications in China;
• the editing and publication of a newsletter (every two months) on media and communication in China.