Xiaoling Zhang

Dr Xiaoling Zhang's research interests span the transformation of media, culture and society in China. Taking interdisciplinary approaches, combining fieldwork, documentary studies and discourse analysis, she has published widely on the shifting cultural and media landscapes in China, especially the new media technologies. Her edited book together with Prof Yongnian Zheng, titled China's Information and Communications Technology Revolution: Social changes and state responses" by Routledge examines China's ICT revolution, exploring the social, cultural and political implications of China's transition to a more information-rich and communication-intensive society.

Dr Zhang's recent monograph entitled 'The Transformation of Political Communication in China: from Propaganda to Hegemony', investigates the different forces that have been interacting with and contributing to the transformation of political communication in China against the backdrop of a transforming and transitional China.

Supported by BA and CCKF, Dr Zhang as the PI explores how China promotes its "soft" power through the expansion of its media and communication channels around the world, and assesses its actual penetration and possible impact on the changing global information flow. Funded by AHRC, Xiaoling Zhang as CI has also started on a new project entitled "Building Images: exploring 21st century Sino-African dynamics through cultural exchange and translation".