MEDIATED BRIDGES: THE NANYANG CHINESE NEWSPAPERS AND THE MAKING OF CHINA'S TRANSNATIONAL PUBLIC SPHERE (1881-1942)

Abstract

This study aims to explore the pivotal role of Chinese-language newspapers in colonial Southeast Asia (Nanyang) in facilitating the emergence of a transnational public sphere from 1881 to 1942. It moves beyond the Eurocentric model of Jürgen Habermas to investigate how these diasporic media created a unique discursive space that transcended territorial borders, serving both the identity formation of overseas Chinese communities and the socio-political dynamics of modern China.

This research employs a historical case study approach, focusing on in-depth analysis of representative publications such as Nanyang Siang Pau. Through a combined methodology of archival research and systematic content analysis of editorials, news coverage, and feature articles, the study examines the operational models, content strategies, and socio-political contexts of these newspapers. This dual methodology allows for both a detailed textual analysis and a broader understanding of the institutional and colonial constraints within which they operated.

Findings reveal that these newspapers constructed a diasporic public sphere shaped by Chinese nationalism, local identity, and colonial constraints. They played vital roles in disseminating information, shaping China’s modern image, mediating overseas opinion, and advancing China’s revolutionary modernization.

The study contributes to media history and transnational communication theory by highlighting the agency of non-Western diasporic media. It offers a historical lens to understand the dynamics of contemporary global public spaces and underscores the interconnectedness of media, diaspora, and modernity in China’s international history.