A chilling look at how the Chinese state media dictate popular opinion There are 1.3 billion people in China, a number so vast that it makes popular consensus almost unimaginable. Yet, incredibly, when it comes to most issues, the majority of Chinese citizens think alike. The Party Line: How The Media Dictates Public Opinion in Modern China explores how this is possible, looking at the ways in which the strictly-regulated, state-owned media, specifically the Xinhua News Agency (literally the "New China News Agency"), dont share news, they shape opinion. From foreign relations, to government corruption and global warming, the Chinese media is able to craft a national single-mindedness that defines opinion throughout the country. Tibet and Taiwan are cast as integral parts of the nation, Japan is presented as an evil empire that cannot be trusted, and the United States becomes an on-again-off-again partner for cooperation both at home and abroad. Using a trickle down approach in which official views are formed at the top news outlets and then picked up by regional and local affiliates to give the appearance of many voices with a single message that is reinforced at every level, the book shows how the Chinese government controls the strings of the media to literally toe the party line. Explores the incredible role the media plays in shaping Chinese public opinion Explains how the major Chinese news outlet, controlled by the state, creates a hive-mind mentality across the worlds most populous nation Examines how the government can instantly and easily galvanize public support for its agenda The average Chinese citizen shares remarkably similar views on a wide array of issues, domestic and foreign, thanks to the unified message distributed by the tightly controlled state-run media, and The Party Line presents a unique, behind the scenes look at how.