Contending Fan Engagement Strategies in China’s Translocal Economy: The Case of Tibetan Cyber Star Ding Zhen

IF 2.3 3区社会学 Q1 AREA STUDIES

China Information Pub Date : 2023-09-26 DOI:10.1177/0920203x231202442

Yuqing Yang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The Ding Zhen phenomenon saw a young Tibetan herder from Litang County of Sichuan Province gain a spotlight within China’s new-media celebrity industry, introducing a mode of translocal connectedness through a fan economy. The mode of connectedness features social engagement between Ding Zhen’s extra-local fans and a state-owned company in Litang with aims to profit from the influence of this cyber star to develop ethnic tourism, in line with the trend of using technological marketing solutions for poverty alleviation. Interacting with Litang’s media tactic, Ding Zhen’s fan communities on two Super Topics (超话) on Weibo compete to define proper fan behaviour and champion the rights and subject personhood of their idol beyond the limits of his localized identity. At the same time, the company aligns with the state’s stance on fan disciplining as a way of regulating fan friction and activism. The challenges faced by fans within the current media climate as they attempt to uphold fan subculture, as well as those faced by a highland ethnic town grappling with the complexities of unbalanced spatial development, serve as the underlying factors driving translocal cooperation and conflicts. In their intertwined situations, both extra-local fans and the local community seek empowerment, navigating their tensions towards a dynamic of accommodation.

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中国跨地方经济中的粉丝参与策略之争——以藏族网红丁震为例

丁震现象见证了一位来自四川省理塘县的年轻藏族牧民在中国新媒体名人产业中获得了关注，他通过粉丝经济引入了一种跨地区联系模式。这种连接模式是丁震的外地粉丝与理塘一家国有企业之间的社交互动，目的是利用这位网红的影响力来发展民族旅游，这符合利用科技营销解决方案来扶贫的趋势。与理塘的媒体策略互动，丁震在微博上的两个超级话题上的粉丝社区竞相定义正确的粉丝行为，并捍卫偶像的权利和主体人格，超越了他的本土身份的限制。与此同时，该公司与国家在粉丝纪律方面的立场一致，认为这是一种调节粉丝摩擦和激进主义的方式。在当前的媒体环境下，粉丝在维护粉丝亚文化时所面临的挑战，以及一个高原民族小镇在应对不平衡空间发展的复杂性时所面临的挑战，都是推动跨地区合作与冲突的潜在因素。在相互交织的情况下，外地球迷和当地社区都在寻求权力，将他们的紧张关系引向一种动态的和解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

China Information AREA STUDIES-

CiteScore

3.50

自引率

4.80%

发文量

期刊介绍： China Information presents timely and in-depth analyses of major developments in contemporary China and overseas Chinese communities in the areas of politics, economics, law, ecology, culture, and society, including literature and the arts. China Information pays special attention to views and areas that do not receive sufficient attention in the mainstream discourse on contemporary China. It encourages discussion and debate between different academic traditions, offers a platform to express controversial and dissenting opinions, and promotes research that is historically sensitive and contemporarily relevant.