Propaganda as a Lens for Assessing Xi Jinping's Leadership

This article examines Xi Jinping's utilization of state propaganda since his rise as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in 2012. Through a comparison of reportage on Xi and other national leaders and the consideration of case studies from the Mao and Xi periods, it argues that Xi has made more extensive use of propaganda in the People's Daily than any leader since the founding of the People's Republic, with the possible exception of Mao Zedong. By evaluating a 'Xi Jinping effect' in propaganda, this article suggests Xi has leant heavily on media power to project authority over the Party and beyond. Xi Jinping's ascent has also coincided with reduced emphasis on other leaders, providing evidence for the weakening of collective leadership in China.