A sea change is a profound transformation that takes place gradually over time. Seas rise, even if only at the rate of inches per century, but they do rise inexorablly to change everything. In the Deutsche Welle interview with Chinese blogger Michael Anti (see Blogging in China: The Michael Anti Interview), there is above all a sense of the sea change that is happening inside China on account of the Internet. Specifically, within the field of journalism, there is a sea change which cannot be tied down to any specific incident or person. Instead, with the presence of Internet BBS’s (bulletin board systems) such as Xici Hutong’s Reporter’s Home and bloggers such Michael Anti, a new and different set of professional standards have gradually emerged among journalists.
See also ESWN’s post “Knowing China and Chinese Society.”
