Wang Jifan is about to graduate from his media studies course at Zhongshan University and needs a miracle. What worries the 22-year-old Guangzhou student isn't career prospects but the future of Rice, an indie magazine that he founded with some friends two years ago.
Full-time jobs and overseas studies threaten to tear apart the student editorial team as most members will complete their studies this year. Still, they are determined to keep publishing and hope to include contributions from members studying abroad, says Wang. 'So many things are uncertain in our lives,' he says. 'All I know is we can count on Rice [to give us a sense of accomplishment].'
Although the flourishing mainland economy has led to a media boom, few ventures have targeted young people, largely because they are seen as having little buying power - but that's starting
to change.
Following the success of youth-oriented broadcasters such as Hunan Satellite Television, publishers are focusing on 16- to 26-year-olds, a free-spending group raised in the consumer culture of the liberalised economy. And young people in Guangzhou have filled the vacuum by launching print and online journals that reflect the concerns of their generation.
Rice grew out of exchanges in a chat room, says Wang. 'We had worked on student publications, but they were too removed from our lives. There was no place for students to air their views.'