UCLA

This dissertation presents a computationally-aided analysis of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) use of photojournalism to forge a distinctive socialist media culture from the tumult of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), through the Chinese Civil War (1945–1949), into the early years of the People’s Republic of China (1949–1952). It explores how CCP photojournalists, leveraging diverse media platforms, transformed photographic documentation into potent instruments of Party ideology. The dissertation introduces “digital historical forensics,” a novel digital humanities methodology that combines artificial intelligence technologies—specifically machine learning and computer vision—with traditional humanities approaches, including close reading and contextual analysis. This innovative method sheds light on previously unexamined textual and visual evidence, revealing patterns and strategies in ideological materials. These include the strategic emphasis on human subjects and textual elements, and the deployment of misinformation, influenced by the constraints of print technology and material conditions. The findings uncover unrecorded photographic, editorial, and curatorial decisions, offering new insights into the interplay between textual and visual materiality, power dynamics, and media convergence. It identifies key factors that shaped the CCP’s visual culture, including limited material supplies, military hierarchies, social interactions among cultural workers, and the drive to foster active participation among soldiers and local peasants. The study also highlights how wartime CCP photojournalism not only unveiled issues of social justice but also played a pivotal role in community-building efforts in 20th century China. This dissertation further examines how socialist culture prioritized ethical interactions between photographers and the local populace, enlightening them about their roles and responsibilities within their emerging political identities. Through an analysis of the institutionalization of photojournalism within the Party, this work reveals the genesis of the CCP’s propaganda branch and the development of visual paradigms by newly recruited photographers, which were disseminated among communities in the rural areas of northern China. The fostering of photographic literacy catalyzed the formation of a new generation of photojournalists, engendering a community bound by shared emotions, and facilitating dialogues on empathy and sympathy. By examining the aesthetics, content, production, and circulation of CCP photojournalism, alongside its interaction with various cultural forms, the dissertation elucidates the intermedial and institutional dimensions of state propaganda during a critical period in China’s history.