Identity and Affiliation: The Discursive Identity Construction of New Media Entrepreneurs in Contemporary China

Given the increasingly significant role of the new media industry in China’s socio-economic development and the pivotal position of new media entrepreneurs (NMEs) within this industry, the current study explores how three NMEs construct their identities through shared values, drawing on affiliation framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). Semi-structured interviews conducted with NMEs are qualitatively analyzed by Nvivo 15. Findings suggest that value bonds related to industry, time, stress, growth, and family construct the identity network of NMEs. Specifically, NMEs place a high value on personal development and families. The constant changes in the new media industry lead to intense competition, necessitating continuous learning for NMEs. This makes NMEs face great stress and be burdened with highly intensive work, which leads to limited personal time and an unbalanced work and life. Nonetheless, constant changes constitute the core bond of NMEs’ identity, as these changes are deeply rooted in the rapid development of the new media industry in China, which simultaneously engender substantial opportunities. NMEs must strive to successfully address the arduous challenges posed by these changes, since those who fail to do so would be weeded out by the intense industry competition and could no longer retain their identity as NMEs.