Navigating the AI Hype: Chinese Journalists’ Algorithmic Imaginaries and Role Perceptions in Reporting Emerging Technologies

This study explores how Chinese journalists perceive, use, and report on artificial intelligence (AI) amid the global discourse of AI hype. Drawing on qualitative analysis of 18 in-depth interviews with journalists from a range of Chinese news organisations, this research examines (1) journalists’ algorithmic imaginaries and their role in shaping AI narratives, (2) perceptions of AI hype and strategies for responsible reporting, and (3) the journalistic roles reflected. The findings show that journalists predominantly frame AI as a pragmatic tool for enhancing newsroom efficiency, while also acknowledging its broader societal significance. Although aware of speculative discourses, they reject the label of “media hype,” portraying their coverage as balanced, event-driven, and aligned with public interest. Situated within China’s distinctive political and media environment, this study highlights the complexities of journalistic practice in the algorithmic age and calls for a contextualised theorisation of media hype and AI’s discursive construction in non-Western settings.