Leiyu Liu

My working experiences, together with my knowledge about popular culture and academic interests in communication, have been inspiring me to study Communication. I believe hard study on this field will guide me to explore more about the media world.

My academic interests of Mass Communication are mainly around two areas- agenda setting, propaganda, and cultivation. Grown up in Communist China, I have been wondering how the Party utilizes media to set both public and media agenda to propagate an authoritarian ideology for an end of Communist cultivation, for example, the usage of the Great Fire Wall in various cases. Also, with an interested in popular culture, I have been concerning media effects in terms of cultural fields. I played in several professional bands with different genres. Being a part of music industry makes me understand the history and value of music culture deeply, and this knowledge helps me form a unique view on music, politics and culture- they are interconnected and could be strong forces to change the world.

In terms of the media industry, I always regard it as a combination of both gorgeous innovations and strict executions. So, I see the strong executive ability as the cornerstone of being a media man, and I have been receiving such trainings throughout my career. In April 2014, I worked as the assistant director of the acoustic stage of Wuhan Strawberry Music Festival. I took charge of arranging artists, setting up the stage and assisting musicians’ sound check. This unique experience enables me to have a close insight into the industry- a place where discipline, creation and standardization coexist.