Television & New Media 14(5) 402–420 © The Author(s) 2012 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1527476412446089 tvnm.sagepub.com 446089TVN 14 5 10.1177/1527476 412446089WuTelevision & New Media 1 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA Corresponding Author: Jingsi Christina Wu, Department of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA. Email: jingsi.wu@gmail.com Cultural Citizenship at the Intersection of Television and New Media Jingsi Christina Wu 1 Abstract This article presents a cultural revision on the ongoing debate about the new media’s civic influence, as well as that of the “old media” Television. Specifically, it introduces the notion of “cultural citizenship” into the theoretical discussion and empirical pursuits. In exploring how this concept comes to play at the intersection of television and new media, this article sheds light on the continuing debate within the theoretical camp of “cultural citizenship,” expands the notion of “political talk” in current studies of media and democracy, and pushes the field from normative and instrumental limitations toward a more culturally rich and comprehensive direction. I systematically examine public discourses surrounding a popular talent show in China’s cyberspace and show the connection between nonpolitical media experiences and political expressions. In doing so, I also discuss the internet’s unique potential in lending voice to ordinary Chinese citizens outside the mainstream media. Keywords television, new media, cultural citizenship, media use, popular culture Introduction With the emergence and spread of new media in today’s civic life, we are witnessing a move of audience activities online. People living far apart can now watch television “together” via the help of online chat (Vance 2010). Television viewers further create online communities in which they share viewing experiences or rework the texts (Jenkins 2006). In this article, I discuss the notion of “cultural citizenship” at the intersection of television and new media, in terms of how popular media and new Article