journalism and publishing
In the 50 years after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the journalism in Hunan gets rapid development under the caring and supporting of the Party and the government. There are many newspapers with different characteristics, and the broadcast covers the urban and rural areas. The television career is vigorously developed and shows a flourishing scene.
　　newspaper
　　 The newspaper career in Hunan began from the end of Qing Dynasty of Xiang paper (1898). By October 1949, there were over 600 kinds of newspaper have been published. In 1949, at the eve of the liberation of Hunan, there were over 50 kinds of newspaper in Hunan.
　　 In 1998, Daily of Hunan、Evening paper of Changsha、Sport Weekly、today women newspaper were assessed the advanced local management units which are 100 in the nation.
　Reporter center of central news media
　　After 1990’s, the Hunan Branch of Xinhua News Agency built TV department, and opens certain program on related media; it also sets a web site to introduce the information of Hunan on Internet. All the major central news agencies have built their reporter center in Hunan.
　　Press
　Book publishing
　　 At the end of Qing Dynasty and the beginning of Republic of China, the pressing in Hunan had already come to the step of printing with modern machines.
From 1978 to 1998, the number of publishing house increased from 1 to 12. They are: Hunan People’s Publishing house, Hunan Science and Technology Press, Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House, Hunan Education Press, Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House, Hunan Juveniles and Children’s Publishing House, Yuelu Publishing House, Mid-south Technology College Publishing House, Hunan University Press, Hunan Normal University Publishing House, National Defense Technology University Publishing House, and Hunan Map and Atlas Publishing House. The number of publishing house staff increases from over 60 to 757. Books increase from 166,000,000 volumes of 307 kinds to 390,000,000 volumes of 2530 kinds in 1998. They each increase 135% and 700%. From 1978 to 1998, the adding up number of books is 6,540,000,000 volumes of 30109 kinds. The books published in Hunan get the reputation of “ the persons in Hunan are not only good at eating hot pepper but also good at publishing” by the new thinking, good quality and high taste of the books. From the eighth-five-year plan (called eighth-five for short), there are over 9000 kinds of books published, and 20% of them get different kinds of rewards over the provincial level. Among them, seven kinds of books get the reward of “ five-one project” by Central Disseminate Department.
The number of rewarded books of Hunan is at the top of the whole country.
Electronic video audio publications　
　 As a new force, the electronic video audio publication has become a vital fresh troop of the press industry in Hunan in high technological era. In 1978, there is not a place in Hunan for publishing electronic audio video publications and making and copying them. In 1998, there have been 5 electronic audio video-publishing houses.

Periodical publishing
　　 From 1978 to 1998, the periodical of the province is increased from 9 kinds to 224 kinds, and it increases 35 times.
The development of press enterprise
　　With the setting of Socialism market economy, the press industry has turned from purely non-business institution to focusing on both non-business and enterprises. The enterprise economy is developed rapidly. The total captain increases from 50,000,000 Yuan in 1978 to 1,800,000,000 in 1998. It increases 36 times.
Publishing technology
　　 The publishing management system for information developed by Hunan News and Publishing Bureau is assessed as the standard mode for publishing management system for information of provincial level and the major net for “Golden edition project” for the news publishing of the whole nation. It is extended to use by the news-publishing bureau to the local news-publishing bureau. It make large social benefit and economy benefit. The publishing house management system for information, publishing enterprise management system for information, material supply management system for information and printing enterprise management system for information, which from a complete set of news publishing management system for information, are put into use gradually. 　　
Book market
　 By 1998, there are 105 branches of Xinhua Book Store in the province and over 470 sites for selling books. The number of the staff is 5000. It forms a complete nation-run publishing net for books. In 1998, the total captain of Xinhua Book Store system is 1,130,000,000 Yuan, and the selling output is 2,280,000,000 Yuan.
Talented person for publishing
　 Another major characteristic of the publishing industry in Hunan is paying attention to quality and benefit, developing books and persons.