Participant pseudonym

Occupation

Age range

Reasons for pre-selection

Tom

Professor

Late 50s

Rich expertise in international politics and economics

Sam

Assistant professor

Early 40s

Research interest in global marketing and communication

Pearl

PR practitioner

Mid 40s

Adept at multimedia production and mixed media campaigns

Ronald

Application research engineer

Late 30s

Knowledgeable in ICT engineering and software development

Ted

Assistant professor

Late 30s

Expertise in media law and ethics

Fred

Senior lecturer

Mid 50s

Opinion leader in Sino-US relations; instructor in online journalism and new media

Derek

MA student

Late 20s

A tech savvy student with wide experience in computer games

Mary

BA student

Early 20s

Majoring in convergent media and information technology