Ningxiao Zhong is a PhD student at the Department of Government and the Centre for Ideology and Discourse Analysis at the University of Essex. His primary research interest is the Ideology and Discourse Analysis, Gramscianism, and Contemporary Chinese Studies. He is currently researching on the discourses and political attitudes of the Mainland China's authority and state-media on pop-/sub-cultures, ideology, games, ACGN/nijigen, East Asian idols and Chinese internet celebrities, and the contents for gender expression and sexual orientation in the cyberspace. His background is in Politics and Administration (BA, China University of Political Science and Law) and Political Theory (MA, University of Essex).