對于施拉姆與中國傳播學的關系,學界一直以來討論得多,深入研究得少。施拉姆與中國傳播研究的關系還有一些未解之謎。相應地,幾十年來施拉姆的形象也經歷了較大變遷,從奠基人、啟蒙者,變成了冷戰專家、傳播學學科化的始作俑者,甚至被一些人清除出傳播學歷史,這都說明了對他的身份及貢獻充滿爭議。如何評價施拉姆,如何評估施拉姆對中國傳播學的貢獻,仍然值得討論。我們應該將施拉姆的行為及中國傳播學的引進放到全球冷戰及美國戰后推崇現代化的知識潮流的大背景下具體分析,看到冷戰背景下中國與美國在"現代化"觀念上達成的共識對中國傳播學產生的影響。對施拉姆形象的建構,也折射出中國傳播學者的學科意識與焦慮。以施拉姆為鏡,才能夠深刻地理解今天在現代化共識消失后中國傳播學所面臨的各種學科化的、政治的問題與爭議,才能基于中國的國情重新思考傳播學科的歷史及未來。

The connection betw een Wilbur Schramm and communication study in China is a topic often spoken about,but not closely scrutinized. There w ere three interesting details in Schramm’s first journey to China. First,his original aim w as not to promote communication research,but audio-visual teaching via television in China. Second,he unusually proposed to meet national leaders in China. Third,Chinese scholars questioned Schramm’s unfriendly attitude to socialist system in his previous publications,but they w ere also eager to have their pioneer recognize their w ork. These three seldom mentioned details demonstrate that there are still some unsolved mysteries in the origin of communication study in China. Accordingly,the image of Wilbur Schram has changed constantly and dramatically during the past three decades. He had been first regarded as a founding father and advocator of this field,then criticized as a Cold War expert,the misleading initiator of disciplinary of communication study. Now currently he is sometimes even removed from books on history of communication theories,in w hich he w as previously in the spotlight of this field. It is still w orth discussing how to evaluate Schramm and his contribution to Chinese communication study. This paper suggests that to understand Schramm’s career and emergence of Chinese communication study on the backdrop of global cultural Cold War and the U. S. government promotion of modernization theory globally by its experts from many fields including communication. The construction of Schramm’s image also reflects Chinese communication scholars’ idea of and anxiety about the field of communication. By the mirror of Schramm,w e can understand more about the disciplinary and political problems and disputes in communication study in China w hen the consensus of modernization in the end of last century diminished. Then w e can reconsider the history and future of field of communication in China from a local perspective.