Representations of China in the Western media (original) (raw)
Representations of China in the Global Media Disocurse
Cross-cultural Communication, 2019
News about China is ubiquitous, yet we know very little about how the global news media have represented China. This study is aimed at providing a theoretical overview of the global media representations of China. Arguably China remains one of the few countries which have been widely debated in both global media and public discourses vis-a-vis it’s growing economic and political influence in the global world order, its unique cultural and political system, and internal and external challenges. The modest attempt of the current study is to present an overreview of the dominant Western and non-Western media representations of China along with the theoretical and methodological approaches the studies utilized. The synthesis of the findings of the studies suggests that there is overwhelmingly negative and critical representation of China in the Western media often depicting China as “negative Other”. However, the non-Western media on the other hand depicted China in a favorable and nua...
China in the Global Media Sphere: A Review
Pakistan Social Sciences Review, 2021
News about China is ubiquitous, yet we know very little about how the news media has represented China in the global media sphere. This study aims at providing a theoretical overview of the global media representations of China. Arguably China remains one of the few countries which have been widely debated in both global media and public discourses vis-à-vis it's growing economic and political influence in the global world order, its unique cultural and political system, and internal and external challenges. The modest attempt of the current study is to present an overview of the dominant Western and non-Western media representations of China along with the theoretical and methodological approaches the studies utilized. The synthesis of the findings of the studies suggests that there is overwhelmingly negative and critical representation of China in the Western media often depicting China as "negative Other". However, the non-Western media on the other hand depicted China in a favorable and nuanced ways. The findings are elaborated in the light of the forces and factors at play that might shape the media narratives on China in the cross political and cultural settings.
Media Discourse on Globalization in China: A social–psychological analysis
China's economic liberalization reforms and quest for global status have raised concerns over ideological inconsistencies (the adoption of market economy is discrepant from China's avowed belief in socialism) and image problems (the world that China wants to embrace perceives her as a menace). Official media discourse makes frequent reference to globalization and uses it to manage the inconsistencies and to bolster China's global image. These discursive functions, though related to media discourse's meaning-making functions, are sufficiently distinct from the latter to merit their own analysis. This article provides a theoretical discussion of the functions derived from social-psychological research on inconsistency justification and intergroup relations, with illustrative examples from relevant articles published in the People's Daily between 1996 and 2006.
Chinese_Media__Global_Contexts.pdf
Routledge, 2003
Virtually every major media, information, and telecommunications enterprise in the world is significantly tied to China. This volume provides the most expert, up-to-date, and multidisciplinary analyses on how the contemporary media function in what is rapidly becoming the world's largest market. As the West, particularly the United States, tries to integrate China into the 'civilized world' through the extension of global capitalism, Chinese Media, Global Contexts examines how globalizing forces clash with Chinese nationalism to shape China's media discourses and ideology. Conversely, this book also asks if the media provide a site and forum for contestation between different social classes and ideologies in China.
American Media Representations of China's Traditions and Modernity
Tourism Culture & Communication, 2009
Most research on the touristic representations of peripheral countries has focused on former colonies of past imperial Western powers. This study attempts to extend colonialism and tourism studies by examining the American tourist gaze upon China, a country with a history of resistance to Western colonialism and dominance. A total of 60 travel articles published between 2000 and 2005 in six major American newspapers were analyzed. The emergent themes were interpreted within the framework of their colonial ideological underpinnings. The analysis revealed that China was represented in three major themes. While many descriptions were similar to other markedly colonial representations of oriental destinations, some were derogatory and imbued with ideological bias. These findings extend the study of colonialism in tourism as they show that conflicting political ideologies may overshadow the tourism media's tendency to praise destinations. Moreover, this study reinforces previous asse...
Portrayal of China’s Rise in British Newspapers: A ‘Clash of the West with the Rest’?
Over the past three decades, the rise of China has been receiving intense media coverage particularly from those in the West. While the traditional paradigm is that British newspapers have represented China negatively in their coverage, this dissertation suggests that the portrayal of its rise is far more complicated than it first seems. Analysing five broadsheet newspapers in Britain, this dissertation will argue that the representation on China is not necessarily negative as it is dependent upon the issues facing the journalists such as foreign policy, military, security, trade and economy. In this regard, issues that offer more opportunities for co-operation between China and the West such as trade and economy will most likely to see more positive coverage while those that see more likelihood of confrontation such as military and security will receive more negative coverage. As a result, it has also challenged the prevalent view that Western media has situated China's rise within the 'West vs.
The Media Framing of China’s Image in East Africa: An Exploratory Study
African East-Asian Affairs, 2013
Sino-East African relations are very significant for the continent. These tightening, multilevel and overarching relations are to a certain extent dependent on the accumulation of perceptions among East Africans about China. China-Africa social science literature has pointed out that China has both a favourable and unfavourable image in East Africa. These studies however exhibit a certain level of vagueness from a communication perspective in so far as they lack empiricism. This exploratory paper investigates the media image of China in East Africa with a view to determining positive, negative and weak perceptions by applying a content analysis approach. I use a media framing model to investigate China's image as represented by four Nation Media Group English-language newspapers during 2011. As an exploratory study, the paper discusses some of the issues raised by the analysis, presents tentative findings and proposes further research directions ii. Predictions touting the imminent consignment of print media to history by new
Tbis study cxatniites the relationship betitven foreign media exposure and :ytereotypicai peraiifioiis of ami feelings toivard Americans in Hong Kong. Shenzhen (China), ami Singapore. In line with prroiouf; studies, it finds that foreign TV avisuniptioii /s related lo negative stereotypical perceptions of ami feelings toward Americans, among att tested subjects. However, it also finds that different types of foreign media, such as newspaper, radio, video, ami nnn>ies. exhibit very distinct and different rciationiihip5 with perceptions of Americans In/ subjects from China and Singapore. It suggests that in studies of foreign media impact, attention should be given to specific foreign media channels, the actual content of the media, the impact of local media, the stages at xvhich other cultures ciu-oiiittcr the Western culture, and thf ciiltunil context of each society. JOUFNAUSM&M' '
Pacific Journalism Review : Te Koakoa
This project captured and analysed Chinese strategies seeking to influence global media in its coverage of China. While there is ample literature defining some of these strategies, there is a lack of empirical data tracking the strategies in practice. The project addressed this by surveying officials from journalism unions in 87 countries on their perceptions of Chinese influence on the media in their country. The surveys were complemented by focus groups with senior journalists and editors in six countries. The findings illustrated how China’s global media outreach policies have grown increasingly sophisticated and how the country utilises a multi-pronged approach to influence global media. Dukalskis’ (2017) authoritarian public sphere (APS) framework was used to conceptualise the studies and to analyse the findings. It is argued that China is attempting to offer its APS as an alternative to the traditional Habermasian (1989) public sphere.
Roundtable Discussion of “Media Narratives and China’s Future”
Global Media and China, 2016
Global Media and China intends to address the current, ongoing, and important public controversies that are shaping public perceptions of China around the world. The journal also offers insights into the demands of a rapidly changing global media sphere and considers how such changes impact communication theories and practices. We have elected to include a roundtable discussion of two recent events in China that dominated the global media sphere in 2015. Thus, we invited three distinguished communication scholars to share their perceptions of the recent explosions in the warehouse storing hazardous chemicals in Tianjin and/or the rapid decline of the Shanghai financial markets. These events sorely tested the public's confidence and trust in the Chinese government and in the accuracy and sufficiency of the news reports offered by state-sanctioned media outlets, and they had impact around the world. Global media outlets frequently offered very harsh criticisms of how the Beijing responded to these occurrences, with some stories warning that they could result in political instability within China and others arguing that these events will chill global investments and impact the public confidence in China's economic growth and social stability. Monroe Price, professor of communication in the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, Jack Qiu, professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Jiang Fei, professor of the Institute of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, accepted our invitation and agreed to participate in this discussion. In the first round of the conversation, we asked them to answer the following questions: 1. What lessons can be learned from these events? Monroe Price: It is impossible to think that major events in China will not see the light of day in the global press. It is also apparent that major elements of the global press like stories pointing to economic or similar crises in China. There is schadenfreude as a factor. The whiff of suppression just makes such a story more appealing. Probably a different analytic has to be established for health-related stories and for financial stories. Each category calls for a different kind of crisis 651530G CH0010.1177/2059436416651530Global Media and ChinaRoundtable Discussion research-article2016 Roundtable Discussion
Slow boat from China: public discourses behind the ‘going global’ media policy
International Journal of Cultural Policy, 2015
China's public diplomacy policies and objectives started to become more detailed and explicit in recent years. In 2009, the central government committed around US$ 6 billion to the 'going global' initiative. As part of this initiative, China has invested money and efforts to move its public diplomacy activities into a 'higher gear'. In response to this development, a sizeable body of both scholarly and journalistic writing within and outside China has been produced. Rather than dismissing policy statements from top leadership and scholarly deliberations in Chinese-language literature as little more than official verbiage or uncritical and wishful thinking, I argue in this paper that these statements should be treated as important empirical sources from which we can seek to gain a deeper and more nuanced understanding of China's intentions and motivations in the domain of media globalization. In this paper, I read China's policy statements and recommendations with the following questions in mind: What mission and objectives does China want to achieve through its project of globalizing Chinese media? What are their moral and intellectual justifications? What key recommendations are being made in policy deliberations so far? And to what extent do they represent continuity or departure from China's past? I pursue these questions in two sections below. In the first section, I examine the extent to which China's public diplomacy policy has shifted, paying particular attention to both continuity and change over time. In the second section I then outline the major policy recommendations that are proposed as part of China's efforts to improve its global image through media expansion, and consider the ways in which the various moral and intellectual resources have been marshalled to justify and propel such initiatives.
Routledge Handbook of Chinese Media (2015)
Routledge Handbook of Chinese Media (eds Gary Rawnsley & Ming-Yeh Rawnsley), 2015
The study of Chinese media is a field that is growing and evolving at an exponential rate. Not only are the Chinese media a fascinating subject for analysis in their own right, but they also offer scholars and students a window to observe multi-directional flows of information, culture and communications within the contexts of globalization and regionalization. Moreover, the study of Chinese media provides an invaluable opportunity to test and refine the variety of communications theories that researchers have used to describe, analyse, compare and contrast systems of communications. The Routledge Handbook of Chinese Media is a prestigious reference work providing an overview of the study of Chinese media. Gary and Ming-Yeh Rawnsley bring together an interdisciplinary perspective with contributions by an international team of renowned scholars on subjects such as television, journalism and the internet and social media. Locating Chinese media within a regional setting by focusing on ‘Greater China’, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and overseas Chinese communities; the chapters highlight the convergence of media and platforms in the region; and emphasise the multi-directional and trans-national character of media/information flows in East Asia. Contributing to the growing de-westernization of media and communications studies; this handbook is an essential and comprehensive reference work for students of all levels and scholars in the fields of Chinese Studies and Media Studies.
Public interest in China, as reflected in the level of media attention, is burgeoning in the west and elsewhere in the world. This interest is driven by China’s increasing presence and importance in the lives of people around the world; and for the same reason is likely to continue growing. Media discourses are the main way in which western publics receive information about China, and erroneous or un-nuanced views can quickly become the conventional wisdom. Since many journalists reporting on China are generalists rather than China specialists per se, the depth and gradation of China scholars’ understandings can provide a contribution that journalists welcome and publics benefit from. Although developments in the two professions are demanding closer and more frequent interactions, many scholars are reluctant to engage. This is partly due to structural disincentives within the academy, and partly due to obstacles in the scholar-media relationship. Focusing on the latter, the objective of this article is to illuminate how China scholars and journalists currently interact, and to identify means to increasing their efficiency and sustainability.
Representing the 'Other': The Framing of China in BBC English and Urdu Online News
Journal of Media Sciences, 2022
Having established its economic power globally, China is now also asserting its soft power in the international symbolic representational realm-largely dominated by the West. This paper critically evaluates how BBC discursively constructs China in its Online English and Urdu News, and discusses its attendant social, political, and economic implications for the Chinese and Pakistani citizens in particular, and for people all over the world. We also discuss how does the West perceive China's efforts to establish a global soft image and what role BBC plays in it. Using a combination of research tools; Framing, Authorship and Sourcing, the study analyzed 115 news stories. The analysis revealed that 'China-Threat' is the dominant frame in BBC's coverage of China. Second, all stories were written by correspondents stationed outside China. Finally, BBC disproportionately cited Western news/expert sources, and also many sources/reports were unspecified (anonymous). The aim of this paper is to prompt readers to question commonly held assumptions of China propagated mostly by Western media.
Journalism and Communication Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences*
2014
Chinese entry on the African continent and the subsequent impact on global relations using soft power are of increasing interest to many scholars. This paper explores the local perspectives towards this trend by analysing the media coverage of China in Africa using Uganda as a case study. Content analysis of articles on China in two national dailies is being carried out using several variables, supplemented by Key Informant Interviews and observations. A review of the media coverage and general perceptions of China from the West shows a predominantly negative image, portraying China as bringing neo-colonialism and a new capitalist system to Africa. China’s relationship with Africa is seen as exploitative where China is benefitting from Africa’s natural resources without giving due consideration to sustainability issues. Most of the views on China have been propagated by voices outside Africa. Premised within the Political economy and globalisation theories, this paper wi...
Mapping ‘Chinese Media Studies’: A Diagnostic Survey
Media International Australia, 2011
This article views Chinese media as a complex web of diverse academic disciplines and political perspectives, and provides a diagnostic survey of the various disciplines that deal with Chinese media. By clarifying and comparing the methodological characteristics of these academic disciplines, it attempts to prepare for interdisciplinary dialogue. It will pose questions such as what kinds of disciplines have become involved in the studies of Chinese media; what are the main focuses and the methodological characteristics; and what kinds of regional and historical characteristics exist in scholarship on Chinese media. The article maps ‘Chinese media studies' from four angles: the academic traditions of journalism and communication studies; politics and sociology; Chinese studies; and cinema and cultural studies. It views the main focus of each field respectively as: democracy and political economy of the media industry; civil society and network society; history and language; and c...