Image, Reality and Media Construction: A Frame Analysis of German Media Representations of China

ISBN-13: 9789813290785 / Angielski / Miękka / 2020 / 249 str.

Fengmin Yan

Opis

This book explores how news media construct social issues and events and thereby convey certain perceptions within the scope of framing theory. By operationalizing media framing as a process of interpretation through defining problem, diagnosing causes, making moral judgments and suggesting solutions, the book proposes a systematic and transparent approach to images in news discourse. Based on a frame analysis, it examines how German news media framed a list of China-related issues and events, and thereby conveyed particular beliefs and opinions on this country. Moreover, it investigates whether there were dominant patterns of interpretation and the extent to which diverse views were evident by comparing two major daily newspapers with opposite political orientations - the FAZ and the taz. 

Motivated by the relationship between image and reality, the book explores image formation and persistence from media construction of meaning and human cognitive complexity in perceiving others. Media select certain issues and events and then interpret them from particular perspectives. A variety of professional and non-professional factors behind news making may result in biased representations. In addition, from a social psychological perspective, inaccurate perceptions of foreign cultures may arise from categorical thinking, biased processing of stimulus information, intergroup conflicts of interest and in-group favoritism.

Accordingly, whether media coverage deviates from reality is not the main concern of this book; instead, it emphasizes the underlying logics upon which the conclusions and judgments were drawn. It therefore contributes to a rational understanding of Western discourse and holds practical implications for both Chinese public diplomacy and a more constructive role of news media in promoting the understanding of others.

Spis treści

1 Introduction

1.1 Background: an increasingly image-conscious China

1.2 Central questions and research justification

1.3 Theoretical framework

1.4 Structure of the book and chapter outlines

2 Changing German Images of China

2.1 Key concepts in image study

 2.1.1 Image and national image

 2.1.2 Stereotype

 2.1.3 Prejudice

 2.1.4 Summary

2.2 China through Western eyes: a historical review

2.3 Sino-German relations and changing German perceptions of China

2.4 German media representations of China and related research

3 Media Construction of Social Reality

3.1 Media and the social construction of reality

 3.1.1 A constructionist approach to meaning

 3.1.2 Media and social reality

3.2 Selection mechanism of news media

 3.2.1 Gatekeeping theory

 3.2.2 News values

3.3 Framing theory

 3.3.1 Media framing research and its origins

 3.3.2 Concept clarification: framing and frame

 3.3.3 Framing and attribute agenda-setting

 3.3.4 Frame building

 3.3.5 Frame analysis

4 Research Design

4.1 Research objectives

4.2 Content analysis as a research technique

 4.2.1 Quantitative vs. qualitative approach

 4.2.2 Content analysis of media frames

4.3 Data collection

 4.3.1 Investigated newspapers

 4.3.2 Selection of research materials

 4.3.3 Coding units at the article level: thematic categories and form features

 4.3.4 Operationalization of frames and coding procedures

 4.3.5 Validity and reliability

5 Distribution of Media Attention: Issues and Trends

5.1 General review

5.2 Trends: changing media choices

5.3 Themes and actors

 5.3.1 Thematic categories in each subject area

 5.3.2 Main actors

6 Qualitative Perspectives: Framing as a Process of Interpretation

6.1 Domestic politics

6.2 Economy

6.3 International relations

6.4 Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics

6.5 Culture and society

6.6 Social problems

6.7 Military and defense

7 Media Framing of Conflicts and Crises

7.1 Tibet unrest

7.2 Civil and political rights

7.3 Environmental crisis

7.4 Sichuan earthquake

7.5 Milk scandal

8 Findings and Discussion

8.1 Returing to the research questions

8.2 Prominent views on Chinese politics and society

8.3 Theoretical relevance and practical implications

 8.3.1 Bias vs. balance

 8.3.2 Western-centrism vs. self-reflection

 8.3.3 Simplification and categorical thinking

 8.3.4 Media, intercultural perception and government strategy

8.4 Limitations and future research directions

References

Appendices

A. Frequency distribution of subject/theme by length

B. Frequency distribution of subject/theme by narrative style

C. Codebook for content analysis

D. Codebook for frame analysis

O autorze

Dr Fengmin Yan holds a PhD in Media and Communication Studies from the Freie Universität Berlin. She completed her public relations education at Sun Yat‐sen University. Her research interests include media effects on society, cognitive psychology of communication, and research methods in communications studies, and her doctoral research focused on the media construction of social reality and image formation. She is currently investigating topics regarding social media and civic engagement in China and cognitive mechanisms of misinformation processing.