| Critical theory in the American media studies holds that, taken as a whole, media are part of a country's ideological apparatus. Their major function is to maintain the dominant hegemony and status quo social structure. Content analysis of the coverage of the current Chinese reform by the two major newspapers in the United States and China, the New York Times and the People's Daily are conducted to see if the hegemonic theory of news is applicable to both a Western democratic country and an Eastern socialist country. Study results indicate that both the New York Times' and the People's Daily's reports of the Chinese reform express and reinforce their own countries' dominant cultural traditions and values, despite different coverage patterns. Furthermore, coverage by both newspapers reflects the characteristics of each country's media system and media philosophies.;The research findings support the hegemonic theory of news in two politically, economically and culturally different countries. That is, no matter what the social and media systems are like, the media help sustain the existing social order by reinforcing dominant cultural values. Results further suggest that reinforcement of dominant ideologies is not necessarily a conscious action because journalists share the dominant values held by the society in their everyday interactions with their fellow citizens. |
