The Image Representations Of Migrant Farmer Labors In The Media

In recent years, issues on migrant farmer labors have become more and more important in mass media agenda. The interaction between migrant farmer labors and mass media has also started to attract scholars'attention. By reviewing and analyzing relevant news reports on People's Daily, one of the most influential newspapers in China, the thesis investigates the Chinese media's representations of the images of migrant farmer labors.Based on the represention theory and Stuart Hall's encoding theory, with the employment of the research mode on images of the youth in Media Studies: Texts, Institutions and Audiences by Lisa Taylor and Andrew Willis, the thesis describes the images of migrant workers in Chinese news reports and analyzes the political, social and cultural contexts that deeply affect the Chinese media's representations.It has been found out that Chinese media have represented migrant farmer labors as"trouble-making outsiders","outstanding employees"and"migrant employees in need of help", among which"outsiders"is a stereotype for migrant workers. Under Chinese special information system, Chinese media keep high accordance with the government policies and adjust their representations to the policies on migrant farmer labors. Furthermore, the reports on migrant farmer labors are superficial and lack initiative and creativity.The findings of the research contribute to improving the reports on migrant farmer labors with more objective and truthful representation, deepening the community's understanding of migrant farmer labors, promoting the integration of migrant farmer labors into the Chinese urban society, and the construction of a harmonious society.