The Framing Analysis Of Beijing Olympics Reports In US Newspapers

The 2008 Beijing Olympics have attracted great attention from international media, which in turn may influence the shaping of China's image. By resorting to frame theory and content analysis, the thesis analyzes the coverage of 2008 Beijing Olympics by The New York Times and USA Today, aiming to find the reporting frame of US newspapers on 2008 Beijing Olympics.The thesis finds that US newspapers put great emphasis on Beijing Olympics and report the event from various angles, but they focus more on the preparations and performances of American players. In addition, US newspapers also exaggerate the problems of politics, economy and human rights in China instead of reporting the Beijing Olympics itself. Most of the reports tend to be negative.This thesis also explores the factors that influence the US media's reporting frame from such perspectives as national interest, media's interest as well as ideological or political orientation of journalists. Finally, comparisons with similar studies are made and some limitations of the research are mentioned.