China’s National Image Building In Online Edition Of The New York Times

In the globalization of rapid info-exchange era, national image exists mainly inthe coverage of mass media, especially in that of the prestigious media around the world.Audiences are prone to getting the information from the prestigious mainstream media.In order to get the clear image Of China, it is necessary to analyze what and how theworld-renowned prestigious media report about China, and the cause of it.With the rapid development of China, America’s mainstream media increasinglyattach great importance to China，because of its overwhelmingly dominant position ininternational media resources and its superiority over guidance of public opinion，it isknown to us all that America’s mainstream media play a predominant role over shapingother countries’ images drawing on its solid economic strength, advanced technologyand communication experience etc., therefore the study on the China-related coveragereported on the NYT., a mainstream media in the USA, has become a hot spot in theacademic research world. In order to understand America’s attitude toward China，improve China’s international communication mechanism and build up a good nationalimage, it is meaningful to analyze our national image shaped by NYT. coverage,mastering its covering patterns and rules, probing into its covering features and reasonin China-related reports，consequently，launching appropriate strategies.The shanghai world expo is a world-renowned exhibition event absorbing lots ofmedia. Based on the materials, this thesis adopts content analysis method, case studymethod， literature research method and content analysis etc. applying ZangGuoren’sframe theory which includes three levels, that is macro level, meso level and micro level,and agenda-setting theory to study the China-related reports of NYT. in2010ShanghaiWorld Expo, analyzing its rules, features and reason of China-related reports. This thesisfurther analyzes some rules of China-related reports in NYT. It explores how and whatthe NYT. shapes the national image of China in accordance with the coverage in theduration of Shanghai World Expo.Based on the analysis，this thesis draws to its conclusion that the NYT. displays an overwhelmingly neutral attitude in the China-related reports of NYT. in2010Shanghai World Expo, accounting for52%of the total samples, followed by positivereports, accounting for25%of the total, least is the negative reports, accounting for23%of the total. It can be inferred that the proportion of the neutral reports has alwaysbeen the leading role. Of all the samples, the NYT.’s attitude toward our government’simage is mostly neutral, but some embody a negative tendency. Few obviously reflectsthe positive image of our government in America’s mainstream media, therefore, theimage of our government in the U.S. mainstream media is not optimistic. China’seconomic image is mostly positive and neutrally-positive. Its portrayal of our society asa whole manifests a negative tendency, while the cultural image is mostly positive. TheNYT. shapes an overall image of china from four realms, that is politics reins in all-mighty power over anything, society is studed with contradictions, whereas economy isin rapid growth and culture prosperous.Based on the above conclusion, this thesis figures out the patterns, causes andstrategies of America’s mainstream media and then forwards some strategies of our own.It is imperative that we take proper measures which are capable of keeping up with theAmerica’s mainstream media, seizing the opportunity to improve the internationalcommunication system and building up the great national image of China.