The Image Of China In BRITiSH Media: A Frame Analysis Of The Report On China By BBC

With the rapid growth of China’s economic, political and military power, China’s national image is getting more and more important. A good national image will help enhance a country’s competitiveness in the world, and it has become a new element influencing and structuring international relations. The reports and interpretation of news media is a key force in shaping a country’s national image in the world. BBC as a world renowned international broadcaster, has long been seen as one of the most respected media in the globe, therefore, the study of the BBC’s reports about China has its theoretical and realistic significance.Framing theory started abroad in1980’s, which set up a new model of study for media reports. According to framing theory, the writer chose some typical examples of significance from BBC’s reports on China from social, humanistic, ecological and disastrous news perspective as objects of study. The thesis analyzed the reports of the BBC’s "China Week" in2005, the winner of prestigious Emmy and Peabody awards "White Horse Village","Wenchuan Earthquake" in2008and "Wenzhou train crash" in2011, with the attempt to find what’s the frame for BBC’s reports on China and how does the frame work to illustrate China’s national image.In the conclusion of this thesis, by analyzing the findings of the research, the writer attempts to find out how BBC use framing theory to report China, therefore, to illustrate China’s nation image in the international communication world especially in British mainstream media, so that we can have a better knowledge about China’s national image.