A Grounded Theory Study Of Shenzhen's City Image In The Associated Press Coverage(2008-2018)

This thesis is a case study of Shenzhen city image by looking into the its news coverage from 2008 to 2018 by the Associated Press(AP).Based on the research method of grounded theory,this study aims to explore how the image of Shenzhen was portrayed and evolved in the past decade in the international media like the AP.The Other-image drawn from the findings of the case study is compared with Shenzhen's self-image represented in its official English portal EYESHENZHEN,hoping to provide practical suggestions on how to effectively communicate Shenzhen's international image.This study also attempts to reveal the characteristics or patterns of how western media construct a Chinese city's image.The findings are supposed to shed light on the city image construction in the international communication.The grounded theory approach aided with Nvivo 11 software has led to a database of 6800 coded items which generated 261 coded themes,17 concepts and a final 7 categories were extracted from the remaining initial codes.As a result,Shenzhen's image in the AP can be summarized as “China's Silicon Valley”,“China's Financial Center”,“Golf City”,“Adjacent to Hong Kong”.The research shows that the image of Shenzhen city in the Associated Press during the period from 2008 to 2018 was dominated by the negative or a mixed image of positive and negative through “balanced reporting model”.Shenzhen's image has evolved in stages: changing from a city with no sports to a host city of international sports events;from a strong financial city to the co-existence of financial and industrial powerhouse;from a city with the copy-cat technology to a city with the leading industry and innovative technology.The comparative study of thecoverage between the Associated Press and the Shenzhen English portal(EYESHENZHEN)shows there are three major differences between Shenzhen's "other-image" and "self-image" : image frames,agendas / highlighted issues,and sentiments.This study finds that the problems of Shenzhen city image communication include: the positive image is often questioned,the negative image of government and social dimension is solidified,the overall image dimension is unbalanced,and the rigid one-way communication.Therefore,this study puts forward specific suggestions for Shenzhen to strengthen its institutionalized,professionalized,specialized communication practices to promote more effectively Shenzhen's international image.