| Social Networking Sites (SNSs) offer a unique platform to communicate based on real identity. Under the authoritarian regime in China, SNSs have become a tool to share and communicate alternative political information. This study seeks to identify the framing differences between SNSs and mainstream media by comparing the framing of two recent cases, the Li Gang incident as domestic news and the Diaoyu Island dispute as international news. The largest SNS based on real identity in China was selected to represent SNS websites, and People's Daily Online was selected as the representative of mainstream media. Results show that frames used on Renren and People's Daily Online were different at large. Renren was overall more critical towards officials, and extremely positive in reporting powerless victims. Furthermore, Renren tended to present a one-sided story and questioned censorship and credibility of the mainstream media in China openly. |
