| This study examines whether and how the use of responsibility frame, violence frame, human-interest frame and news sources in U.S. coverage of Chinese protests has varied over the past 22 years. The data come from a content analysis of a total of 443 articles from The New York Times and the Washington Post. Significant differences in the use of responsibility frame, violence frame, and human-interest frame are found in the present study. Additionally, in accordance with previous studies, the results suggest that official sources still play a vital role in U.S. journalists' sourcing decisions. However, this sourcing reliance has been less seen in protest stories in the recent ten years, as journalists seem to have become more frequently to cite other news sources such as Internet/social media sources, anti-protest authoritative sources, and pro-protest authoritative sources. Given the role of U.S. media coverage in shaping Americans' opinions of foreign countries, the differences found here are vital in understanding U.S. media's treatment of China's social protests and how this treatment is associated with the way Americans perceive China in the past 22 years. |
