Anointing a New Enemy

Abstract

Do nations require an adversary? US media coverage of China, as reflected in national news magazines, was analyzed before and after the breakup of the Soviet Union to determine how media portrayed this global power change. China received significantly more coverage after the Soviet Union breakup, and the post-breakup themes and frames about China were significantly different and more negative. This study of coverage related to global power shifts suggests that adversarial political relationships are mirrored in a nation's domestic media and may be necessary for national unity.