American Media Coverage Research Articles

The rise of and demand for identity‐oriented media coverage

AbstractWhile some assert that social identities have become more salient in American media coverage, existing evidence is largely anecdotal. An increased emphasis on social identities has important political implications, including for polarization and representation. We first document the rising salience of different social identities using natural language processing tools to analyze all tweets from 19 media outlets (2008–2021) alongside 553,078 URLs shared on Facebook. We then examine one potential mechanism: Outlets may highlight meaningful social identities—race/ethnicity, gender, religion, or partisanship—to attract readers through various social and psychological pathways. We find that identity cues are associated with increases in some forms of engagement on social media. To probe causality, we analyze 3,828 randomized headline experiments conducted via Upworthy. Headlines mentioning racial/ethnic identities generated more engagement than headlines that did not, with suggestive evidence for other identities. Identity‐oriented media coverage is growing and rooted partly in audience demand.

The Job Satisfaction Paradox: Pluralistic Ignorance and the Myth of the “Unhappy Worker”

American media coverage of the “Great Resignation” may have contributed to a belief that job dissatisfaction is widespread in the United States, even though surveys show relatively high and stable levels of job satisfaction among American workers. Using data from the 2023 Quality of Employment Survey, we investigate whether individuals’ beliefs about job dissatisfaction mirror empirical evidence or align more with media portrayals of widespread discontent. While most study participants expressed personal job satisfaction, over half believed that the majority of Americans were not at all satisfied, indicative of pluralistic ignorance—a phenomenon involving a collective misperception about a group’s norms or beliefs. Dissatisfaction beliefs were more common among remote workers and those with fewer work friendships. Moreover, believing in widespread job dissatisfaction was associated with lower organizational commitment, controlling for personal job satisfaction. We discuss the role of pluralistic ignorance in reconciling personal experiences with contrasting media representations of work and the economy.

“Covering Panda Diplomacy”-- Analyzing the differences between Chinese and American media coverage

Recently, Hu Xijin posted on Sina Twitter: “Russia no longer hurts the United States with a slap, but the kung fu pandas raised in Russia can probably hurt it.” Created an Internet sensation. The sudden death of panda “Lele” and the suspected abuse of panda “Yaya” have attracted widespread media coverage worldwide, which also touches the hearts of the people of both countries. In this article, The New York Times uses China Daily and framing to report on panda Yaya and panda diplomacy. In this article, The New York Times uses China Daily and framing to report on panda Yaya and panda diplomacy. Firstly, I will analyze the attitudes of China Daily and the New York Times towards panda diplomacy, as well as the changes they have shown in reporting on panda diplomacy; after that I will analyze the reasons with framing.

Sport or Politics? A Corpus-Based Critical Discourse Analysis of Chinese and American Media Coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Sport or Politics? A Corpus-Based Critical Discourse Analysis of Chinese and American Media Coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Evidentiality in American Media's Coverage of China-related Epidemics from the Perspective of Critical Discourse Analysis

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the major public health events of the 21st century and has attracted global attention from the press since its outbreak. This research focused on the analysis of news coverage on the China-related epidemic by American media, aiming at revealing the features of evidentiality in the discourse and elucidating the underlying ideologies. This study can help news readers develop an objective and comprehensive understanding of China. Methodology: This study selected 40 China-related epidemic news reports from The New York Times and The Washington Post during the pandemic. The quantitative and qualitative analyses of the selected news were conducted through AntConc4.2.2 in light of Fairclough's (1992) three-dimensional model. Results: The results of this study indicated the pervasive use of evidentiality in the coverage of the China-related epidemic by U.S. media, wherein distinct evidential markers demonstrated varying frequencies and served different functions. In terms of news sources, American media predominantly relied on hearsay evidentials to attribute information, thereby bolstering the credibility of the reports while subtly conveying a skeptical stance toward China. In terms of reporting modes, the reporting mostly used indirect discourse and employed deduction and induction evidentials to express negative attitudes toward China. All the results were highly related to the social context. Conclusion: Generally, the research underscores the widespread incorporation of evidentials in news discourse, employed to specify or obscure sources of information. Furthermore, evidentials embed certain ideologies and attitudes, which may mislead readers.

Differences in Religious Framing of Muslims and Islam in American Media Coverage Before and After the Trump Campaign

ABSTRACT Over the last 20 years Muslims have received a disproportionate amount of news media attention. In 2017 they were again thrust into the spotlight when the Trump administration issued a travel ban blocking entry from seven predominately-Muslim countries. With our hand coding of over 900 newspaper articles and mixed modeling techniques, we examine the newspaper rhetoric surrounding Muslims before and during the Trump administration and across US states. We find that after President Trump’s election, fewer newspapers mentioned religion or referenced Muslim claimsmakers. We also reveal that higher state-level religious salience was associated with more newspapers referencing religious claimsmakers in Islam-related discussions. Other state-level political and religious characteristics had no effect on the use of religious elements or Muslims claimsmakers. These results provide insight into the position of Muslims and Islam in the United States, as well as the impact of political rhetoric on media portrayals.

Применение контент-анализа при изучении освещения процессов распада СССР в американских печатных СМИ (1989–1992 гг.)

The article summarizes the preliminary results of studying contemporary American print media coverage of the USSR collapse. The purpose of the work is to determine the relevance of this topic not only for the American political establishment, but also for the public in general. Moreover, the use of media material is intended to complement the range of topics covered in official sources in connection with the discussion of the United States’ role in the development of political processes in the last years of the USSR’s existence and the consequences of the Soviet Union collapse for Americans. The study employs quantitative content analysis of the corpus of texts compiled on the basis of a continuous sampling by given lexical markers from the most popular US newspapers, as well as from the regional press. As a result, the frequency of distribution of materials along the time axis was revealed, indicating a relatively high, but short-term interest in the historical process in question. In addition, the main macro-topics of these texts were identified indicating the priority issues for the American reader. The most significant discussion aspects and assessments of the events in the USSR covered in the press included, firstly, the need to support the ongoing processes in the Soviet Union, which also reflects the role of the United States in the emerging relations, and secondly, the choice of partners (emerging actors) within the USSR for the further formation of policies. It is ensuring the national security of the US that determines the solution of these issues for the American audience. It is assumed that the study of media coverage can be a valuable addition to the analysis of other types of sources, both of official and personal origin, since it expands the range of views and attitudes presented.

American Media Coverage of the January 6, 2021 Events at the United States Capitol: A Glimpse into the Polarisation of the United States News Media

Amerykańskie relacje medialne z wydarzeń na Kapitolu z 6 stycznia 2021 roku. Polaryzacja mediów informacyjnych w Stanach Zjednoczonych Celem artykułu jest ukazanie skrajnej polaryzacji politycznej mediów informacyjnych w Stanach Zjednoczonych przez pryzmat doniesień dotyczących szturmu na Kapitolu 6 stycznia 2021 roku. Analiza tekstów prasowych, liberalnych i konserwatywnych źródeł informacyjnych donoszących o tym ataku pozwoliła pokazać, że szturm na Kapitol był zarówno produktem samej polaryzacji mediów, jak i wydarzeniem, które przyspieszyło dalszą polaryzację mediów. Uzyskane wyniki badań ujawniają, że istnieje poważna rozbieżność w zakresie relacjonowania tego samego wydarzenia przez różne media, bazujące na odmiennych źródłach informacji. Artykuł pokazuje, że wydarzenia z 6 stycznia 2021 roku dostarczają środków poznawczych, za pomocą których można zrozumieć trwającą od dawna polaryzację ideologiczną amerykańskich źródeł medialnych. This paper aims to examine the extreme political polarization of the United States news media through the lens of the reporting on the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection. Through a close reading of news articles reporting on this event from both liberal and conservative news sources, this paper argues that the insurrection was both the product of this media polarization, as well as an event which precipitated further polarization of these media sources. The results of this research demonstrate that there is indeed a major discrepancy in media coverage of this event between the two disparate sources of news. Overall, this paper demonstrates that the January 6, 2021 events provide a cognitive means by which one can best ascertain the long-standing ideological polarization of the American news media sources.

“Public goods” or “diplomatic tools”: a framing research on Chinese and American media reports regarding Chinese COVID-19 vaccine

This study aims to conduct a framing analysis of Chinese and American media coverage of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine. Since 2021, China exports or donates vaccines to developing countries, arousing the attention of Chinese and American media. The competition between China and the USA over national image extends to the vaccine field. Media framing is a powerful tool to construct a national image. It is worth comparing how Chinese and American media use framings to construct national images on vaccine issues. This study conducts a framing analysis of news coverage in People’s Daily (PD) and The New York Times (NYT) on Chinese COVID-19 vaccine from January to March 2021 to determine how the media use specific framings to construct national images. The results show PD favors official action and cooperation frames, constructing the discourse of “public goods” and “cooperation” and shaping a fair and cooperative China image; while NYT favors official action, conflict and skepticism frames, constructing the discourse of “diplomatic tool” and “competition” and shaping a selfish and competitive China image. A positive image is helpful for China to reposition itself in global public opinion and enhance its soft power, while a negative discourse deconstructs the positive China image and counterbalances China’s vaccine diplomacy.

A Study of Intercultural Communication Barriers between China and the United States: The Case of American Media Reports on China

For many years, China and some Western countries have been in constant conflict, especially with the United States, which mainly reflected in the news reports by the American media on China. In the final analysis, these conflicts stem from the intercultural communication barriers between China and the United States. Based on the framework of intercultural communication barriers proposed by Martin and Nakayama (2014), this paper analyzes the intercultural communication barriers reflected in American media coverage on China and their impacts by using qualitative research methods and theories of individualism and collectivism. The study found that there are four types of intercultural communication barriers in the American media coverage on China. In terms of ethnocentrism, American media news reports mostly criticize China and praise their own country. In terms of stereotypes, most of the American media news reports are very aggressive in language, and there is no reliable evidence to support the argument. In terms of prejudice, American news media usually do not have a thorough understanding of specific groups in China, and question the professionalism or authenticity of those groups based on their own feelings. In terms of discrimination, news stories in the U.S. media often use abusive words in headlines or text. Finally, this paper puts forward some suggestions to effectively eliminate these barriers.

Neo-Orientalism or Neo-Imperialism? Islamism in a Globalized World: Prayers for the Assassin as a Case Study of Contemporary American Novel

This paper deals with some aspects of neo-orientalism in the modern American novel highlighted in much conventional political and literary studies and conceptualized both as a composite of cultural studies and a western ideology. When applied to the post 9/11 American novel analysis, neo-orientalism uses terrorism as a significant aspect of a much broader reaction to Islamists’ threats living in the United States and Europe. It is common in neo-orientalist discourse about extremism to refer to Islamism as a threat to nations and therefore, it is important to find how the American novel represents the Muslims and how vigorously acts with the state in its fight against terror. This paper focuses on contemporary issues on Arabs represented in Robert Ferrigno’s Prayers for the Assassin (2006), such as extremism, women’s rights, hostility, and identity, common themes in post 9/11 novel on the Muslims. Moreover, this study attempts to answer two questions: Has there been a change in the representation of Muslims in the American novel after nineteen years from 9/11, and has American media coverage affected the representation of the Muslims in the novel? In the analysis of Prayers for the Assassin, Muslim characters are victimers and victimized at the same time; they live out the contradiction of being victims of post 9/11 anti-Muslim representations and being arrogant and aggressive towards the non-Muslims.

The Representation of the Arab Spring in the U.S. Media

The present study examines the representation of the Arab Spring in the American imprint media. The study analyzes principally from a critical discourse analysis approach how journalists employ discursive strategies and linguistic devices which may serve their own ideology and agenda in their news coverage of the Arab Spring. The analysis of newspapers suggests that the media’s representation of Arabs and Muslims is saturated with discourses related to the ideology of Orientalism. In fact, a number of Orientalist themes appear in the majority of texts. The preliminary and common themes found in the coverage of the Arab Spring are that of violence in the Arab world (negative other – representation), Islamophobia (Islam as a threat), and Western superiority in comparison with Arabs (positive selfrepresentation). The results show that the American media coverage of the Arab Spring was biased and unjust. Besides, there is a reinforcement of the stereotypes by which the Orient is viewed.

Anthropomorphizing AlphaGo: a content analysis of the framing of Google DeepMind’s AlphaGo in the Chinese and American press

This article conducts a mixed-method content analysis of Chinese and American news media coverage of Google DeepMind’s Go playing computer program, AlphaGo. Drawing on humanistic approaches to artificial intelligence, combined with an empirically rigorous content analysis, it examines the differences and overlap in coverage by the Chinese and American press in their accounts of AlphaGo, and its historic match with Korea’s Lee Sedol in March, 2016. The event was not only followed intensely in China, but also made the front page of The New York Times. This article finds that the Chinese press was more likely than the American press to frame AlphaGo as non-threatening, which the authors attribute to cultural differences and the two countries' different understandings of Go. In addition to quantitatively identifying similarities and differences in the framing of AlphaGo, this paper also investigates the underlying and evolving contestations over what constitutes the “human” and the “machine.” It concludes by discussing the implications of the study’s findings as well as outlining avenues for further research.

The Heroic White Man and the Fragile Asian Girl: Racialized and Gendered Orientalism in Olympic Figure Skating

Intersecting performance studies and critical sports studies, this article analyzes the North American media coverage of South Korean figure skater and the gold medalist Yuna Kim at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. While North American newspapers and NBC (US) and CTV (Canada) broadcasts acclaim Kim’s athletic achievements onstage, they also infantilize and Orientalize Kim as an exotic, fragile, and dependent Asian girl. Contrarily, the media highlights the role of her Canadian coach Brian Orser offstage as a heroic white man. It dramatizes and sympathetically identifies with him by nostalgically recalling the ‘Battle of the Brians’. When Kim’s Koreanness is invisible and conflated as hypervisible ethnic Other, Asian/Asian Americanness, her athletic competency is negated under the name of Orientalism that fetishizes, romanticizes, and thus, reinforces the racialized and gendered hierarchies between the heroic white man and the fragile Asian girl. Nevertheless, Asian/Asian American female athletes’ increased visibility opens a liberatory space for re-visiting Asian and Asian Americanness – Pan-Asian identity – at the glocal Olympic stage.

An earthquake or a category 4 financial storm? A corpus study of disaster metaphors in the media framing of the 2008 financial crisis

AbstractThis study investigates the use of disaster metaphors in the American media coverage of the 2008 global financial crisis. More specifically, it aims to examine the role of different sub-metaphors in performing various pragmatic and rhetorical functions in financial news discourse. Using the Metaphor Identification Procedure, this study identifies key words from the 1-million-word corpus which comprised the news articles published from September 15, 2008 to March 15, 2009, and examines the associated concordance lines to discern their metaphorical connotations. The findings show that a wide range of sub-source domains of disaster—namely, wind, storm, and water—metaphors was deployed by journalists to capture the various negative impacts of the financial crisis. These findings suggest that the salient extension and mixing of metaphors could enhance the popularization of specialist financial news discourse. The findings also indicate that the news media was complicit in constructing the collective illusion that the financial crisis was unavoidable and not caused by anyone.

American Media Coverage of the Rise of Hitler: An Indicator of Depression-Era American Isolationism or of a False Assessment of the Rise of the Chancellor?

This study seeks to analyze the response of the US media to the rise of Hitler, a process which occurred during the Great Depression, in the 1930s. At a time when the attention of the country was focused on domestic economic problems, assessment of the rise of a leader who became such a prominent figure is an interesting topic worthy of analysis. While his rise could not be wholly ignored, one can imagine that it would probably have been spoken of more in a less tense domestic climate. Overall, this study shows that the rise of the Fuhrer was not described in as critical of a way as should be expected of a democratic nation, especially one that would go on to fight, in an extremely bloody and protracted manner, this man and all he represented.

Friends from Afar?

This research characterizes American media coverage of China’s Confucius Institutes and their related activities in the United States since their emergence more than 12 years ago. Although there are now more than 100 Confucius Institutes and 300 associated classrooms in the country, to date there has been no systematic study of how these Chinese government-sponsored organizations are portrayed in the American press. This study presents a content analysis of 426 articles mentioning these efforts at the heart of China’s public diplomacy endeavors since 2003. Determining that fewer than half of the articles did more than mention these organizations, we dedicate particular attention to the 183 examples that do focus specifically on Confucius Institute and classroom activities across the country. While results point to some differences in tone, framing and sources across university, local, state, national and international news outlets, we find that the majority of coverage focuses uncritically on these Chinese institutions without providing broader context about China’s rationale for engaging in such activities. The implications for China’s public diplomacy efforts in the United States are considered.

Media Coverage of the Angolan Elections

American media coverage of Angola’s first multi-party elections, held on 29-30 September 1992, was based on a number of misconceptions which were derived from an enduring Cold War perspective, a deference to the Bush administration agenda and a conviction that free and fair elections were synonymous with “democracy.”

“I Dig You, Chocolate City”: Ebony and Sepia Magazines’ Coverage of Black Political Progress, 1971–1977

The 1960s ended in sorrow with the deaths of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy, two champions for civil rights. Yet, African Americans had reason to enter the new decade with hope. African American political achievement brought attention to the triumph of the Civil Rights Movement and the power of the black vote. The present study explores African American media coverage of black political progress from 1971 to 1977. Though Ebony featured more political coverage than Sepia, both magazines reflected the magnitude of political change in the USA during the 1970s. Perhaps as a result of mass black mobilization during the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans formed a united front that enabled them to place blacks in political seats. Though black politicians faced many obstacles, media coverage showed that, as they approached the 1980s, blacks sat poised for steady progression, equipped to overcome any challenge they faced.

Foreign Affairs, Domestic Attention: Explaining American Media Coverage of the European Financial Crisis*

ObjectiveWe explain how economic and political predictors shaped levels of American media coverage of the European financial crisis between 2008 and 2012.MethodsWe link exchange rates, unemployment rates, inflation, trade, protests, votes of no confidence, elections, and U.S. presidential remarks with financial crisis stories produced by The New York Times, the Associated Press, and television newscasts. Error‐correction modeling is utilized to determine whether relationships exist contemporaneously and across future months.ResultsWe find evidence across multiple models that changes in the exchange rate and elections shaped levels of media coverage. We find some evidence that votes of no confidence, protests, change in unemployment, and presidential remarks matter as well.ConclusionA combination of economic change, specific political events, and broader newsworthiness norms journalists utilize in determining which stories are worthy of attention drove American coverage of the European financial crisis.