When press freedom meets national interest: How terrorist attacks are framed in the news in China and the US

Abstract

This cross-nation, multi-event study examined 142 news stories from CCTV and CNN on two major terrorist attacks in China and the United States. It aimed to unveil how press system and national interest come into play in influencing media coverage of terrorism. Framing analyses were conducted in terms of attitude toward local government and perpetrators, news origin and source, coverage theme, definition of the incident, and attribution of cause of the incident. Findings suggest that, in reporting these two significant terrorist attacks, media of the two countries employed varied framing strategies based on their ideological backgrounds and national interests. The framing strategies utilized by the two media outlets are interpreted and discussed.