The change of Beijing image in the foreign media: An analysis of coverage by mainstream English media

Abstract

Adopting primarily content analysis, the paper collected, through sampling, a total of 1088 articles on Beijing from 18 English-based mainstream Western media between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2014. The analysis covered article number, subject, style and report direction. Extending on such basis, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine foreign correspondents stationed in Beijing, who come from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia and Brazil. A survey was also carried out among foreign correspondents based in Beijing, so as to obtain a general view of the international image of Beijing and its evolution as shaped by foreign media. The mechanisms adopted by foreign media in shaping the image of Beijing and the influencing factors were also analysed.