Does China's outward focused journalism engage a constructive approach? A qualitative content analysis of Xinhua News Agency's English news

ABSTRACT

This study examines the rationalisation of the news frames of currency-related international economic interaction by analysing news articles from the ‘China Focus’ column in China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency. Thematic analysis of the main themes in the news articles shows dominant positive coverage of China’s economic development. Using qualitative content analysis, it also investigates the breeding of the ‘emergence’ of constructive journalism practices in China. It finds that Xinhua prioritises the frames of referring to solutions to the conflict and problem and mentioning the social and economic stability, sustainability, and prosperous development. The frames of moral judgement, conflict and its formation, and human interest are less applied in news articles. It bears elements of constructive journalism, but still needs efforts to make a clear division from positive journalism and Party journalism.

KEYWORDS:

• China
• currency
• constructive journalism
• framing
• qualitative content analysis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Xin Zhao is an assistant professor at Beijing Normal University–Hong Kong Baptist University United International College. She received her PhD in Media from Bangor University, the United Kingdom. She has contributed to publications in journals including Journalism. Her research interest lies in the intersections of international communication, international relations and politics, environmental communication and media representations.

Yu Xiang is a lecturer at Shanghai University. She obtained her PhD in International Communication from University of Westminster, the United Kingdom. She has several publications on the subject of Chinese media and African audience. Her current research interests lie in the aspects of theoretical development on international communication, audience reception, China-to-Africa media flow and mobile media studies.

ORCID

Xin Zhao http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6853-7224

Notes

1. Xinhua General News Service is an authoritative English-language source for information on Chinese government affairs, economic performance, and Chinese views on world affairs (LexisNexis, 2018).