The Role of Mass Media in an American View of the Chinese “Belt and Road Initiative”

Abstract

This paper highlights the role of mass media in an American view of the Chinese “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) using principles of western rhetoric as basis for interpretation. Most specifically, Kenneth Burke’s Dramatistic Pentad is used for initial clarification along with explanation of how further understanding can be realized via Fantasy Theme Analysis to better appreciate the expression of rhetorical vision. Recognition of how BRI can be understood differently, depending on the cultural context, is stressed. This is couched in the contextual framing of mass media influences as explained by Marshall McLuhan. 1 Schnell and Schnell: The Role of Mass Media in an American View of the Chinese “Belt a Published by Carroll Collected, 2020