Chinese discourse studies in media and politics: theories, concepts and methodologies

Abstract

China’s growing economic, political and military strength has captured worldwide attention, engendering debate about its geopolitical implications (Power and Mohan 2010). The news media play a crucial role in people’s perception of China as a rising power which, in turn, has affected the course of international politics and foreign policy (Zhang 2010). For years, China has sought to promote a positive image of itself to the outside world (Barr 2012), as events and decisions in China increasingly have an impact on politics and economics globally. Understanding how Chinese society is developing has thus become a key issue for scholars and policymakers around the globe. Brand China in the Media and Contemporary Chinese Discourse and Social Practice in China are two comprehensive studies of this growing area of research, offer critical insights into Chinese discourse studies and illustrate the crucial role played by discourses in the transformation of Chinese society and identity. They also both unveil the strategies and sociocultural implications of political and media discourses. This review article first gives a brief overview of each book and then compares and contrasts the similarities and differences between these two books, considering thematic, conceptual and methodological dimensions.