China in the media, 9
It is time to move on from the examination of the characterizations of China within the Globe and engage in a more analytical discussion of our topic.
The preceding examination of the Globe and Mail's China coverage reveals some interesting trends. Most striking of these is the Globe's treatment of China as a single monolithic entity. Rarely is the reportage detailed enough for readers to gain an appreciation of the range of nuance China deserves.
We have also seen the Globe repeatedly characterize China as an economic frontier with hot markets. This sort of economic reportage is often tinged with a sense of threat or superiority. China's rise is, on the one hand, seen as threatening to Western interests. On the other hand, reporters infer that China's economy has yet to truly develop, and that backwardness and shoddy standards remain the order of the day.
Human rights are yet another trend within the Globe's China reportage. Press freedoms, and jurisprudence rank high on reporter's list of concerns regarding China's human rights record.
All of these elements, a monolithic China, economic frontierism, and human rights dialogue, are in recent times often told through the Olympic narrative. As the Beijing Olympics draw closer, it is increasingly popular to relate stories about China back to the Olympic games.
These various trends are overwhelmed by the most important one. Most important of the trends evident in the Globe's China coverage is the concept of China as both foreign and threatening. There are few explanations of the socio-cultural differences that, if misunderstood, confuse and complicate China stories. Stories which depict China as threatening, different, and incomprehensible seem popular. Ultimately this sense of foreigness and threat pervade China stories and influence how readers come to understand China.
In the next installment we will examine some academic discussions pertinent to our topic.