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What do newspapers make of China in the South Pacific?

Sullivan, Jonathan and Seiler-Helmer, Gudrun LU (2012) In Asia Pacific Viewpoint 53(2). p.196-204
Abstract
The purpose of this research note is to provide an empirical indication of how China's increasing role in the South Pacific has been presented in their own and other nations' media over the last 20 years. What is the tone of coverage? Which issues are salient? How does this vary by nation? What changes are there over time? This research note reports information derived from over 1000 articles published in Australasian, Asian and Pacific newspapers in the last 20 years. The findings demonstrate that nations dealing with China's rise in the South Pacific are faced with a range of complex issues, which can produce ambivalent and mixed reactions. For instance, although the tone of Australian and New Zealand newspaper coverage of China's entry... (More)
The purpose of this research note is to provide an empirical indication of how China's increasing role in the South Pacific has been presented in their own and other nations' media over the last 20 years. What is the tone of coverage? Which issues are salient? How does this vary by nation? What changes are there over time? This research note reports information derived from over 1000 articles published in Australasian, Asian and Pacific newspapers in the last 20 years. The findings demonstrate that nations dealing with China's rise in the South Pacific are faced with a range of complex issues, which can produce ambivalent and mixed reactions. For instance, although the tone of Australian and New Zealand newspaper coverage of China's entry into their special patch is, overall, more negative than positive, negativity is largely driven by coverage of China's diplomatic efforts in the region and geopolitical considerations. Other aspects of China's expanding role (e.g. economic and cultural aspects) are treated much more positively. Similarly, although the major focus of Pacific newspapers is on Chinese aid and economic impact, which are treated very positively, coverage of other issues can be negative. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
China, content analysis, newspaper coverage, salience, South Pacific
in
Asia Pacific Viewpoint
volume
53
issue
2
pages
196 - 204
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000307006100007
  • scopus:84864744867
ISSN
1360-7456
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-8373.2012.01480.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ce675d31-eef2-4ddb-8d9a-5ea70238e130 (old id 3059363)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:21:23
date last changed
2022-01-25 22:24:23
@article{ce675d31-eef2-4ddb-8d9a-5ea70238e130,
  abstract     = {{The purpose of this research note is to provide an empirical indication of how China's increasing role in the South Pacific has been presented in their own and other nations' media over the last 20 years. What is the tone of coverage? Which issues are salient? How does this vary by nation? What changes are there over time? This research note reports information derived from over 1000 articles published in Australasian, Asian and Pacific newspapers in the last 20 years. The findings demonstrate that nations dealing with China's rise in the South Pacific are faced with a range of complex issues, which can produce ambivalent and mixed reactions. For instance, although the tone of Australian and New Zealand newspaper coverage of China's entry into their special patch is, overall, more negative than positive, negativity is largely driven by coverage of China's diplomatic efforts in the region and geopolitical considerations. Other aspects of China's expanding role (e.g. economic and cultural aspects) are treated much more positively. Similarly, although the major focus of Pacific newspapers is on Chinese aid and economic impact, which are treated very positively, coverage of other issues can be negative.}},
  author       = {{Sullivan, Jonathan and Seiler-Helmer, Gudrun}},
  issn         = {{1360-7456}},
  keywords     = {{China; content analysis; newspaper coverage; salience; South Pacific}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{196--204}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Asia Pacific Viewpoint}},
  title        = {{What do newspapers make of China in the South Pacific?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8373.2012.01480.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1467-8373.2012.01480.x}},
  volume       = {{53}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}