Representation Of China In Twitter News In 2014

Based on national images theories and framing theory, this thesis studies China’s image in Twitter news in 2014 with quantitiveanalysis. China’s theme images, the favorability of China’s image and news sources were examined through a content analysis.The findings show that the themes of China’s images were represented as China’s international influences, China’s prosperity, China’s problems, China’s relationships with other countries, China’s consumption ability and Chinese people’s images. The favorability of China’s image was mainly neutral and negative. In regards to coverage of China on Twitter, most Twitter news on Chinawas from international traditional media and international new media. Twitter news about China was seldom from Chinese traditional media and no Twitter news on China was from Chinese new media. It is suggested that international traditional media still has an enormous influence on shaping China’s image in social media, and international new media’s growing influences played a vital role in representing China’s images diversely.