Research On The Japanese Three Main Newspapers’ Coverage Of China From The 1970s To The 1990s

This thesis mainly talks about the convertion of conventionalism attitudes towards China and illustrates the relationship between Japanese mainstream newspapers and government from 1970s to 1990s. It is composed of the following three major parts: introduction, the main body and conclusion.The introduction part briefly explains the topic selection background and its significance, current researches home and abroad, study content and thought, as well as the important points, difficult points and original points of the present research.The main body consists of the following four chapters:Chapter one generally states the development of China-Japan relationship in 1970s and characteristics of China-related reports from Japanese three main newspapers. At that time, normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan contributed to the signing of China-Japan Peace and Friendship Treaty, which started a honeymoon development stage of relationship between these two countries. Even though, under the historical background of friendship, Japanese mainstream newspapers still reported some divergences between China and Japan resulted from problems left over by history such as Taiwan issue, on the whole, amity to China still can be seen in newspaper reports. This characteristic plays a significant role in promoting relationship of the two countries.In chapter two, by explaining the era characteristic of friction emerging and enlarging in 1980s, different standpoints and features that Japanese mainstream media had presented in different historic events reports are illustrated here. This ten-year witnessed convertions of Japanese political attitudes towards China and China-related reports of Japanese newspapers. At this time, in spite of the good relations between the two countries, divergences still existed in some problems like historic understandings and Taiwan issue. Besides, issue-related reports in Japanese mainstream newspapers also embodied this era characteristic of coexistence of friendship and friction. This deviation shown in related reports of Japanese mainstream newspapers is truly closely related to political attitudes and the other main factor, the recovery of nationalism resulted from economic development, cannot be ignored.In chapter three, by revealing the aggravation of political attitude conservatism and political friction between the two states in 1990s, overwhelming reports against China in Japanese mainstream newspapers and their features are given special attention and discussed here. During this period, some political achievement such as the emperor’s visit to China have been obtained, but quite a few leftover problems concerning continuous fermented history and territory still make their difference, even China threat theory, a kind of right-wing speech which severely brings shame on China, emerged at that time. Therefore, the tendency of conservatism is quite obvious in general. In this case, Japanese mainstream newspapers of this stage gradually reached a consensus which served as a political loudspeaker to shape a negative public voice image of increasingly strong China posting tremendous threat to Japan.Chapter four mainly explains the reason of the overall conservative reports trend in Japanese mainstream newspapers from 1970s to 1990s. Maintaining state benefits is the starting point and destination of making newspaper reports. Narrow nationalism, comparative weak position of media and political power, as well as the deficiency of sense of social responsibility of media itself all contribute to the attitude convention of Japanese mainstream newspapers towards China-related reports.The last part sums up the conservative tendency of Japanese mainstream newspapers in China-related reports and its effects. Besides, some according measurements have been proposed in this part.