Framing The Confucius Institute:A Comparative Study Of US National And Local Newspaper Coverage Of The Confucius Institute

This study compares how the U.S. national and local newspapers frame the Confucius Institute and explores the difference in terms of dominant frames, the length and the tones of the coverage. Framing analysis is conducted to examine the reports within the period from 2004 to 2014. The samples from national newspapers are drawn from The New York Times and The Washington Post, two leading newspapers in terms of circulation and influence in the US. And the local newspapers are selected from states with Confucius Institutes in the Lexis-Nexis Database from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Results of the analysis reveal that the dominant frame of mainstream media is conflict frame while the dominant one in local media is human interest frame. The conclusion is that the Confucius Institute does not draw much attention from national media according to the numbers of reports and the length of coverage. Moreover, the Confucius Institutes is framed more as the Chinese government's political tool to promote China's soft power, confront western ideology and compete for international influence. The tones of coverage tend to be negative and neutral. In contrast, in local newspaper coverage, Confucius Institutes are framed more as an educational institution that promotes language learning and cultural exchange, which benefits local business and prepares local children for globalization. The tones of coverage are generally positive and neutral.