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Joint Press Release Of The U.S.-China Security Review Commission And The University Of Maryland Major Study On Chinese Media Completed

U.S.-CHINA SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION RELEASES UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND REPORT ON CHINESE PRESS COVERAGE OF THE UNITED STATES

The US-China Security Review Commission today released an in-depth, first of its kind study by researchers in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland on Chinese newspaper reporting about the U.S. This report, commissioned by the USCC in response to a request by the U.S. Congress to measure and assess Chinese perceptions of the U.S, found divergent attitudes in the Chinese press towards the U.S. on a variety of issues - ranging from an overwhelmingly positive tone on issues relating to economic and trade relations with the U.S. to a consistently negative coverage of U.S. foreign policy.

The study covered over 3100 articles written over a five-month period in six national and regional newspapers. The time span of the study included April 2001 (covering the EP-3 reconnaissance plane incident), September 2001 (9/11 and the aftermath), and February-April 2002 (including President George W. Bush's visit to China).

"The USCC commissioned this independent study by the University of Maryland to help Congress understand Chinese perceptions of the U.S. through the lens of their domestic news media," said Richard D'Amato, Chairman of the Commission. "This report illustrates how Chinese press coverage of the U.S. appears to mirror the official government approach to the overall relationship, where trade and investment, viewed very positively, are an overarching concern which trump nearly all other issues. It also shows a sharp divergence in tone regarding U.S. foreign policy, differing significantly from general and economic reporting, by generally portraying U.S. foreign policy negatively as ‘hegemonic' and ‘unilateralist.'"

Key findings of the report include:

- Overall Balance. Chinese reporting on the U.S. is relatively balanced overall; positive or negative tone of a story largely depends on the subject area covered.

- Diversity of Topics and Opinion. A wide range of topics and a diversity of opinion are present in Chinese coverage. Major topic areas covered regularly include U.S. foreign policy, economics and trade, sports and entertainment, culture and society, and domestic politics.

- Role of Xinhua (New China) News Agency. Xinhua - the state-run news service - coverage of the U.S. tends to be somewhat polarized - either more positive or more negative than non-Xinhua articles in general.

The 130 page report is available online at http://www.uscc.gov/ or by calling 202-624-1407. In July, the Commission will be issuing its annual report to Congress, assessing the broader national security implications of the U.S. economic relationship with China.

A University of Maryland Press Release Follows:

PRESS RELEASE

Department of Communication
University of Maryland, College Park, MD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 26, 2002

Contact: Dr. Deborah A. Cai 301-405-6524 debcai@wam.umd.edu
Dr. I. M. (Mac) Destler 301-405-6357 mdestler@wam.umd.edu

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND RESEARCHERS REPORT ON CHINESE NEWS COVERAGE OF THE U.S.

In a study of over 3100 articles, researchers in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland under contract with the U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission found a variety of trends in Chinese reporting about the United States. The research team, headed by Professor Deborah Cai and Brecken Chinn Swartz, studied five months of news reporting across six separate newspapers, including the month surrounding the reconnaissance plane incident in April 2001, the month of September 2001 covering events related to 9/11, and a three month period from February to April, 2002, which included President George W. Bush's visit to China in February. The following is a brief summary of some of the major findings of this research.

- Overall Balance. Chinese reporting on the United States is relatively balanced overall. Rare negative extremes in tone were found in response to issues on which the United States is presented as acting unilaterally or in violation of international principles.

- Diversity of Topics and Opinion. A wide range of topics and a diversity of opinion is present in Chinese reporting about the U.S. This variety suggests relative moderation in strict editorial control. Major topic areas reported on regularly include U.S. foreign policy, economics and trade, sports and entertainment, and culture and society, and domestic politics.

- Absence of a Halo Effect. No consistent positive or negative trend is found in the reporting across topic areas. Reporting on each topic varies according to the specific issues and events related to that area at any given time.

- Separation of Policy and Populace. Chinese news coverage seems to distinguish between official American policy and the American people. Although there is general positive coverage of American technological advances, educational practices, and entertainment venues, there tends to be a portrayal of official American foreign policy as hegemonic and in disregard of the sovereignty of other nations.

- Polarized Reporting by Xinhua News Service. Articles reported by the Xinhua News Agency tend to be either more positive or more negative than non-Xinhua reports, depending on the nature of the event. For example, events such as President Bush's visit to China resulted in more positive reporting by Xinhua sources than by non-Xinhua sources.

- Tactic of "Borrowing a Sword." The Chinese press uses the tactic of invoking other nations' expressions of indignation against the U.S. to represent official editorial attitudes. This tactic is described by the traditional Chinese proverb of "borrowing a sword to kill someone" (jie dao sha ren).

- Human rights rebuttal. Perhaps in response to America's regular commentary on human rights issues in China, there is a corresponding tendency for Chinese journalists to emphasize some of the negative htmects of life in the United States. Just as stories about crime and shocking immorality attract attention in the U.S., they also sell papers in China. Chinese reporting tends to retain the moral high ground by emphasizing instability and lawlessness in the U.S.

- Reporting "News" from U.S. Tabloids. With the recent explosion of competition in the Chinese media market, tabloid journalism catering to a public taste for scandals is not uncommon. Headlines from U.S. tabloids find their way into Chinese press, reported as U.S. "news."

- Chinese Nationalism. Chinese newspapers are sometimes strident in publishing articles, not only editorials, with a clear policy agenda. There is also a tendency toward nationalist reporting catering to popular tastes acknowledging China's increasing strength as a nation and its rise on the international scene.

The 130 page report is available online at www.comm.umd.edu or by calling (301) 405-6524.

If you are interested in receiving regular updates about the Commissions activities via fax or email, or would like to update your contact information or unsubscribe to our updates, please email your contact information to us at contact@uscc.gov. We will promptly add, update or delete your contact information.