The Power of Positive Reporting: Examining China's Anti-Epidemic National Image in Mainstream Media.

Abstract

Covid-19 out broke gave an extreme impact to the globe, imposing a challenge to health publicly and causing social interruptions. As a result, the role of mainstream media in promoting anti-epidemic measures and disseminating national images has become increasingly important. In this study, we examine the anti-epidemic reports in 2020 from three types of international news sources, identifying 566 samples for content and text analysis. Through our analysis, we found that each component of the anti-epidemic report has a clear focus, and that these reports presented China's national image of anti-epidemic in four dimensions. Notably, the European version of People's Daily exhibited a positive reporting tendency, accounting for 86% of the total, with only 8% of reports being negative. This indicates a relatively comprehensive national image construction and communication strategy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, our research reveals the important role of media in shaping a nation's image during a global crisis. The positive reporting tendency of the European version of People's Daily reflects an effective strategy for promoting a positive national image, thereby dispelling misunderstandings and prejudices towards China's anti-epidemic measures. Our findings provide inspiration for the dissemination of national images in times of crisis, highlighting the importance of comprehensive and well-coordinated communication strategies to promote a positive image.