The power of media: the indirect impact of media use on ethnic Tibetans’ Chinese national identity

ABSTRACT An ethnically diverse society calls for an in-depth understanding of national identity construction. This study investigates the perception of Chinese national identity among a group of ethnic Tibetans living in Southwest China. It identifies an indirect relationship between Chinese media use and Chinese national identity through the mediation of media trust and the moderation of age. The moderated mediation model shows that media use does not directly affect the perception of Chinese national identity among the ethnic Tibetans. Instead, it is indirectly related to Chinese national identity via media trust. The relationship between media trust and Chinese national identity is also moderated by a respondent’s age, with the relationship stronger among younger than among older respondents. The moderated mediation model is significant after controlling for respondents’ gender, general education, religiosity, perceived discrimination, bilingual education and peer influence.