China's image on international English language social media

Abstract This study analyses the image of China as it is represented on international English-language social media. A content analysis was performed on items collected from Wordpress, Technorati, Digg, Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Topix, NowPublic and CNN iReport sources. The analysis finds that international English-language social media presents a more neutral and diverse China in terms of economy, culture and technology than does the international mainstream media. Social media depicts China as a rising economic power whereas constructs such as ‘Fascinating China’ and ‘Innovative China’ represent the country's cultural and technological image. However, the analysis also finds that international social media uncritically repeats stereotyped Chinese social, political, religious and ethnic images it captures from the international mainstream media.

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