Framing Media Discourse: a Content Analysis of Chinese Weibo Posts on Chinese Territorial Disputes

This study considers framing differences among three types of media outlets on Weibo, China's most popular microblog. The author examines Weibo content for China's state-owned media, China's commercial media, and foreign media on the subject of two of China's ongoing territorial disputes. Using content analysis techniques, this work compares framing styles across the three types of media. Findings show significant differences among them. Specifically, Chinese state-owned media outlets, such as People's Daily and Xinhua News, are more likely to employ episodic framing, meaning their content is more event-oriented and focused on public issues. Meanwhile, foreign media such as The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times are more likely to employ thematic framing, suggesting that they pay more attention to more abstract issues and the presentation of facts in a broader context.