The framing of China on Spanish television

Abstract

The media participates in the creation and reinforcement of mental models, through which people interpret social realities, especially those that are distant and unknown. News making involves the use of certain frames that highlight some aspects of the information and downplay or silence other elements. In this context, the objective of this article is to analyse how China is portrayed on the Spanish news, and identify the organising ideas and value judgments that are used in the frames used in this process. Based on the application of the content analysis technique, the results show that the portrayal of China, its institutions and citizens, on television is carried out through four main frames: “Capacity, potential, development;” “Gloom, shadow and darkness;” “Dangerous environment” and “Exotic organisation.” From the Western perspective, Chinese economic growth is accepted, but at the same time China is presented as a problematic country in which natural disasters, accidents, and criminal acts abound, highlighting its systemic political deficiencies and systemic deficiencies. This mostly negative image of China does not correspond with its current and historical relationship with Spain, nor with the relevant position that this emerging power has reached on a global scale.