Tiananmen Square Massacre Case Study
American News Coverage on
Tiananmen Square Massacre 1989
I: Introduction
Through Television news media, the whole America was watching China during April 15th to June 4th in 1989. U.S. audiences were well informed the progress of student protests when journalists used news technologies to transmit instantaneously what was happening in Beijing Tiananmen Square and other places in China. Ironically, the real-time political response was not launched firstly by Bush's Administration but the Chinese Government: American news media like CNN and CBS were ordered shutdown" by "official representatives of the Chinese Government, embarrassed and clearly aware that they were losing face on live television." After June 4th the U.S. reconsidered their bilateral relations with China on "an entirely different course, one that is far more contentious and hostile than at any time since the late 1950s". In this paper, I examine the factors that may determine the relations between American news media …show more content…
Media Diplomacy by Robert M. Entman, October 18, 2005
According to Entman, there are four factors that influence the frame diffusion of certain news coverage: Motivations, Cultural Congruence, Elite Power and Strategy. The former two internally " 'pull' counterframing mental associations into individuals' thinking; whereas the latter two from outside " 'push' consideration of anti-administration frames through the cascading system". In this perspective, the cultural congruence seems to play a key part: the degree of the congruence with the dominant political culture indicate whether the frame will achieve its goals. Figure 2.3 shows the cultural congruence key to elite, media and public responses.
Figure 2.2 Cascade of Frame Contestation
Administration
White House
State
Defense
Other Elites: Republicans
Congress
Ex-officials & Experts
Tiananmen Square Massacre 1989
I: Introduction
Through Television news media, the whole America was watching China during April 15th to June 4th in 1989. U.S. audiences were well informed the progress of student protests when journalists used news technologies to transmit instantaneously what was happening in Beijing Tiananmen Square and other places in China. Ironically, the real-time political response was not launched firstly by Bush's Administration but the Chinese Government: American news media like CNN and CBS were ordered shutdown" by "official representatives of the Chinese Government, embarrassed and clearly aware that they were losing face on live television." After June 4th the U.S. reconsidered their bilateral relations with China on "an entirely different course, one that is far more contentious and hostile than at any time since the late 1950s". In this paper, I examine the factors that may determine the relations between American news media …show more content…
Media Diplomacy by Robert M. Entman, October 18, 2005
According to Entman, there are four factors that influence the frame diffusion of certain news coverage: Motivations, Cultural Congruence, Elite Power and Strategy. The former two internally " 'pull' counterframing mental associations into individuals' thinking; whereas the latter two from outside " 'push' consideration of anti-administration frames through the cascading system". In this perspective, the cultural congruence seems to play a key part: the degree of the congruence with the dominant political culture indicate whether the frame will achieve its goals. Figure 2.3 shows the cultural congruence key to elite, media and public responses.
Figure 2.2 Cascade of Frame Contestation
Administration
White House
State
Defense
Other Elites: Republicans
Congress
Ex-officials & Experts