A Comparative Critical Discourse Analysis of News Reports on the China’s Vise-Free Policies: A Case Study of China Daily and National Broadcasting Company

Abstract

China is expanding the openness towards the world through various opening-up measures including the visa-free policies. However, relative reports on mainstream medias between China and the United States express different attitudes toward China’s visa-free policies. Based on Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of discourse, performing an appraisal (attitude) analysis, the present research conducts a comparative critical analysis (CDA) of reports on the “China’s Visa-free Policies” reported by China Daily and National Broadcasting Company, aiming to uncover those different identities embedded in the two media, and to investigate the distinctions in their discourse practice and social practice. It is found that in China Daily, the media representation of China’s visa-free policies is overwhelmingly positive, building China as a responsible, friendly, and internationally constructive country images. However, in National Broadcasting Company, negative representations account for more, which emphasizes hidden dangers and worries of travelling to China.