Study: Foreign Content Creator Videos Were Valuable to Communicating China’s National Image
A new study has found that incorporating the perspectives of foreign content creators can enhance China’s reputation, foster understanding and promote cooperation.
The research was conducted by University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Public Relations Professor and Executive Associate Dean Spiro Kiousis, along with UFCJC doctoral student Qiuyue Cho-Li and master’s student Yuxuan Jin.
The study, titled “Borrowing a Mouth to Speak? Foreign Content Creators in China’s National Image Building” was published on May 16 in the journal Place Branding and Public Diplomacy.
The authors analyzed 140 videos created from 2021 to 2023 to examine how China’s national image was portrayed by foreign content creators and featured on Chinese state media’s YouTube channels.
The analysis revealed that most of the featured creators are white, male and from the United Kingdom and the U.S.
According to the authors, “China was framed as a country that blended tradition with modernity, actively engaged in global cooperation, excelled in pandemic management, exemplified effective governance and was often portrayed as a victim of Western media disinformation.”
They add, “The findings revealed that foreign creators were deliberately used to present a favorable image of China. Our finding underscores the collaborative potential with non-state actors in constructing a favorable country image and influencing global narratives. As such, public diplomacy and public relations practitioners can leverage this finding to understand how integrating the foreign stakeholders’ perspectives may contribute to the dissemination of official narratives.”
Category: College News, Student News
Tagged: Content Creators Image Building Public Relations Qiuyue Cho-Li Spiro Kiousis YouTube Yuxuan Jin
Subscribe to our News Digest
