What shapes Americans' opinion of China? Country characteristics, public relations and mass media

Abstract

Abstract This study looks at the effect of China's political freedom, economic development and public relations efforts on the US media's coverage of China, and on Americans' opinions of China in the past 30 years. China's political freedom was found to be significant in predicting US media coverage of China and Americans' opinion of China, with more freedom leading to more positive coverage and more favorable opinions. More positive news coverage is related to more favorable American opinions of China when controlling for political and economic development and for public relations efforts. The number of public relations contracts China has signed with the US is also related to the increase in positive US media coverage of China. Keywords: country characteristicspublic relationsmass mediaforeign public opinionChina Notes 1. Detailed information about the Pew Global Attitude Survey can be obtained at http://pewglobal.org/. 2. In 1983, a Soviet Air Force fighter jet shot down Korean Air Lines (KAL) Flight 007, killing 269 people; in 1988, a US Navy ship shot down Iran Air Flight 655, killing 290 people. 3. Political freedom refers to the political rights and individual liberties the country offers to its citizens. 4. Data were retrieved from the website of The Office of Chinese Language International Council: http://www.hanban.edu.cn/cn_hanban/kzxy_list.php?ithd = gzky. 5. In 2007, many products made in China were recalled in the US market, including pet food, toothpaste and children's toys. Media reports of these recalls led American consumers to panic and be scared of Chinese products, which also damaged China's image in the United States. 6. Some data were directly collected from the website of China's National Bureau of Statistics: www.stats.gov.cn. 7. Titled Yearbook of China's Foreign Economic Relations and Trade before 2004. 8. Since USA Today was founded in 1982, articles from that newspaper were used beginning on that date. 9. Peking, the former name of Beijing, was used as the search keyword for the late 1970s and early 1980s news articles.