Daily News
Seminar: The Role of Australian News Media - A Case Study of 'China’s Influence' - Friday 23 November
From: lindsay liu
Valid from: Thursday 8 November 2018 to Friday 23 November 2018
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said about the news media’s coverage of 'Chinese influence'; “a lot more negativity (was) presented than is actually the case”. The Chinese embassy said that reports had been “made up out of thin air and filled with cold war mentality and ideological bias”.
Does such criticism mean that the relevant reports do have problems? In response to criticism, the media stressed that their reports “served the public interest”. Is this statement true? When the media report on domestic affairs, their bias and their relationship with political powers are monitored by political parties, the public and other media. But when they intervene in international affairs, especially when nationalism becomes the dominant discourse, how do they position themselves?
This seminar explores the role of Australian media in international affairs reporting, through a case study of their coverage of 'Chinese influence'. The study finds that their reports on 'Chinese influence' are consistent with the government's stance, and interact closely with foreign policy. However, compared with the government, the attitude of the media is more radical.
Under the cognitive framework of binary opposition, the media have positioned their role as the defender of national interest, but this role is established through the construction of a different and dangerous 'other'. This seminar further argues that the media discourse not only influences the current foreign policy and international relations, but also affects long-term public perceptions.
Details:
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Date: Friday 23 November
Time: 1.00 - 2.00pm
Location: EA.G.03, Australia-China Institute for Arts and Culture, Parramatta South campus
RSVP Essential: Seats are limited. Please RSVP before Thursday 22 November: https://aciacseminar_media.eventbrite.com.au
Speaker
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Dr Guifang Zhang is a Visiting Professor in the Australia-China Institute for Arts and Culture (ACIAC), Western Sydney University, and also Associate Professor at Shandong University of Political Science and Law. She previously worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for 10 years in the Jinan Daily Group. Her research areas include Chinese journalism and media studies. She has published widely in these areas.