Zhang, Chang (2020) A comparative study of the communication strategies of Chinese and Russian English language international broadcasting. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

The thesis studies the international communication of Chinese and Russian governments by examining the construction of narratives in international, English-language news platforms: CGTN and RT. Realising the limitations of Western-centrism in international political communication studies, the thesis adopts a de-Westernised perspective to conceptualise the counter-hegemonic discursive practices of Chinese and Russian governments in a transitional geopolitical context.

Drawing on a systematic multimodal content analysis supported by rich interview data, the thesis examines how Chinese international broadcaster, CGTN, covered the South China Sea arbitration, and how Russian international broadcaster, RT, covered the Ukraine crisis. It shows how Chinese and Russian international broadcasters frame international conflicts by projecting strategic narratives that are focused on negotiating three ideational resources: identity, normativity, and territoriality. Yet, as the thesis demonstrates, CGTN and RT also differ significantly in terms of content and style, which is to a significant extent rooted in their distinct organisational cultures. Based on interviews with journalistic professionals and managers of the two media institutions, the thesis reveals that CGTN’s sourcing preference derives from its embeddedness in Chinese propaganda bureaucracy, whereas RT’s comparatively greater sourcing flexibility is linked to a more limited approach of government control over the media, which fosters innovative and disruptive communications.

The thesis contributes to bridging critical geopolitics and international political communication studies, revealing the discursive practices of China and Russia in the context of geopolitical conflicts, and recognises their complexity, malleability, and diversity. While much Western scholarship has tended to subsume the communicative practices sponsored by authoritarian countries under the umbrella terms of ‘propaganda’ and ‘sharp power’, it makes the case for reconceptualising these as counter-hegemonic discursive practices in a transitional geopolitical context. At the same time, the thesis demonstrates that while Chinese and Russian international broadcasters aim to offer an alternative to Western-centric media representation, there is no ‘onesize- fits-all’ approach to projecting alternative geopolitical narratives.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DK Russia. Soviet Union. Former Soviet Republics D History General and Old World > DS Asia J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe) J Political Science > JQ Political institutions (Asia, Africa, Australia, Pacific Area, etc.) P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1990 Broadcasting
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Broadcast journalism -- Russia, Broadcast journalism -- China, Communication -- Political aspects -- Russia, Communication -- Political aspects -- China, Broadcasting policy -- Russia, Broadcasting policy -- China, Russia -- Foreign relations, China -- Foreign relations
Official Date:	December 2020
Dates:	Date Event December 2020 UNSPECIFIED
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Politics and International Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Blanchard, Philippe, 1971- ; Homolar, Alexandra
Sponsors:	China Scholarship Council
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	xiii, 276 leaves : illustrations
Language:	eng

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