Study of the Self-constructed National Image in the Reports on the Belt and Road Initiative in China Daily
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/ijeh.v9i3.10152Keywords:
The Belt and Road Initiative, Conceptual metaphor, Critical metaphor analysis, News reports, Self-constructed national image.Abstract
Taking the news reports on the the Belt and Road Initiative from September 9, 2013 to December 31, 2020 in China Daily, the mainstream English media in China, as the research object, this study adopts the critical metaphor analysis method to make a quantitative and qualitative analysis of conceptual metaphors in the news reports on the the Belt and Road Initiative, and explore the self-constructed national image. The research finds that (1) there are 12 main types of conceptual metaphors in the news reports, including architectural metaphors, friendship metaphors, travel metaphors, traffic metaphors, plant metaphors, war metaphors, etc; (2) The 12 types of conceptual metaphors are unevenly distributed. Architectural metaphors are used most frequently (46.98%), followed by friendship metaphors (22.55%), travel metaphors (8.85%), and traffic metaphors (5.87%), which account for 84.25% of the total; (3) It has created a pragmatic, friendly, indomitable and courageous national image. This study has a certain reference for China's news media to shape the national image and spread the Chinese voice.
Downloads
References
Sun Youzhong. The Connotation and Function of National Image [J]. International Forum, 2002 (3): 14-21.
Merrill, J. C. The image of the United States in ten Mexican dailies [J]. Journalism ＆ Mass Communication Quarterly, 1962, 39(3).
Liu Danling. On the Triple Connotation of National Image: An Analysis Based on Three Biases [J]. Nanjing Social Sciences, 2014 (5): 106-114.
Liang Xiaobo: A Study on the Construction of National Image by Conceptual Metaphor [J]. Journal of Hubei University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 2013 (2): 113-117.
Liu Zikun, Yan Yan: Trauma, War, Starting Point, and Rebirth: Narrative Metaphors in the Commemorative Report of the “Ten Years of the Wenchuan Earthquake” [J]. News and Communication Review, 2019 (6): 68-79.
Charteris-Black J. Corpus approaches to critical metaphor analysis [J]. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.
Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M. Metaphors We Live By[J]. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980.
Gao Lina. Research on Ideological Discourse from the Perspective of Critical Metaphor Analysis [J]. Journal of North University of China (Social Science Edition), 2015, 31 (5): 23-26.
Eric M. Blanchard.Constituting China: the role of metaphor in the discourses of early Sino-American relations [J]. Journal of International Relations and Development, 2013(16)177:205.
Muhammad Afzaal, Kaibao Hu, Muhammad Ilyas Chishti & Zahid Khan. Examining Pakistani news media discourses about China–Pakistan Economic Corridor: A corpus-based critical discourse analysis[J].Cogent Social Sciences, 2019(05): 1-18.
Xie Ruyue. On the Construction of China’s National Image from the Perspective of Grammar Metaphor Theory’s Ideology: Taking the News Report of the Guardian on the G20 Hangzhou Summit as an Example [J]. Journal of Changzhou Institute of Technology (Social Sciences Edition), 2018 (5): 76-81.
He Jie. Research on the Construction of China’s National Image in the Pashto Language Reports of Afghanistan's Mainstream Internet Media in China from the Perspective of Discourse Fantasy [D]. University of Information Engineering of the Strategic Support Force, 2020.
Liang Jingyu, Li Dejun. Metaphorical Framework Analysis of China’s Image: Taking the Social and Legal Reporting in the Economist as an Example [J]. Foreign Languages. 2020 (02) 96-106.
Wang Xue. Research on Metaphors in China related Political Reports Based on Argumenty and Fact (2019) [D]. Shaanxi Normal University, 2020.
Zhao Yonghua, Lu Junyu. Metaphors and Selective Construction of National Image in News Discourse-- Taking the COVID-19 in New York Times as an example [J]. Contemporary Communication, 2021 (06) 17-22.
Yang Lin. Research on the Metaphorical Construction of the Chinese Image in China related Economic Reports from the Perspective of Rhetoric Criticism [D]. Shandong University, 2021.
Chen Qin, Chen Juan, Xu Huarong. The Construction of National Identity from the Perspective of Critical Metaphor -- Taking the "the Belt and Road" reported by China Daily as an example [J]. Journal of Fuzhou University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 2019 (01): 82-88.
Ji Yuhua, Chen Yan. A New Method of Critical Discourse Analysis: Critical Metaphor Analysis [J]. Journal of Xiamen University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 2007 (6): 42-47.
Lakoff G. The contemporary theory of metaphor [C]//ORTONY A. Metaphor and Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993: 59-107.
Boulding, K. E. National images and the international system [J]. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 1959( 2) : 120-131.
Liu Xiaoyan. Reflections on Construction of National Image in Media [J]. International Press, 2002 (2): 61-66
Wodak, R., R. de Cillia, M. Reisigl & Liebhart, K. The Discursive Construction of National Identity (2nd edition) [M]. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008.
