Media and Political Identity: An Experimental Study on the China-US Trade War

• In Event: Media Campaigns and Persuasion

Abstract

With the widespread adoption of the internet, individuals now have access to an ever-expanding pool of information. However, the extent of internet freedom varies across nations, influencing people’s cognitive processes differently. In the realm of political communication, newspapers, television, and the internet play crucial roles in framing and defining specific social and political issues, consequently molding individuals’ political attitudes. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the “framing effect.” In environments characterized by diverse and competitive information sources, such as those found in liberal democracies, individuals are exposed to a broad spectrum of perspectives. In contrast, in countries where the government tightly controls media information, such as China, a more limited set of sources can significantly shape people’s political cognition. Despite existing scholarly research on this topic, there remains a notable literature gap, particularly concerning nations like China, where media information is subjected to stringent government control.
In the backdrop of China’s rapid economic development and the unfolding trade conflict with the United States, both traditional and new media in China have extensively published news critical of the United States. This surge in media content is poised to have a significant impact on the political cognition of the Chinese populace. To systematically investigate the influence of media information in recent years, this study employs experimental methods to assess the effects of different media information on people’s political identity. To be specific, the research introduces five distinct media framing scenarios: pro-China framing, pro-US framing, competitive framing, neutral framing, and no media information framing. We recruited graduate students as research subjects, with the expectation that this group would exhibit a greater level of sensitivity and nuanced comprehensive relevant to our study. The intention is to delve into the specific role that countries with restricted information play in shaping individuals’ political cognition, thereby contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics at play.

Authors

• Yanan Li

• Wenzeng Lyu

• Chengcheng Yue, Rutgers University-Camden