Constructing the 'Foreign': Stereotypes in Western Reporting on China and India

A Content Analysis of German and U.S. Newspapers

Authors

  • Gianna Albrecht Freie Universität Berlin
  • Judith Gayler Freie Universität Berlin
  • Marla Hanenberg Freie Universität Berlin
  • Steven Hermanutz Freie Universität Berlin
  • Susanne Ködel Freie Universität Berlin

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60678/gmj-de.v14i2.321

Keywords:

Stereotypes, Foreign News Production, Foreign Reporting, Media Systems, Western Media, Media Bias, Germany, USA, China, India

Abstract

Foreign reporting plays a significant role in shaping our perspectives on other countries. However, reporting on non-Western countries is still heavily influenced by Western perspectives, which can lead to distortions, one-sided portrayals, and stereotyping. This study aims to analyze the emergence of stereotypes in U.S. and German reporting on China and India. To this end, two leading national daily newspapers from the USA (Washington Post and New York Times) and Germany (Süddeutsche Zeitung and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) were examined for their coverage of China and India. The results reveal that stereotypes are more prevalent in the reporting on India across all newspapers. Both countries used political stereotypes to a similar extent, with economic stereotypes being the second most common in coverage of China, while stereotypes about the population dominated the articles on India.

Author Biographies

Gianna Albrecht, Freie Universität Berlin

Gianna Albrecht completed her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Afterwards, she worked within the field of public affairs and is now pursuing a Master’s degree in Media and Political Communication at Freie Universität Berlin, while also working in political consulting.

Judith Gayler, Freie Universität Berlin

Judith Gayler completed her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and Psychology at the Friedrich-Schiller-University in Jena. Since then, she has worked in project management and communications for non-governmental organizations and is currently the Head of Communications at an NGO. At the same time, she is pursuing her Master’s degree in Media and Political Communication at Freie Universität Berlin.

Marla Hanenberg, Freie Universität Berlin

Marla Hanenberg completed her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart and worked in journalism and corporate communications during her studies. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Media and Political Communication at Freie Universität Berlin and advises public sector clients on their strategic communication.

Steven Hermanutz, Freie Universität Berlin

Steven Hermanutz completed his Bachelor’s degree in Media Management at Stuttgart Media University and worked in marketing. He is currently studying for a Master’s degree in Media and Political Communication at Freie Universität Berlin and works in project management for digital platforms and in consulting.

Susanne Ködel, Freie Universität Berlin

Susanne Ködel completed her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena and Freie Universität Berlin. She then worked in search engine optimization for a national daily newspaper. She is currently studying for a Master’s degree in Media and Political Communication at Freie Universität Berlin and works in journalism.

Downloads

Published

2024-12-30

How to Cite

Albrecht, G., Gayler, J., Hanenberg, M., Hermanutz, S., & Ködel, S. (2024). Constructing the ’Foreign’: Stereotypes in Western Reporting on China and India: A Content Analysis of German and U.S. Newspapers. Global Media Journal - German Edition, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.60678/gmj-de.v14i2.321

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 2 (2024)

Section

Special Graduate Section: Foreign and War Reporting

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Gianna Albrecht, Judith Gayler, Marla Hanenberg, Steven Hermanutz, Susanne Ködel

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.