Subjective Media Framing

Media Framing names the events and shapes public opinions. That is to say, media wants to persuade people to think in the way it want people to think.

Media is not always objective. That is why we have stereotypes. I still remember that I watched an American video, which introduced China before 2008 Beijing Olympic Game ceremony.  It showed many Chinese people who are feckless and unhealthiness, but not like how Chinese media shows Chinese people. We are powerful, healthy and happy in Chinese media. The video also showed the big gap of wealth in China. They put a shot of the poorest area and a shot of the richest area together, which emphasized Chinese polarization of wealth. However, we will never report this in that way in Chinese mainstream media.

I knew China is not like this because I know how China is. At least it is definitely not the whole China. However, for the Americans, they will see China in this way because the media shapes their opinions.

On the other side, Chinese media frames people too. Mainstream media always shows the good side of the country. We are always positive in the media.

Both of these are subjective. They limit us in the frame, but they are ideologies that we all accepted.

Fortunately, we have social media now. More and more people can express their own opinions instead of only accept the mainstream media. More and more people realize that media framing is not true. With social media, I believe we will see more and will not just follow the media framing.