Media Discourse and Nationalism in Contemporary China

Over the past decade, the interplay between media discourse and nationalism in China has intensified, shaped by the omnipresence of state influence and the rapid expansion of digital platforms. Central and local news outlets deploy a range of rhetorical and visual strategies to foster a cohesive national narrative, while also catering to distinct regional concerns. Propaganda has evolved from top-down broadcasts into sophisticated short-form videos and social-media interactions, harnessing emotional appeals to cultivate public allegiance. In this context, themes of military prowess, technological achievement and cultural revival are interwoven with calls for social harmony and ‘positive energy’. Simultaneously, grassroots expressions of popular nationalism arise in user comments and independent networks, at times reinforcing state aims and at times challenging them. This dual dynamic has implications for domestic legitimacy, social stability and international perceptions of China. By mapping these shifts in media practice and emotional mobilisation, scholars gain insight into the mechanisms through which national identity is both constructed and contested, offering lessons for media literacy, policy-making and cross-cultural dialogue.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Analyses of short-video content on a leading domestic social network reveal marked differences between central and provincial news agencies. Central outlets foreground uniformed services and themes of national defence, eliciting stronger emotions of anger, fear and intolerance. Provincial channels, by contrast, lean into everyday livelihoods and community warmth, invoking anticipation, acceptance and respect. This divergence underscores a hierarchical propaganda framework in which emotional registers are calibrated to reinforce perceptions of state authority at the top and local solidarity at the grass roots.

In parallel, investigations of mainstream news coverage during a public health crisis illustrate two complementary emotional management strategies. One builds on defensive nationalism, using fear and positive affirmations to shore up internal cohesion. The other adopts aggressive nationalism, deploying disgust to vilify external critics and bolster an ‘us versus them’ dichotomy. Together, these approaches demonstrate how emotional registers in digital discourse are instrumentalised to construct and defend collective identity.

Media Discourse and Nationalism in Contemporary China publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in media discourse and nationalism in contemporary china across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Propaganda: Strategic communication designed to influence public attitudes and behaviour in favour of state or organisational objectives.

Emotional mobilisation: The deliberate use of emotional appeals—in particular fear, pride or disgust—to foster collective solidarity and action.

Defensive nationalism: A discourse strategy that employs fear and affirmation of national virtues to protect internal cohesion and legitimacy.

Aggressive nationalism: A rhetoric that uses contempt or disgust towards perceived external threats to reinforce in-group identity.

Digital propaganda: State-led persuasion activities conducted via social-media platforms and short-form video services.

References

1. Visual propaganda in chinese central and local news agencies: a douyin case study. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2024).
2. Despicable ‘other’ and innocent ‘us’: emotion politics in the time of the pandemic. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2023).
3. ‘To Tell China’s Story Well’: China’s International Messaging during the COVID-19 Pandemic. China Report (2020).
4. Borders of belonging: how Chinese nationalism constructs exclusion in the age of populism. Frontiers in Political Science (2024).
5. The softening of Chinese digital propaganda: Evidence from the People’s Daily Weibo account during the pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology (2023).