Tech Powerhouse or Tech Threat? An Attitude Analysis of News Reports on Science and Technology in China by China Daily and The New York Times

Abstract

This study investigates how science and technology (S&T) in China is represented through attitudinal resources by China Daily (CD) and The New York Times (NYT). 215 news articles from CD and 133 from NYT were analyzed according to a revised system of attitude within the appraisal framework. Results show that CD features overwhelmingly positive evaluation, highlighting the value of China’s technologies and scientific research as well as China’s tech strength. The competence of Chinese scientists in striving for innovation excellence is also foregrounded. By contrast, NYT displays both positive and negative attitudes in its reports. On the one hand, it emphasizes China’s prowess and determination in developing high-tech industries as well as the utility of China’s tech products. On the other hand, it depicts China’s sci-tech endeavors as unethical and worrisome, and underlines the weakness and shortcomings of China’s technologies. The significance of this study lies in its focus on the cross-cultural comparison of science news and the media representation of China’s science and technology.