Document Type
Journal Article
Department/Unit
Department of Journalism
Title
Framing distance: Local vs. non-local news in Hong Kong press
Language
English
Abstract
Geographical location as a "natural" attribute of news has always been a source of news manipulation. This research investigates how different community newspapers select, interpret, and package events originating in places of varying distances. Contextualized in Hong Kong, three media frames (authority, conflict, and attribution) are closely examined and theoretically connected to three types of newspapers (mass appeal, elite, and pro-establishment) across four locales (local, mainland China, Asian, and international). To test the hypotheses, a large-scale content analysis of 14 daily newspapers in Hong Kong was conducted. On the whole, findings supported the three hypotheses, showing that local news was systematically differentiated from non-local news in terms of the frequency of political authorities cited, presence of diversified opinions, and the likelihood of either individuals or institutions being blamed for social wrongs. Considerable variations were detected across different types of newspapers as well. Theoretical and social implications of the empirical findings are discussed. © 2011 The Communication Research Centre.
Keywords
Hong kong press, Local vs. non-local news, News distance, News grid
Publication Date
2011
Source Publication Title
Chinese Journal of Communication
Volume
4
Issue
1
Start Page
21
End Page
39
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
DOI
10.1080/17544750.2011.544080
Link to Publisher's Edition
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17544750.2011.544080
ISSN (print)
17544750
ISSN (electronic)
17544769
APA Citation
Guo, S. (2011). Framing distance: Local vs. non-local news in Hong Kong press. Chinese Journal of Communication, 4 (1), 21-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/17544750.2011.544080