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16. April 2009, Vienna/Frankfurt
Germany in the Chinese media: highly developed, powerful and innovative
Meta Communication International examines the coverage on Germany in key Chinese media
How is Germany perceived in the Chinese media? What topics are reported? What issues are critically addressed? Based on these questions Meta Communication International, an institute specialized in media observation and analysis, gathered and evaluated 260 articles concerning Germany in key Chinese media over a period of study from July 2008 to January 2009. The results of the study are now available
“China is one of the up-and-coming powers of the 21st century: what public image does Germany have there? What issues are reported in relation to Germany? For us these were exciting questions to be answered by the present study,” says Dr. Erich Pellech, managing director of Meta Communication International. “China is an important economic partner of Germany, so we should be cognizant of its image in public perception early enough.”
Top issues covered
Germany generates steady interest in the media, even with issues that are not directly related to China. Only 44% of the articles related to Germany show an association with China, reporting among other things on meetings between German and Chinese policymakers or on cooperation in the areas of business, technology and research. Consequently, Germany showed a peak in presence on the occasion of Angela Merkel’s visit to the ASEM summit in Beijing in October 2008, when a total of 71 articles on German themes appeared.
“The top issues covered not only include the intensification of Sino-German economic relations or the significance of China for German companies, but German measures regarding the financial crisis as well,” Helga Eder, director of media analyses at Meta Communication explains. “For Chinese media generally describe Germany in terms of its economic importance and characterize the state as “powerful,” “highly developed” and “innovative.” When the German economy runs into trouble, this attracts attention in the media in China,” Eder continues.
Issues addressed critically
32% of the reporting on Germany is ambivalent to negative, however. In addition to Germany’s economic problems, negative articles were generated by Germany’s policies toward Tibet and critical tendencies in Germany toward China, particularly critical reports about China. For example, an uproar was caused by the dismissal of Chinese journalist Zhang Danhong, who worked for the Beijing office of Deutsche Welle, as she was said to have reported positively on her own country. The absence of top-level German politicians at the opening of the Olympic Games in Germany was also assessed as negative.
68% of the reporting on Germany is positive. German innovations and technological developments, Sino-German cooperation in the area of research & development, investments in China and Germany’s position of power on the international scene are issues viewed as particularly positive.
Meta Communication International: Customized Media Observation
Meta Communication International is a leading provider of media monitoring and resonance analyses in Central Europe. At five locations such as Frankfurt/Main and Vienna more than 200 employees handle the individual needs of companies and PR agencies. With two independent companies in Warsaw and Prague, Meta also offers its services for the Eastern European region.
For questions please contact:
Meta Communication International
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Birgit Kacerovsky
Tel: +43 1 524 43 00
meta.presse@trimedia.at
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1070 Wien