“Platform Amphibiousness” in Covid-19: The Construction and Communication of National Image in the Global South in the Polymedia Use of Chinese Overseas Students

Abstract

Abstract In the post-epidemic era, international students are standing in the communication intersection of the Global South. Through interviews with 15 international students from developing countries, this paper finds that with the deepening of polymedia use during epidemic, the image of China in the media use of international students has changed and contains new energy for international communication. Firstly, in terms of media use, “from straying to breaking the wall”. There is no significant change in the platform of international students’ use of polymedia, but the demand for life information and comparison among media have increased significantly. Secondly, in terms of national image acceptance, “from information to action”. Even facing the stigmatization of China, international students’ reliance on Chinese local media still has been increasing during this period especially after the comparison between Western social media reports and their local experiences, while professional media image and concrete government actions are key factors. Thirdly, the role of individuals in the communication of the Global South goes “from nodes to windows”. International students using polymedia gradually convey China’s national image to the outside world through a cross-platform approach dismantling the incorrect frames after frames’ competition, generating the radiation effect of international communication from individuals, and driving the communication and correction of the international image within a limited scope.