Chinese students’ access to media information in Australia and France: a comparative perspective

Abstract

The ongoing growth of China’s economy and the premium attached to quality education within its culture has seen students from China become one of the largest groups of international students enrolling in schools and institutes of higher education around the developed world. Given the rising numbers of these students in overseas higher education institutions, their experiences in their host countries deserve more nuanced research. Little is known about what sources of information they rely on; whether, as students coming from a country with non-transparent access to information, their views and media habits are challenged, transformed or consolidated during their overseas experience; and whether they consider overseas media as a trustworthy source to expand their knowledge on China or an instrument of Western propaganda. Drawing from research conducted in Melbourne in 2016/2017, this article explores why Chinese international students in an Australian university, despite the impact of their international experience, prefer Chinese media sources, especially when looking for information about China. This contrasts with Chinese students enrolled in a university in France. Where does the broad scepticism about the reliability of non-Chinese media in reporting Chinese news come from? What do students mean when they refer to an ‘alleged incapacity of foreign media to understand what is good for China?’ In our conclusion, we propose some possible ways to address the perceived biases and offer some ideas to foreign media on how to better engage Chinese international students’ communities.