Painting Chinese mythology: Varying touches on the magazine covers of Time, The Economist, Der Spiegel, and China Today

Abstract

This study applied semiotic analysis to examine the national image of China on the magazine covers of Time, The Economist, Der Spiegel, and China Today. This study sought to find out and explicate the myths of different, even conflicting portrayals of the image of China. By comparing the signs on these magazine covers, five themes were identified: a threatening China versus a friendly China, a collectivistic China versus an individualistic China, a paradoxical China versus a progressing China, a capitalist China versus a communist China, and a dark China versus a promising China. These themes further led to the construction of the transnational comparative framing model. The similarities and differences in presenting China’s image between Western magazine covers and Chinese magazine covers were also discussed in the study. The mechanisms for framing China’s national image include the use of objectification, collectivistic illustration, contradiction, dual identity, and reference to historical contexts.