Abstract
As existing literature underlines the geopolitical and political issues in the discussion among pandemic, the current project examines the COVID-19 geopolitical framing of the Taiwanese media and government through a qualitative thematic analysis on the newspaper front pages and the official daily press conferences between November 2019 and May 2020. By taking in the complicated relationship between the ROC and PRC governments and the current governing party’s political ideologies, three main themes are identified in the context. As the officials and some media frame and name the disease Wuhan pneumonia with negative labels attached, the Taiwanese citizens stay in Wuhan involuntarily after the city lockdown are treated differently when they address their intention to return home. While banning the facial mask exportation at the beginning of the outbreak in China, the “mask diplomacy” framed by the government exploits the masks as a way of raising Taiwan’s voice in the international communities.
Presenters
Chia Heng ChangStudent, Communication, New York State University at Albany, New York, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Framing, Newspapers, Geopolitics, COVID-19, Taiwan
