Huang Shirong

Zhejiang University of Media and Communications

Abstract：

In the digital media environment, the overseas communication of national image no longer relies only on written text. Instead, it is jointly shaped by various semiotic elements, including headlines, images, page layout and platform interfaces. This paper takes reports on Chinese culture, green development, technology industries and tourism image from The Guardian, The Times and The Sunday Times as research objects. It adopts a multimodal content analysis method to explore how China’s image is presented in cross-cultural communication from three levels: text, visual presentation and interface design. The study finds that British mainstream media mainly influence readers’ understanding of China through headline wording, image composition, section arrangement and page structure. Reports on culture and tourism tend to present China’s historical traditions, regional characteristics and aesthetic value, while reports on green energy and technology industries highlight China’s role in the global industrial chain and sustainable development. The visual styles and information structures of different media also lead to different focuses in the presentation of China’s image. This paper argues that the overseas communication of China’s national image should pay more attention to multimodal narratives. Clear, specific and approachable visual expression can help overseas audiences better understand Chinese culture and development practices, and provide reference for improving international communication capacity.

Key Words：

cross-cultural communication; China’s image; British media; multimodal content analysis; digital news; national image