A Critical Discourse Analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine Reports in US Media in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

As a treasure of traditional Chinese culture, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a history of more than four thousand years. Examining overseas news coverage of TCM can contribute to a better understanding of its international representation and communication. Based on Fairclough's three-dimensional analysis model, this study conducts a critical discourse analysis of traditional Chinese medicine coverage in mainstream American media from 2020 to 2022. At the textual level, the high-frequency words show that the focus of the reports is mostly on the effectiveness of TCM. US media use a large number of low-value modal words to convey their attitude towards TCM, which is conducive to building a relatively objective media image, but the selection of relevant components shows its questioning attitude towards traditional Chinese medicine. At the level of discourse practice, the analysis of news sources shows that most of the news sources are specific. However, US media rely more heavily on American scholars, experts, and institutions than on Chinese scholars. In the social practice dimension, the study primarily examines the American social context, revealing various societal factors that influence the mainstream US media's attitude toward TCM. The findings of this study provide meaningful implications for the global dissemination of Chinese traditional culture and the international communication of traditional Chinese medicine.