In light of contemporary Chinese political discourse on the function and role of the media in the relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and public opinion, this study will describe a few relevant characteristics of the Chinese media system, with a special focus on the daily press published in English. It will show that political ties in which news production is embedded in China influence content and language even when the information is ostensibly targeted at an international public. Finally, it will discuss some examples derived from Xinhua News Agency reports on an important anti-corruption case in order to trace the cultural mediation strategies enacted by the journalists to adapt the texts to an international public. The attempt to conform to the tastes and needs of the global public opinion without betraying the country’s political specificity could be interpreted as the result of journalists’ effort to strengthen Chinese discourse power, offering a broader range of publications and giving increasing attention to internationalisation, while promoting a positive representation of China worldwide.

media; public opinion; discourse power; Xinhua; China; Cina; opinione pubblica; potere discorsivo

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