This thesis examines the role of the mass media in international relations and discusses processes of national image building. Its focus is on the way the press covers events, topics and issues relating to a foreign country, using Germany's newspaper coverage of Mexico as an example. Although a great deal has been published on personal and advertising brand image building, the literature on national image building is sparse. A range of literature on image building and national identity and the role of the media were reviewed to provide a suitable theoretical framework for the empirical research to follow. Communication developments, e.g. live television and the internet, have transformed diplomatic practices. Nation states, reacting to the input they receive from the media, adjust and redefine their communications policies accordingly. The axis of the national image creation is to define the country's preferred national image. In order to do so, countries must be aware of their actual image in specific locations around the world. Research methods can help to carry out the diagnosis and implement communication strategies towards that end. A content analysis of coverage of Mexico in German newspapers over one calendar year was conducted to examine a concrete national portrayal case. The year 2000 marked the beginning of a new phase in Mexico's political history with the opposition winning the presidential elections for the first time in 71 years. The identified 1020 news items showed that despite the low coverage of Mexican affairs, several topics of Mexico's preferred national image were covered. The implications of the findings from the empirical study are discussed in terms of their relevance for diplomacy. Studies on national image could develop into one of the branches of strategic analysis, where attention is called to creating a sound national image policy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:697382 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Santacruz Moctezuma, Lino Leopoldo |
| Publisher | University of Leicester |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/2381/30572 |
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