School of Geography - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 1 of 1
-
ItemA comparison of attitudes in the international media towards the three Gorges Dam Project, China( 2002)This thesis is concerned with a review of patterns of media coverage of the Three Gorges Dam, associated environmental impacts, and attitudes in both the Chinese and Western media over the 15 years 1985 to 1999 inclusive. The rationale for the study is based on the view that action (in the form of foreign intervention and influence in the project) can only occur once knowledge has first been gained, and given the relatively restricted nature of Chinese media, the western press plays a significant role in disseminating such information. Against the overall aim and an understanding that the Chinese and western press have historically different philosophies of management, the primary research question is: Have the Chinese and Western media reported differently the environmental and related issues regarding the Three Gorges Dam?' Secondary research questions are posed and guide the assessment. Several key findings are apparent, the main one being that there is a discernible difference between attitudes towards the project in the newspapers studied. The western press contains differences as well, with the Asia-Pacific region more balanced in it's reporting than other regions under study. It is suggested that raising general public awareness of the project is influenced by social and cultural factors; `narratives'; character and form of coverage; inter-media reliance on sources; and competition between scientists and policy makers for journalistic attention. The geographic and environmental setting of the area, the project and environmental and river management in China is established in Chapters 2, 3 and 4 following an outline of the aim, research questions and justification in Chapter 1. Chapter 5 explores the methods of assessment, the results are summarised and discussed in Chapter 6 and conclusions made in Chapter 7.