This thesis examines the ways in which the People's Republic of China is portrayed in Dutch newspapers between 2019 and 2021. It uses Sinological-orientalism for its theoretical framework and...Show moreThis thesis examines the ways in which the People's Republic of China is portrayed in Dutch newspapers between 2019 and 2021. It uses Sinological-orientalism for its theoretical framework and applies a critical discourse analysis on 120 newspaper articles. It seeks to understand the relation between power and the knowledge of the People's Republic of China that is present in these newspaper articles.Show less
This thesis analyses how the French government and American diplomats utilised and subsequently shaped the French-language press due to their influence and propaganda efforts during the American...Show moreThis thesis analyses how the French government and American diplomats utilised and subsequently shaped the French-language press due to their influence and propaganda efforts during the American Revolutionary War. The role of the press in the Ancien Régime can reveal developing political, social, and diplomatic cultures. The rigid censorship policy of the French monarchy places the newspapers in a middle ground between the government and the literate portion of the population. There were competing notions amongst the most popular European publications as to what constituted news and how it should be communicated, thus the coverage of the American Revolutionary War varied across geographical and temporal boundaries. This thesis seeks to assess the social and political upheaval that was the American Revolution in 1775, and its impact on France, through the lens of governmental control of newspapers. France’s role in the American Revolution has been well documented, as the monarchy utilised this opportunity to gain prestige and damage Britain’s standing as a global power. France officially sent military and financial aid to the rebels from 1778, and many French soldiers such as the Marquis de Lafayette became heroes who fought alongside their American counterparts to overthrow the control of King George III in the colonies. However, getting France to agree to this was difficult. It was therefore necessary for the Americans to send diplomats to Versailles to vouch for their cause and elicit support. Thus ensued a major propaganda campaign which would entangle both state and non-state actors, and would have significant implications for the development of press culture in France. France heavily censored newspapers and imposed strict regulations on the influx of foreign information from countries with a freer press environment, such as the Netherlands. In Britain, the licensing act lapsed in 1695, and provincial and national newspapers consequently multiplied in number and prospered. After the British government allowed the publication of parliamentary reports in 1772, French-language newspapers were able to reprint them, leading to increased scrutiny on their response to events in the colonies. This meant that readers of foreign French-language newspapers illegally circulating in France at the time were being exposed to alternative sources of news. The national newspapers largely reflected and upheld elite values that were ingrained into French society at the time, and left little room for debate or opposition. However, this was radically altered by the presence of the American diplomats in Paris. Leading figures, such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, were greatly admired by the French public, and they utilised this wave of popularity to bolster their political agenda. This agenda had undoubtedly been influenced by French Enlightenment thought - particularly regarding the individual rights of man, political representation, and freedom of speech and the press. This thesis explores how this philosophical and political transfer influenced the French government’s approach to the medium of the press. It identifies four main newspapers as indicators of how the war was impacting the way in which the government wanted to portray itself on the diplomatic stage. The American Revolution showed the world how it was possible to uproot a system of political injustice and to justify it using fundamental ideas of democracy. The use of the French-language press by the Americans and the French government to further their interests, therefore, exposed a reading audience to political ideas that might have otherwise been suppressed. It is in this context that the newspapers take on significance. The attempted control of the content of these papers through the manipulation of texts, propaganda and the production of war narrative that favoured French and American interests shaped how French readers came to view the conduct of their government in a way not previously seen. Furthermore, the personal relationships formed between government figures, American political leaders and philosophers, and the editors of highly influential and widely-read papers sheds light on the deep entanglement of the press with politics. While the limitations of readership in Ancien Régime France are taken into account, this thesis argues that the French involvement in the American Revolutionary War shaped French government relations with the press, and contributed to a shaping of its diplomatic engagements with America both during and after the war.Show less
In the summer of 2019, over a million people took to the streets of Hong Kong to protest a highly unpopular extradition law. Despite the withdrawal of the law, the protests continued for the rest...Show moreIn the summer of 2019, over a million people took to the streets of Hong Kong to protest a highly unpopular extradition law. Despite the withdrawal of the law, the protests continued for the rest of the year, throwing Hong Kong into turmoil, as protesters advocated for freedom and democracy. As a result, the 2019 Hong Kong protests became one of the most heavily covered events in the media, both nationally and internationally. The demonstrations received an especially large amount of attention in Taiwan and China, due to their proximity to Hong Kong and the Chinese government’s involvement in the protests. While Taiwanese politicians came out in support of protesters’ call for independence, the Chinese government’s increased involvement in Hong Kong’s inner affairs served as a catalyst for the protests. This study analyzed the discourse of 24 editorials covering the Hong Kong protests from two newspapers; the Taipei Times (Taiwan) and the Global Times (China). An inductive discourse analysis was utilized to see which linguistic and thematic methods were used by the authors to shape the reader's perception of the protests according to their newspaper’s ideology. Results showed that while the two newspapers’ coverage of the Hong Kong protests could not have been more different thematically, using opposing narratives and arguments, their style and rhetoric had a tendency to overlap, using similar rhetorical methods to get their viewpoints across to the readers.Show less
This thesis tries to ascertain the image of Sovjet Russia during 1917-1924 by the Dutch press in the newspapers. This is done by analysing the travel-writings of Marcus van Blankenstein, who later...Show moreThis thesis tries to ascertain the image of Sovjet Russia during 1917-1924 by the Dutch press in the newspapers. This is done by analysing the travel-writings of Marcus van Blankenstein, who later published his experiences in the Nieuw Rotterdamsche Courant. His findings are contrasted with the reports of other journalists in other popular Dutch newspapers at the time. At that time the Dutch society was in a state of 'verzuiling' meaning the people that believed in certain ideologies seperated themselves from people that clung to other ideologies. This created a situation in which four columns coexisted, forming the Dutch society. Each column had it's own radiostation, newspaper and political party. By analysing the way Sovjet Russia was portrayed in the newspapers, this thesis tries to show how the different columns felt about the developments in Russia at that time. There was a great deal of uncertainty about the developments in Russia after the revolution, this thesis also shows the way in which this nescience affected the way Sovjet Russia was portrayed.Show less
A research into the role newspapers play in introducing football into the Dutch identity during the golden age of Dutch football, the 1970’s, in which Ajax won the Europa Cup I in ’71, ’72 and ’73...Show moreA research into the role newspapers play in introducing football into the Dutch identity during the golden age of Dutch football, the 1970’s, in which Ajax won the Europa Cup I in ’71, ’72 and ’73 and the Dutch national team came second in the World Cup 1974. Specifically the change in reporting on Ajax between 1965 and 1974 and the Dutch national team between 1970 and 1974, where the football these teams played became branded as typically Dutch: the Dutch School (Hollandse School) an total football (totaalvoetbal). This type of football symbolised the Dutch identity, as several typical Dutch qualities where ‘recognised’ within this football, and after the success, varying non-football related products were promoted with references to these playing styles, implicating they had become part of the Dutch national identity. Another point of view, among several others, was the togetherness Dutch footballing success brought the nation. Newspapers wrote extensively about all provinces being united by Dutch football as well as all kinds of people and professions, ranging from anarchists to the prime minister, being united by the ‘Brilliant Orange’.Show less
This research looks at Dutch and Japanese newspapers describing Donald Trump’s victory and possible consequences, focusing on the use of evaluative language. The parameter approach of Bednarek ...Show moreThis research looks at Dutch and Japanese newspapers describing Donald Trump’s victory and possible consequences, focusing on the use of evaluative language. The parameter approach of Bednarek (2006) and Bednarek and Caple (2012) was used to look at the evaluative language. Differences and similarities were found while comparing the news articles. This result could be due to several aspects, however more research is necessary to explain this.Show less
This thesis looks at the freedom of press in China. A critical discourse analysis is conducted of newspaper articles of the Global Times and the Southern Weekend about the Tianjin harbor explosions.
A black American named Joe Louis fought a white German named Max Schmeling in the 1930s, how did the American public respond to this fight? Did they hope for a victory by Louis, who was an American...Show moreA black American named Joe Louis fought a white German named Max Schmeling in the 1930s, how did the American public respond to this fight? Did they hope for a victory by Louis, who was an American, or did they hope for a victory by Schmeling, who was white. Research has been conducted by researching around 880 articles extracted from 65 newspapers. by doing so this thesis gives a view of the public opinion on the fight per state, area and in the end for the entire U.S.A. This thesis also looks at what was mentioned more in newspaper articles regarding this fight: Nationalism or Racism.Show less
Een analyse naar de berichtgeving over de zwarte Amerikaanse soldaat in de jaren zestig van de 20e eeuw. De analyse heeft betrekking op de New York Times, de (New) Pittsburgh Courier, Jet Magazine...Show moreEen analyse naar de berichtgeving over de zwarte Amerikaanse soldaat in de jaren zestig van de 20e eeuw. De analyse heeft betrekking op de New York Times, de (New) Pittsburgh Courier, Jet Magazine en Negro Digest.Show less
This is a transnational research on the way Dutch Catholic media perceived the Kulturkampf in Germany from 1880 to 1884. This dissertation examines two Dutch Catholic newspapers and one magazine to...Show moreThis is a transnational research on the way Dutch Catholic media perceived the Kulturkampf in Germany from 1880 to 1884. This dissertation examines two Dutch Catholic newspapers and one magazine to explain three things. Firstly, what the main motives of Dutch Catholic media were to report on German social struggles after 1880. Secondly, how the Milder-ungsgesetzen – that were intended to end this social struggle – influenced the content of the reports of Dutch Catholic media. Thirdly, to what extent the German social struggles were put in an international perspective by these media. The conclusion adds to the debate that ques-tions the nineteenth century as the ‘age of the nation state’.Show less
This thesis is focused on the perception of foreign newspapers about the Barcelona May Days. Its central theme is the elimination of the POUMist faction and how this was reported in six different...Show moreThis thesis is focused on the perception of foreign newspapers about the Barcelona May Days. Its central theme is the elimination of the POUMist faction and how this was reported in six different Anglo-Saxon newspapersShow less