Study on the image construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay AreaA case study of China Daily reports from 2018 to 2022

Since its proposal, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) has attracted widespread attention both domestically and internationally, becoming a window for showcasing Chinas national image. This study uses China Dailys reports from 2018 to 2022 as a sample and applies a corpus-based research method combined with Python. It investigates the reporting characteristics, image construction features, and optimization pathways by analyzing trends, word frequency, sources, themes, and regional distribution. The study finds that: (1) the newspaper shapes a distinct economic image of the GBA, but it should strengthen the portrayal of the regions cultural identity; (2) there is an uneven regional distribution in the reports, and efforts should be made to promote balanced development in the Bay Area; (3) the reporting perspective is predominantly official; and (4) the diversity of information channels should be expanded.