Exploring the Role of Media Framing in Constructing China’s Image of Environmental Protection: Taking <i>China Daily</i> as an Example

Media framing is a significant way to construct a country’s image, with diverse media frames being utilized in order to achieve specific media effects. This study intends to explore the role of media framing, especially from the perspective of Zang Guoren’s three-level news structure, in constructing China’s image of environmental protection, from high-level, middle-level, and low-level news structures respectively. Based on the analyses of the retrieved 144 news articles about China’s environment protection from each level structure, it can be found that in China Daily, China’s images of environmental protection, a country taking a leading role in global environment protection, a country seeking green development driven by advanced technologies, and a country upholding global cooperation and unity are constructed positively. This study expands the application of frame analysis in constructing a country’s image of environmental protection, which helps deepen our understanding of China’s environmental protection actions and enhances our national image self-construction.