Media representations of Canadian offshore schools in China: a bilingual comparative analysis

Canadian offshore high schools have operated in China for 30 years, yet public knowledge and opinions remain limited. Given the media's role in shaping public opinion, it is important to examine how these schools are represented in both Canadian and Chinese media. Using critical discourse analysis, we examined news coverage published about Canadian offshore schools from 2008 to 2026 in both countries, and in both Chinese and English languages. Drawing on framing theory and cultural hegemony, the media representations had stark differences when comparing the two contexts. Chinese media portrayed Canadian offshore schools positively, while Canadian media was more critical, questioning both their operations and existence. We also found differences between positive, negative, and critical representations in the news articles and categorized the findings according to these framings. Finally, our research indicates that global hegemonic ideologies, particularly neoliberalism and Western hegemony, are reproduced and reinforced across borders through media representations.