DOI
10.1080/10357823.2023.2251665
Abstract
During a national crisis, can state propaganda shift public opinion, and if so, in what direction? Existing studies show that the effects of state propaganda on public opinion in China are mixed. Analysing data from an online survey experiment conducted during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, this article finds that the Chinese public responded positively to propaganda that promoted Xi Jinping’s leadership, when these messages included text as well as images that showed Xi being compassionate during his visit to Wuhan. However, when textual propaganda focused on familiar narratives, such as Xi’s leadership, international praise of China’s experience in fighting the virus, China’s efforts to send medical assistance to other countries, and praise for medical workers, it was largely ineffective in changing political opinions. These results suggest that visual components that evoke an emotional response of solidarity can increase government favourability in public opinion. At the same time, propaganda narratives that fail to address critical questions about a national crisis, including its severity and attribution, tend to be ineffective at persuading the public.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-5-2023
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2024 Informa UK Limited
Asian Studies Review is a multidisciplinary journal of contemporary and modern Asia. The journal sets out to showcase high quality scholarship on the modern histories, cultures, societies, languages, politics and religions of Asia through the publication of research articles, book reviews and review articles. It welcomes the submission of research articles from across the broad spectrum of the social sciences and humanities on all the regions of Asia and on international and transnational issues in which Asia is the major point of focus. Asian Studies Review sets out to publish a balanced mixture of articles in both traditional and emerging disciplines. The invited review articles and book reviews published in Asian Studies Review provide a vital point of articulation between the scholarship on display in the research articles and the broader world of Asian Studies.
Asian Studies Review is associated with the Asian Studies Association of Australia, a professional organisation with over 500 members devoted to the study of all aspects of Asia.
Recommended Citation
Chen, Dan. 2023. “How Propaganda Affects Public Opinion in China: Evidence from the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Asian Studies Review, September, 1–20. doi:10.1080/10357823.2023.2251665.