China in the Nordic Press : A mixed-method analysis of Helsingin Sanomat and Dagens Nyheter’s editorial portrayals between 2012-2024
Söderström, Ines (2025-05-22)
China in the Nordic Press : A mixed-method analysis of Helsingin Sanomat and Dagens Nyheter’s editorial portrayals between 2012-2024
(22.05.2025)
Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.
avoin
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on:
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2025061669076
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2025061669076
Tiivistelmä
This thesis investigates 379 leading editorials published between 1.1.2012-31.8.2024 in Finland’s and Sweden’s newspapers of record: Helsingin Sanomat and Dagens Nyheter. The thesis project detects thematic representations and tonal biases that Finnish and Swedish news media produce and re-produce about China, and which are shifting along with geopolitical dynamics and trends of growing scepticism toward China in the West. The thesis explores how editorial narratives reflect and shape national perceptions of China in Finland and Sweden during the Xi Jinping presidency.
Adopting a social constructionist framework, this thesis uses thematic analysis and frequency analysis to identify recurring themes and tonal patterns in the editorial coverage. The mixed-method analysis reveals eight dominant themes of which economic, security, and political orientated themes emerge as the most prominently reported. The results show that both newspapers construct narratives shaped by their domestic political contexts and broader international developments, especially in the background of deteriorating China-West relations.
The findings indicate that Helsingin Sanomat largely reflects Finland’s pragmatic and economically orientated relationship with China, while Dagens Nyheter adopts a more confrontational stance that aligns with Sweden’s value-driven foreign policy. Despite Finland and Sweden’s national differences, both newspapers increasingly portray China in a critical manner, particularly in the post-2017 period.
The thesis argues that the editorial representations of China are not merely descriptive, but socially constructed narratives that shape public opinion and political discourse. The identified media portrayals contribute to national understandings of China as a systemic rival, which corresponds with broader European and transatlantic narratives emerging out of the contemporary competitive geopolitical climate. By researching the evolution of China-related editorial coverage over a twelve-year period, the thesis offers new insights into the ever-changing narratives about China, the role of media in shaping international perceptions, and how editorial agendas align with shifting geopolitical realities.
Adopting a social constructionist framework, this thesis uses thematic analysis and frequency analysis to identify recurring themes and tonal patterns in the editorial coverage. The mixed-method analysis reveals eight dominant themes of which economic, security, and political orientated themes emerge as the most prominently reported. The results show that both newspapers construct narratives shaped by their domestic political contexts and broader international developments, especially in the background of deteriorating China-West relations.
The findings indicate that Helsingin Sanomat largely reflects Finland’s pragmatic and economically orientated relationship with China, while Dagens Nyheter adopts a more confrontational stance that aligns with Sweden’s value-driven foreign policy. Despite Finland and Sweden’s national differences, both newspapers increasingly portray China in a critical manner, particularly in the post-2017 period.
The thesis argues that the editorial representations of China are not merely descriptive, but socially constructed narratives that shape public opinion and political discourse. The identified media portrayals contribute to national understandings of China as a systemic rival, which corresponds with broader European and transatlantic narratives emerging out of the contemporary competitive geopolitical climate. By researching the evolution of China-related editorial coverage over a twelve-year period, the thesis offers new insights into the ever-changing narratives about China, the role of media in shaping international perceptions, and how editorial agendas align with shifting geopolitical realities.