An ideological square analysis of the podcast discourse in Chinese Dreams of the BBC World Service

Employing the ideological square model (Van Dijk, 1998, 2000), this article examines polarization strategies of positive and negative representations of 'us' and 'them' in ideological discourse on the rise of China by Western media. We analyzed discourse properties in the narratives of five podcast episodes of the BBC World Service about the Chinese Dream, one episode each on Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, and Kenya. The results revealed prevalent negative representations of 'them' - emphasizing negative characteristics and de-emphasizing positive ones of China. However, discourse strategies of emphasizing positive characteristics about 'us' and de-emphasizing negative things about 'us' were only found in Australia and Canada. The podcasts hardly avoided discussing negative aspects of India, Indonesia, and Kenya. In doing so, the BBC's ideological discourse excluded these countries from 'us.' Our study indicates that the ideological square approach is not only useful to elucidate discourses behind positive and negative representations of 'us' and 'them' but also can identify nuances in discursive construction of 'us.'

Automated summary

Using the ideological square model, this article examines the polarization strategies of positive and negative representations of 'us' and 'them' in ideological discourse on the rise of China by Western media. The results reveal prevalent negative representations of China, emphasizing negative characteristics and de-emphasizing positive ones. However, strategies of emphasizing positive characteristics about 'us' and de-emphasizing negative aspects of 'us' were only found in Australia and Canada. The study highlights the exclusion of India, Indonesia, and Kenya from the category of 'us' in the BBC's ideological discourse.