Asia-Pacific, external perceptions, EU, news media, public opinion
Abstract
Addressing an under-researched theme of international images and perceptions of the EU, this paper scrutinizes the framings of the Union endorsed in the news media and expressed by the general public in the two East Asian OECD countries – Japan and South Korea. Conclusions indicate that the EU’s importance and presence is often underestimated in the region, and frequently seen in terms of ‘economic muscle’ only. The empirical data comes from a trans-national comparative research project, sponsored by the Asia-Europe foundation (ASEF). The research framework is interdisciplinary, drawing resources from critical discourse analysis, media and image studies, EU scholarship and political science
Author Biographies
Natalia Chaban, University of Canterbury
PhD
Senior Lecturer
Deputy Director
National Centre for Research on Europe
University of Canterbury, New Zealand
Christian Elias Schneider, Multidisciplinary Department of European Studies
Christian Elias Schneider is a recent graduate of the NCRE BA (Honours) programme. His Honours thesis focused on the studies of the South Korean public opinion on the EU. This investigation was conducted within the framework of the trans-national research project “Public, Elite and Media Perceptions of the EU in Asia Pacific Region”. As an MA student, Christian will be associated with the Multidisciplinary Department of European Studies at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand continuing his studies of the EU-Asia relations.
Richard Malthus, National Centre for Research on Europe University of Canterbury
Richard Malthus is a recent graduate of the NCRE BA (Honours) programme. His Honours thesis focused on the studies of the EU media framings in the Japanese press. This investigation was conducted within the framework of the trans-national research project “Public, Elite and Media Perceptions of the EU in Asia Pacific Region”. As an MA student, Richard is associated with the NCRE continuing his studies of the EU-Japan relations.
