In the eye of the beholder: How news media exposure and audience schema affect the image of the United States among the Chinese public

This study presents a theoretical framework that examines foreign publics' use of foreign news from domestic media and preexisting schema to form an image of another nation. To test the proposed theoretical framework, we examined Chinese citizens' image of the United States using the data from a survey collected from a representative sample of Chinese adults. The findings suggest that the role of foreign news from domestic media is conditional on preexisting schema, including individuals' patriotism and whether they have traveled to the United States. We conclude by discussing the implications of the results for research investigating national image and stakeholders interested in predictors of national image.