Beijing in preparation for the 2008 Olympics : a study of newspaper content and themes in the People's Daily

This study systematically analyses coverage by the People’s Daily of the Olympics in the lead-up to the Beijing 2008 Games, as part of a wider study of perceptions and journalistic practices in China. Using a quantitative approach, the paper focuses on the preparatory phase of the Beijing Olympics in order to identify reporting trends across a range of content categories. While this study confirms the centrality of Beijing as the dominant site of influence and prestige in the context of the forthcoming Olympics, it also identifies a complementary shift in coverage towards other parts of China, as a conscious means of fostering national unity and promoting traditional culture in the lead-up to the 2008 Games.