Shaping and reshaping narratives: media coverage of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games

Abstract

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics offer a unique lens to examine media portrayals of China as a host nation amidst global polarisation and nationalism, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our special issue explores these dynamics through four key themes: (1) Western English-language media sentiment towards China during the pandemic; (2) the influence of China–US relations on China's portrayal in US media across two Olympic Games; (3) Chinese social media fandoms as a method to decolonise sports communication studies; and (4) the representation of foreign athletes of Chinese origin amidst rising Chinese nationalism. We critically assess how racism, nationalism, and bilateral relations intersect to shape media narratives of the Olympics, with China as the host.