A Comparison of Chinese and U.S. Media Narrative during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Consent to the rule of the dominant group is achieved by the spread of ideologies through social institutions. Media is one of those social institutions. In her documentary, “In the same breath”, the film artivist Nanfu Wang, echoed Gramsci's argument not only criticizing the Chinese government about their manipulation of media but the U.S. as well. Government’s often use media to tell their stories, but media can also be a tool for individuals to share their thoughts and criticism.This paper draws comparisons between the U.S. and China and looks at how those that are in power use media to try to direct the narrative. Although there are many similarities in how those in power utilize and control media in both countries, free speech and competing political parties provide more possibilities for challenging narratives in the United States than in China where challenging the mainstream narrative can come at a high cost. (Paper still in progress as of 2023)