Framing the Russia-Ukraine Conflict in Chinese Global Television Network English

This article examines the coverage of the conflict in Ukraine on the CGTN English website during the first three months (February-May 2022). Through a quantitative content analysis of 1,799 news items, this research identifies the predominant frames, social actors, and sources of information employed in the media coverage. The results reveal that the "diplomatic frame" predominates, followed by the "war frame". Over time, the "economic frame" gains more prominence, compared to the "human interest frame". Throughout these months, CGTN shifts from an impartial descriptive approach to one that attributes varying responsibility to both sides, while striving to maintain an overall neutral stance.