From the “Eldest Son of the Republic” to the “In Need of Revitalization” Northeast: The Landscape Production of the Northeast Regional Image in the People’s Daily
In recent years, the portrayal of the Northeast has become a focal point in various media texts, deeply influencing public perceptions of the region. Based on the theory of landscape society, this article conceptualizes the Northeast as portrayed in various media as the “Landscape Northeast,” employing big data analysis methods to focus on how the media image of the Northeast has been constructed in the People’s Daily since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The study finds that the regional image of the Northeast in People’s Daily reports has transformed from being the “Eldest Son of the Republic,” representing the vanguard of China’s economic development, to being a pioneer of reform, actively embracing the wave of reforms, and finally to an “ailing” region in need of support during the Northeast revitalization process. Policy development and economic trends are the primary factors influencing the image of the Northeast. Beyond policy, depictions related to the everyday lives of the people rarely make it into the reporting framework of the People’s Daily.