Can the World Expo change a city's image through foreign media reports?

Hosting global events like the World Expo is a new form of public relations for cities, but few studies have been conducted to explore the extent to which they can change the content of media reports and media attitudes toward city image. We conducted a content analysis of all Shanghai-related news reports from November 2009 to April 2011 on 30 English newspapers in 10 countries. We found a few interesting discoveries. First, the Shanghai Expo 2010 did affect newspapers’ agenda-building, with the Expo being the topic of most reports and the most important news before and during the Expo. Second, the Expo brought changes to the news frames of newspapers, but the changes were still constrained by media practices. Third, the Expo improved newspapers’ attitudes toward Shanghai's city image, particularly toward the city's potential. Finally and most importantly, global events such as the Expo do have a significant impact on the content and attitudes of newspaper reports, but a single event cannot produce long-lasting effects. Therefore improving city image requires “better actions than just better words.”

► We analyze the content of news from 30 English newspapers in 10 countries.
► Global events play significant roles in agenda building when they are being held.
► Global events influence news frames which were also constrained by media practices.
► Global events improve city images in news reports, but the impact did not last.
► In building and spreading a city's image, actions speak louder than words.