Medals, media and myth of national images: How Chinese audiences thought of foreign countries during the Beijing Olympics

This study examines whether the performance of a country in the Olympics would affect its national image in the eyes of a Chinese audience. Guided by the theoretical perspectives of agenda setting and cultivation analysis, the project intends to test whether the highly publicized Olympic Games have a globally accepted effect of bolstering national image, as politicians and governments claim they do. Based on data from panel surveys and the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Medal Index, this study found that the overall performance of a country in the Olympic Games was positively correlated with both its current and comparative scores of national image in the minds of Chinese audiences. However, an increase in the number of medals collected during the two Olympics by developing countries did not benefit national image. Agenda setting theorizes that only a few top agendas can successfully draw attention from the public. National image is a very stable perception built by macro and long-term factors. For most countries, their overall performance in the Olympic Games varies within a limited range. As long as a developed country can stay within its tier, its national image is not likely to diminish. Meanwhile, as long as a developing country is unable to enter the “elite club” of Olympic champions, winning a few medals will not lead to a positive change in its national image.

► Country image was examined by 3 indicators: athletic ability, general strength and favorable feeling. ► Probability samples of Chinese audience in two major cities were asked to judge images of 18 representative countries before and after Beijing Olympics. ► A country's image was found positively related to the total number of medals it won in the Games, but was irrelevant to the changes in the number of medals won in the two Games of 2004 and 2008.► Medal index had highest correlation with athletic ability, followed by general strength and favor feeling.