Trump’s Tariffs in the Media Frames: A Comparative Study of the Wall Street Journal and China Daily through Entman’s Framework

Abstract

US tariff policy is one of the much-debated topic in international media from the start of 2025 concerning economic and geopolitical narratives. Media plays an important role in framing the issues and influencing the discussion around these topics in this heated environment. This research focuses on comparative framing analysis of WJS and Daily China with reference to Trump’s tariff policy. This study employs a quantitative content analysis approach to examine how Trump’s tariff policy was framed in China Daily and WJS. The focus is on identifying the types and frequency of frames in both newspapers to uncover differences in media representation between the U.S. and Chinese press. Endman’s four framing function including problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation and treatment has been employed. Finding shows that both the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and China Daily mainly view the US tariff policy as harmful and blame Trump for its negative effects on American businesses and the global economy. The moral perspectives in WJS and Daily China show a Neo Liberal stance which depicts US tariffs as harmful to industries and global trade.

Keywords: US Tariff, American Policy, Protectionism, Trade War, Global Economy