Finding Legitimacy : Discourse Analysis on Authoritarian Legitimacy in Chinese State-run Media News Articles

Abstract: This thesis seeks to examine the construction of legitimization strategies in Chinese state-run media connected to China’s role and efforts in international climate change negotiations. To understand how authoritarian environmentalism is legitimized, i.e., constructed, the thesis uses discourse analysis and three legitimization strategies to analyze the material and found that China is being legitimized through emphasizes on how China is a capable, responsible, and committed climate actor. It shows how China is perceived as a potential climate leader with the ability to lead the international climate community. The thesis also found that the Chinese state-run newspaper shifts blame surrounding historical emissions and sufficient change onto developed countries. Lastly, the thesis also shows how two of the strategies are being enhanced by a third strategy by using quotes from elites to validate the claims made in the state-run newspaper. The findings in this study are important because it can give a deeper understanding of how authoritarian environmentalism can be constructed as an effective approach for dealing with the threat of climate change and how authoritarian regimes can maintain power without using coercive measures.