NEWS DISCOURSES ON NATION BRANDING IN POST-COMMUNIST ROMANIA:FRAMES AND FUNCTION FRAMES

NEWS DISCOURSES ON NATION BRANDING IN
POST-COMMUNIST ROMANIA:
FRAMES AND FUNCTION FRAMES
Bianca Cheregi, PhD in Communication Sciences
SMART International Conference
8-9 September 2017, Timișoara, România
National University of Political Studies and Public Administration,
Bucharest, Romania
Submit your paper now! More info at: http://academia.edusoft.ro/

CONTEXT
*The Explore the Carpathian Garden campaign logo (left) and the
Change Transport logo (right)
• http://www.piticu.ro/descoperiti-diferentele-din-cele-doua-imagini.html

CONTEXT

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
RQ1
What frames are mostly used by the journalists in talking
about the theme of Romania’s nation brand?
Which function frames are the most frequent in the
coverage of Romania’s country image issue?
(Define Problems, Diagnose Causes, Make Moral Judgments,
Suggest Remedies)?
RQ2
How do the frames proposed by the Romanian journalists
define problems, diagnose causes, make moral judgments,
and suggest remedies?
RQ3

ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK
• Romania’s country image - a public problem (Boltanski, Cefaï,
Gusfield, 2001) discussed in the media after 1989 (explicit and
implicit);
• Nation branding - a step in the process of discursively
constructing the national image as a public issue (Cheregi, 2015);
• 2005: Romania’s country image – “the object of an
institutionalization process” (Beciu, 2011: 110);
• In Romania, nation branding is often mentioned because of the
constant need to reconfigure national identity (Kaneva, 2011);
• The influence of intellectuals, journalists and brand consultants in
the public debate.

• Cultural studies approach (Aronczyk, 2007; Iordanova, 2007; Jansen,
2008; Jansen, 2012; Kaneva, 2012; Kaneva & Popescu, 2011; Kania-
Lundholm, 2012; Surowiec, 2012; Volcic, 2008; Widler, 2007): nation
brand as a discourse (national identity, culture and diplomacy);
• Nations have always been preoccupied with their image on the
international stage, even if the process was not named as ”nation
branding”;
• ”reputation management”, ”competitive identity” or ”public
diplomacy” (Dinnie, 2008), ”neoliberal corpo-nationalism” or
”commercial nationalism” (Surowiec, 2012; Volcic, 2012) - instead of
”nation branding”.

• Framing analysis - Entman (1993: 52) - 4 function frames:
Define problems - determine what a causal agent is
doing with what costs and benefits;
Diagnose causes – identify the forces creating the
problem;
Make moral judgments – evaluate causal agents and
their effect;
Suggest remedies – offer and justify treatments for the
problems and predict their likely effects.
1
2
3
4

METHODOLOGY
• Data collection during January 1, 2011 – March 31, 2014;
• 53 articles about the national image building problem:
Gândul (N=6);
Adevărul (N=24);
Jurnalul Național (N=19);
Dilema Veche (N=4);

METHODOLOGY
Category Description
National Identity
The use of national heritage and symbols when talking about
the nation brand (indicators: national patrimony, identity,
national values, symbols, folk costumes, etc.)
Neoliberal
Commercialism
Referring to the nation brand in terms of the capitalist logic of
the market (indicators: destination branding, economic
development, touristic objectives, etc.)
Cultural Values
The use of artistic and intellectual pursuits in relation to the
country promotion (indicators: national writers, music festivals,
prehistorical relics, elites, etc.)
Country Image
The representation of Romania and Romanians on the
international stage (indicators: the national image, perception,
politics, stigmatization, mass-media, diaspora, etc.)

METHODOLOGY
Subcategory Description
Define Problems
Defines the topic, issue, concerns of the article or
of the parties mentioned/quoted in the article
Diagnose Causes
Identifies the forces creating the problem, defines
the reasons and causes that influence an outcome
Make Moral
Judgments Evaluate causal agents and their effects
Suggest Remedies
Offer treatments and solutions for the problems
defined and predict their likely effects

RESULTS
35%
11%
15%
39%
Frames employed by the Romanian journalists
Country Image
Cultural Values
Nationalism/National Identity
Neoliberal Commercialism

RESULTS
Define Problems Diagnose Causes Make Moral
Judgments
Suggest Remedies
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
1) The National Identity Frame

RESULTS
Define Problems Diagnose Causes Make Moral Judgments Suggest Remedies
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2) The Neoliberal Commercialism Frame

RESULTS
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Define Problems Diagnose Causes Make Moral Judgments Suggest Remedies
3) The Cultural Values Frame

RESULTS
Define Problems Diagnose Causes Make Moral
Judgments
Suggest Remedies
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
4) The Country Image Frame

RESULTS – THE NATIONAL IDENTITY FRAME
• Define Problems: The nation brand has become a national obsession
• Diagnose Causes: Romania's national heritage is not sufficiently explored in the
nation branding initiatives
• Make Moral Judgments: Romanian people themselves have a negative
perception of Romania
• Suggest Remedies: Promoting the national patrimony; Investing in the national
self-understanding.
• Expressions and choice of vocabulary: "the Romanian traditional blouse, IA,
proposed as a nation brand“; ”Romania would be different if the country brand
would not be an obsession"; "A nation's trust in its patrimony is a nation's trust
in herself".

RESULTS – THE NEOLIBERAL COMMERCIALISM FRAME
• Define Problems: The failure to promote Romania as a destination brand after
1990
• Diagnose Causes: The Ministry of Tourism has badly administered the
European funds to promote Romania overseas (for instance, it has produced
the most expensive "leaf" as a logo);
• Make Moral Judgments: The media scandal about the green "leaf" logo has
contributed to the failure of Romania's destination branding campaigns
• Suggest Remedies: Promoting Romania in Great Britain with the help of Prince
Charles; Reforming the capital market;
• Expressions and choice of vocabulary: "All the efforts to promote Romania's
nation brand resulted in a leaf"; "The country brand needs a soap".

RESULTS – THE CULTURAL VALUES FRAME
• Define Problems: Romania's nation brand is not sufficiently promoted through
cultural values;
• Diagnose Causes: Cultural symbols ("Cucuteni Culture", "Enescu Festival", and
the writer Mircea Cărtărescu) are neglected when promoting the country;
• Make Moral Judgments: The prehistorical relics of the "Cucuteni culture" are
very efficient image vectors of the nation brand; The most beautiful image of
Romania in the world is due to the Enescu Festival (a cultural brand);
• Suggest Remedies: Mircea Cărtărescu should take the place of the ”green leaf”
as a country brand for Romania; Promoting the prehistoric past through the
”Cucuteni culture”.

RESULTS – THE COUNTRY IMAGE FRAME
• Define Problems: Romania has a bad public image internationally;
• Diagnose Causes: The negative image of Romania affects the way the country
is perceived by the foreigners and by the international media;
• Make Moral Judgments: Roma people are staining Romania's image in the
world; The tabloid Western press is stigmatizing Romania for corruption and
hilarious politicians;
• Suggest Remedies: The politicians should build a transnational politics;
The politicians should work together on promoting Romania's country image
overseas;
• Expressions and choice of vocabulary: "The image of Romania affects millions of
Romanian migrants„ "Romania is considered to be one of the most corrupt
countries in Europe".

DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION
4 dominant frames emerge: (1) national identity (the use of national
heritage and symbols in relation to the nation brand), (2) neoliberal
commercialism (the marketability of nation branding initiatives), (3)
cultural values (culture as a practice involved in promoting a country),
and (4) country image (the public image of Romania internationally)
frames;
1
The Romanian journalistic discourse is built on evaluation strategies
(“Romania 2013 – at Europe’s laugh” - Adevărul, August 5, 2013, “The
international press: the fight between Basescu and Ponta ruin Romania’s
image, already considered one of the most corrupted countries” -
Adevărul, April 17, 2014)
2

2 journalist roles preferred: evaluator (using evaluation strategies to
criticize nation branding initiatives signed by the Government) and civic
(encouraging the citizens to be part of the public debate on the nation
branding issue) journalist.3
In constructing national identity discourses, the Romanian journalists
mention the importance of history (Slavonic manuscripts), architecture
(Stavropoleos Church), religion (the Orthodox traditions), and arts (the
Romanian traditional blouse ia, Tonitza’s paintings) in promoting
Romania’s country image overseas.
4

In defining Romania’s nation branding, the journalists use a
language from commercial discourses (”brand”, ”target
audiences”, ”promote the country”, ”campaigns”, ”attract tourists”)
– the ”marketization of public discourse” (Fairclough, 1993).
5
How do the journalists frame a public issue (the country
image) that impacts both the individual and the society?6

THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!
Bianca Cheregi
National University of Political Studies and Public Administration,
Bucharest, Romania
bianca.cheregi@comunicare.roEmail:

NEWS DISCOURSES ON NATION BRANDING IN POST-COMMUNIST ROMANIA:FRAMES AND FUNCTION FRAMES

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