Framing The South China Sea: How Media Shapes Perceptions Through Rhetorical Power
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v13i2.7657Keywords:
SCS, Media, Cicero’s AmplificationAbstract
This study examines the role of media in shaping public perception of the South China Sea (SCS) dispute by analyzing the coverage of CNBC and Kompas during June and July 2020. Utilizing Cicero’s Amplification techniques such as repetition, iteration, word doubling, and gradual intensification. This research explores how these rhetorical strategies reinforce key points and shape narratives. Through a detailed discourse analysis, the study reveals that CNBC focused on global economic impacts and geopolitical rivalry, resonating with an international audience, while Kompas emphasized regional stability and ASEAN’s role, appealing to Southeast Asian readers. The findings highlight the media’s power in crafting compelling and memorable arguments, influencing public opinion on international conflicts. Limitations of the study include the analysis of only two media outlets over a specific period. Future research could expand the scope by including more media sources, extending the timeframe, and examining the impact of social media. Understanding these rhetorical strategies is crucial for policymakers, media professionals, and the public to critically assess media reports and their influence on public perception.
References
Dixon, J. (2014). East China Sea or South China Sea: They are all China’s Seas: Comparing nationalism among China’s maritime irredentist claims. National Papers, 42(6), 1053–1071.
Eden, K. (2015). Cicero’s Portion of Montaigne’s Acclaim. In Brill’s Companion to the Reception of Cicero (pp. 39–55). Brill.
Hall, J. (1994). Persuasive Design in Cicero’s "De Oratore". Phoenix, 48(3), 210–225.
Holman, E. A., Garfin, D. R., & Silver, R. C. (2014). Media’s role in broadcasting acute stress following the Boston Marathon bombings. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(1), 93–98.
Maíz-Arévalo, C. (2017). Expressive speech acts in educational e-chats. Pragmatics and Sociocultural Pragmatics, 5(2), 151–178.
Patrick, J. (2004). Insights from Cicero on Paul’s reasoning in 1 Corinthians 12–14. Tyndale Bulletin, 55, 44.
Peng, N. (2022). Nationalism in China’s South China Sea Policy: Delicate trade-off between sovereignty protection and stability maintenance. In Populism, Nationalism and South China Sea Dispute: Chinese and Southeast Asian Perspectives (pp. 5–23). Springer.
Tsfati, Y., Cohen, J., Dvir-Gvirsman, S., Tsuriel, K., Waismel-Manor, I., & Holbert, R. L. (2022). Political para-social relationship as a predictor of voting preferences in the Israeli 2019 elections. Communication Research, 49(8), 1118–1147.
Waismel-Manor, I., Tsfati, Y., & Holbert, R. L. (2016). Media’s role in crisis communication. Journal of Communication, 66(2), 353–372.
Wang, F. Y., & Womack, B. (2019). Jawing through crises: Chinese and Vietnamese media strategies in the South China Sea. *Journal of Contemporary China*, 28(119), 712–728.
Wang, F. Y., & Womack, B. (2019). Jawing through crises: Chinese and Vietnamese media strategies in the South China Sea. Journal of Contemporary China, 28(119), 712–728.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Bana Supeno, Amiruddin Hadi Wibowo

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access)
