Critical Media Literacy in Motion: Chinese International Students Negotiating Transnational Media

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Exploring Tensions and Agency in Media Literacy

Abstract

This study investigates how Chinese international graduate students in the United States develop critical media literacy as they engage with diverse media discourses in transnational contexts. Drawing on a conceptual framework that bridges critical media literacy and transnationalism, this qualitative research analyzes data from interviews, reflective diaries, and focus group discussions. Findings reveal that students routinely negotiate and reinterpret sociopolitical narratives as they transition from China’s tightly controlled media ecosystem to the comparatively pluralistic U.S. media landscape. These experiences prompt critical reflection, challenge prior assumptions, and catalyze deeper sociopolitical awareness. The study underscores the role of higher education in fostering critical media competencies and highlights the situated, dynamic nature of media engagement in transnational educational trajectories.

Authors

• Huan Gao, University of Memphis

• Nuo Xu, Bowling Green State University