Author(s)

Yufeng Dong, Yitian Lin

Corresponding Author

Yufeng Dong

Abstract

This paper centers on how the Chinese media and the U.S. media covers the reports of the marginal groups and their possible strategies to bring the “ignored group” back to the public’s view. The paper will start with introducing the definition of the “marginal man” as well as how media belongs to different historical and cultural backgrounds adapt the concept and categorized the “marginal group” differently. It is worth mentioning that the meaning of the “marginal group” is also subject to change when a sudden global health emergency outbroke. Then the article will relate symbol interactionism to the changing perception of the concepts as well as facts, and how media should use the theory to better introduce the marginal group’s stories. Lastly, this paper points out some challenges such reports may face under the current situation of “information cocoons”.

Keywords

Marginal group, Covid-19 pandemic, Symbolic interactionism, Information cocoons