Cognitive Gap and Differentiated Interpretation: A Comparative Study of Mainstream Media Frames in Belt and Road Initiative Co-construction Countries Based on Big Data

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-611-6_118How to use a DOI?

Keywords

The Belt and Road Initiative; Cognitive Gap; Framework Theory; Computational Communication; Sentiment Analysis

Abstract

Differences in internal perceptions among Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) participating countries are key variables influencing targeted communication and high-quality development, yet existing research largely treats these countries as a homogeneous whole. Drawing on cognitive divide theory, this study extends its unit of analysis from individual knowledge stratification to state actors, integrating framing theory with computational communication methods. Using sentiment analysis and keyword clustering, it systematically examines 1,695 English-language reports (2021–2025) from Indonesia’s Antara News, Russia’s The Moscow Times, and Greece’s Kathimerini. The findings reveal that participating countries do not constitute a monolithic ‘friendly camp’ but exhibit cognitive gradients shaped by geo-strategic autonomy, cooperation depth, and institutional embeddedness. Specifically, three cognitive structures emerge: ‘positive attachment’ (Indonesia), ‘strategic collaboration-confrontation’ (Russia), and ‘cautious acceptance and reflection’ (Greece). This study extends cognitive divide theory to state-level transnational public opinion analysis, offering theoretical and empirical foundations for understanding cognitive heterogeneity within BRI partner nations, as well as practical insights for targeted BRI communication strategies.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Yuanyuan Sun
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/07
TI  - Cognitive Gap and Differentiated Interpretation: A Comparative Study of Mainstream Media Frames in Belt and Road Initiative Co-construction Countries Based on Big Data
BT  - Proceedings of the 2026 12th International Conference on Digital Humanities and Frontiers in Social Sciences (DHFSS 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 1104
EP  - 1115
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-611-6_118
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-611-6_118
ID  - Sun2026
ER  -