Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: According to his numerous critics, media mogul Henry Luce was an unapologetic promoter of Chinese General Chiang Kai-shek and his ruling Chinese Nationalist party during the pre-war, World War II, and Chinese civil war eras. Critics harshly accused Luce of using his Time, Inc. media empire, particularly Time Magazine, to promote Chiang and his Nationalist government to the American people despite increasing evidence of rampant corruption, extortion, and incompetence within the regime. It is said that Luce used Chiang and his wife, Madame Chiang, in his print publications to help Americans and the American government identify and connect with China thus in turn support the regime in spirit and with financial resources. This paper analyzes the ten Time magazine issues that feature General Chiang on the front covers and looks for evidence of a Luce and Time magazine agenda in the construction and substance of the covers. The results of this visual analysis indicate that there is some evidence of just such a supportive agenda.