News Coverage

First Lady Michelle Obama and her two daughters are visiting China for the first time on a week-long good will tour. I watched three news broadcasts covering their visit on NBC, ABC and CNN. 

NBC’s broadcast had reporter Kristen Welker covering the story. Her report mainly focused on the First Lady’s speech at Peking University. In her speech Mrs. Obama brought up the very controversial topic in China of free speech, which NBC considered to be a very risky move considering the country’s strict censorship regulations of the their Internet. Welker described this as unusual, considering the First Lady is not normally one to discuss controversial topics. Another significant topic Welker covered in Mrs. Obama’s speech was the missing Malaysia flight. Welker then closed her coverage live from outside the White House discussing the competing headline of the NSA’s recent hack into one of China’s largest telecommunications which could be a potential threat. 

ABC had reporter Mary Bruce, also covering live from outside the White House,. Bruce’s coverage emphasized the cultural and symbolic significance of the First Lady’s visit, reminding us that she had no formal meetings on her itinerary. Bruce then focused on Mrs. Obama’s meeting with the President of China and his wife, who she then compared Mrs. Obama to, through their fashion sense and education. Bruce closed her coverage by focusing on the positive relationship the US is trying to build up with China. 

CNN included the news of the First Lady’s visit to China briefly in Chris Cuomo’s segment “5 Things To Know For Your New Day”. Cuomo covered Mrs. Obama’s visit to a local high school in Beijing where she got to witness first hand a glimpse of China’s education system. Cuomo emphasized the importance of her trip consisting of educational and cultural exchange. 

All three coverages of the First Lady’s trip to China this past week emphasized the non-political aspect of her trip. They also maintained positive messages about her Mrs. Obama’s activity in China.