Analysis of the Documentary in the Transmission of Cultural Heritage to Shape National Image from the Perspective of International Communication—Take CCTV-4 Around China Program as Case Study

Abstract

In the context of globalization, information flows freely through digital media. The approach for nations to build their national image and strengthen their soft power through cultural communication is changing rapidly. This article tries to explore the ability of the documentary to shape national image by recording and inheriting its culture. It takes the Chinese documentary program CCTV-4 Around China as a case study, and combines the content analysis method to reveal the impact of the documentary on shaping the authentic national image through cultural inheritance and on its international communication. The results of the study show that the documentary plays an important role in providing cultural richness to a nation’s cultural heritage, naturally integrating the discourse and activities of local communities and presenting an authentic and attractive national image to the world. However, the international communication power is still weak for the shortcomings of the documentary itself, and more research space should be expanded from the dimensions of cultural heritage, local communities’ cultivation, and the perspective of international communication function, which are different from the previous studies. Overall, the documentary can enhance the cultural, cultivation, and communication functions to shape the national image through the interplay between cultural heritage transmission and cross-cultural international communication. It engages both domestic and international audiences in the construction process, shaping the national self-image internally and the other-image externally. Documentary will have a greater political and cultural impact in the digital future.