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Cultural Empathy Strategies in International Communication: A Comparative Study of BBC and CGTN: Balancing “Local Emotions” and “Universal Values”in the Context of Globalization



Author(s)

XIAO Shufang

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DOI:10.17265/2328-2177/2025.07.006

Software Engineering Institute of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, China

This comparative study examines cultural empathy strategies employed by two major international broadcasters—BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and CGTN (China Global Television Network)—in their efforts to balance local emotional resonance with universal values in global communication. Through a mixed-methods approach combining content analysis of 2,400 news reports, interviews with 32 media professionals, and audience reception studies across 15 countries, this research investigates how international media organizations navigate the complex terrain of cross-cultural communication in an increasingly interconnected world. The findings reveal significant differences in empathy strategies: BBC employs a “universalist-localized” approach emphasizing shared human experiences while maintaining Western liberal values, achieving 67.3% cross-cultural resonance scores, while CGTN adopts a “particularist-global” strategy highlighting cultural diversity within a framework of mutual understanding, achieving 61.8% resonance scores. Both organizations face challenges in balancing authentic cultural representation with audience accessibility, managing 73.4% and 68.9% cultural authenticity ratings respectively. The study identifies five key empathy strategies: narrative localization, cultural bridging, emotional universalization, value harmonization, and contextual adaptation. Results indicate that successful cultural empathy requires sophisticated understanding of target audiences’ cultural schemas while maintaining editorial authenticity. The research contributes to international communication theory by proposing a Cultural Empathy Framework (CEF) that explains how media organizations can effectively navigate the tension between local emotions and universal values in global broadcasting contexts.

cultural empathy, international communication, BBC, CGTN, cross-cultural media, globalization, local emotions, universal values, cultural bridging, media diplomacy