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I then analyzed the relationship between distinct types of moral and threat language and longitudinal polling data on Americans\u2019 attitudes toward China. The results reveal a unified pattern: both liberal- and conservative-leaning outlets employed more binding than individualizing moral language, and emphasized realistic threats over symbolic threats when covering China. However, it is symbolic threat language that more strongly correlates with negative attitudes toward China. Furthermore, realistic threat language only predicted negative attitudes when accompanied by sufficient levels of moral language, with this relationship intensifying as moral language increased. The findings offer insights into the moral and threat dimensions of foreign news and public opinion towards foreign countries, highlighting a critical and complex interplay between these elements in a global context.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1027\/1864-1105\/a000494","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,31]],"date-time":"2025-10-31T07:01:40Z","timestamp":1761894100000},"page":"356-372","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Rival as Villain \u2013 How Moral and Threat Language in American News Coverage Relates to American Attitudes Toward China"],"prefix":"10.1027","volume":"37","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7501-8967","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Xining","family":"Liao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA"}]}],"member":"101","reference":[{"key":"c1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/pnasnexus\/pgae245"},{"key":"c2","volume-title":"We\u2019re not judging lines anymore: Moral mandates reduce conformity to the group","author":"Aramovich N. 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