Imaged and imagined threat to the nation: the media construction of the ‘foreign brides' phenomenon’ as social problems in Taiwan

Abstract By analyzing the media construction of the ‘foreign brides phenomenon,’ this paper examines ‘what’ is described in the media, ‘how’ it is constructed, and ‘why’ this construction seems believable in Taiwan. Based on the narrative analysis of the media reports of the ‘foreign brides’ phenomenon, this paper argues that ‘social problems’ are products of ‘interpretative work’ accomplished by various effective narrative strategies, including overlapping media coverage, authorizing description, fabricated statistics and equivocal wording, and collaboration with governmental agencies. The Taiwanese media construct the ‘foreign brides phenomenon’ as a social problem. The brides are portrayed either as passive victims or materialist gold‐diggers, and prone to committing crimes, while the bridegrooms are portrayed as the ‘socially undesirable,’ including physically or mentally disabled, and morally inferior. Personal interaction with media workers helps deepen the analysis into the dynamic process of media construction, revealing the power struggles over reality construction. It further analyzes the national anxiety behind these media constructions, explaining why the media constantly construct the ‘foreign brides’ as social problems and threats to Taiwanese society.