1 Introduction

It introduces the importance of discourse in social practice activities, pointing out that news discourse is a specific type of discourse whose "event facts" are ideological constructions. The definition of the discourse subject is elaborated, emphasizing that news discourse analysis requires identifying the discourse subject, analyzing its types and regional distribution characteristics, while also paying attention to the quoting subject to reveal power structures and ideological stances. This study is based on the global food security reports in China Daily from March 11, 2021, to December 31, 2024, aiming to analyze the types and distribution characteristics of discourse subjects, explore the underlying social and cultural causes, and reveal the image of Chinese news discourse.

2 Literature Review

It provides an in-depth discussion of theories related to news discourse and its subjects. First, it elaborates on the definition and essential characteristics of news discourse, including non-individuality, institutional nature, subjectivity, and persuasiveness, emphasizing its role as public discourse in social construction. Next, it introduces Goffman's definition of the speaker's role in verbal communication and the particularity of the news discourse subject, pointing out that the true subject of news discourse is the information source. Then, it reviews the research history of news discourse subjects in China, covering three aspects: translation and introduction, macro discussions, and empirical studies, highlighting the shortcomings of existing research. Finally, it introduces the background and significance of this study, emphasizing the necessity of researching discourse subjects in China Daily's global food security reports to provide academic support for understanding the role of Chinese media in constructing international discourse power.

3 Research Design

It elaborates on the design of the study on China Daily's global food security reports. The research subjects are 351 articles retrieved and screened using food security-related keywords from March 11, 2021, to December 31, 2024, forming a corpus of 204,963 tokens after data cleaning. The research method adopts a corpus research paradigm, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitative research uses the AntConc tool, with cross-evaluation by three individuals to ensure reliability, while qualitative research integrates news discourse theory and a three-dimensional analytical framework. The study aims to answer three questions regarding the regional attributes and distribution of discourse subjects in China Daily's global food security reports, as well as the image of Chinese news discourse they shape.

4 Results and Discussion

It provides an in-depth analysis of the discourse subjects in China Daily's global food security reports. In terms of the regional attributes of discourse subjects, the study found that domestic discourse subjects appear most frequently, approximately 6 times more than foreign discourse subjects and 7 times more than international organization discourse subjects, while the "other" category appears least frequently. As a Chinese media outlet for external propaganda, China Daily bears the mission of spreading China's voice and guiding global public opinion, which explains the dominant position of domestic discourse subjects in its reports. At the same time, food security is a global issue that receives high attention from governments and international organizations worldwide. China Daily's reports reflect a global perspective and an open, transparent attitude. International organizations play a significant role in food security issues, and their discourse subjects emphasize the severity of global food security and the necessity of cooperation through data and appeals. Further analysis of the national characteristics of foreign discourse subjects reveals that discourse subjects from developing countries appear slightly more frequently than those from developed countries. This may be because food security issues are more vulnerable in developing countries, with a higher proportion of the population facing hunger, while developed countries hold greater discourse power in global food security issues. For example, the United States controls most of the global food market, and the statements of its officials significantly influence public opinion. In terms of the types and distribution of discourse subjects, the study found that discourse subjects exhibit diversity, comprehensiveness, and professionalism, covering different categories such as officials, experts and scholars, the public, and enterprises. Among these, official discourse subjects constitute the majority, which helps enhance the authority and credibility of news reports. Discourse subjects from experts and scholars rank second after officials, contributing to the professionalism and persuasiveness of the reports. The public as discourse subjects can evoke emotional resonance among readers, improving the readability and authenticity of the news. Enterprises, as important participants in the food industry chain, have the lowest frequency of discourse subject usage, but this also reflects their significant role in food security. The distribution of weights among different types of discourse subjects is uneven, with significant differences in the frequency of similar domestic and foreign discourse subjects, reflecting the stance and tendencies of the reporters.

5 Conclusion

It summarizes the characteristics of discourse subjects in China Daily's global food security reports during the specified period: First, the regional distribution is comprehensive, reflecting a global perspective, with a high proportion of domestic subjects; second, the subjects are diverse, primarily officials and experts, while also including enterprises and the public, with domestic subjects being used most frequently; third, the clarity is high, with frequent citations enhancing authenticity; fourth, it is recommended to increase the weight of ordinary people and enterprises to improve the readability, interactivity, and persuasiveness of the reports.