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Constructing clickable criminal trials: : Framing trials and legal professionals in digital news reports

Flower, Lisa LU orcid (2023) In Emotions and Society 5(1). p.48-66
Abstract
Journalistic live blogging entails the conundrum of capturing emotions in a context where they should be absent in order to snap up the sensational in the subtle drama of the courtroom and present it in a way that attracts readers, thus making it clickable.
Applying an inductive frame analysis of live blogs and drawing on criteria of newsworthiness and an emotion sociological framework, this article shows two frames of understanding criminal trials are constructed in live blogs: prosecutorial power and teamwork. These frames serve to construct and reconstruct understandings of criminal trials in Sweden. The frames are partially embedded in the legal sphere thereby reproducing the ideological underpinnings of unemotional rationality... (More)
Journalistic live blogging entails the conundrum of capturing emotions in a context where they should be absent in order to snap up the sensational in the subtle drama of the courtroom and present it in a way that attracts readers, thus making it clickable.
Applying an inductive frame analysis of live blogs and drawing on criteria of newsworthiness and an emotion sociological framework, this article shows two frames of understanding criminal trials are constructed in live blogs: prosecutorial power and teamwork. These frames serve to construct and reconstruct understandings of criminal trials in Sweden. The frames are partially embedded in the legal sphere thereby reproducing the ideological underpinnings of unemotional rationality whilst concomitantly conveying a more contemporary understanding wherein reason and emotion are conflated. The study shows further that the media frame shapes how criminal trials are reported in live blogs leading to a somewhat distorted understanding of trials being conveyed. Legal professionals are made newsworthy by drawing on news values, in particular on emotionalization, which constitutes a crucial tool for the live blogging journalist. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
frames, digital, criminal trials, emotionalization, newsworthiness
in
Emotions and Society
volume
5
issue
1
pages
48 - 66
publisher
Bristol University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85152075977
ISSN
2631-6897
DOI
10.1332/263169021X16716240161267
project
Direct From the Courtroom
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4cd612c2-5865-4cb2-b65e-bd7c897944fa
date added to LUP
2023-01-23 13:11:54
date last changed
2023-10-26 14:53:37
@article{4cd612c2-5865-4cb2-b65e-bd7c897944fa,
  abstract     = {{Journalistic live blogging entails the conundrum of capturing emotions in a context where they should be absent in order to snap up the sensational in the subtle drama of the courtroom and present it in a way that attracts readers, thus making it clickable.<br/>Applying an inductive frame analysis of live blogs and drawing on criteria of newsworthiness and an emotion sociological framework, this article shows two frames of understanding criminal trials are constructed in live blogs: prosecutorial power and teamwork. These frames serve to construct and reconstruct understandings of criminal trials in Sweden. The frames are partially embedded in the legal sphere thereby reproducing the ideological underpinnings of unemotional rationality whilst concomitantly conveying a more contemporary understanding wherein reason and emotion are conflated. The study shows further that the media frame shapes how criminal trials are reported in live blogs leading to a somewhat distorted understanding of trials being conveyed. Legal professionals are made newsworthy by drawing on news values, in particular on emotionalization, which constitutes a crucial tool for the live blogging journalist.}},
  author       = {{Flower, Lisa}},
  issn         = {{2631-6897}},
  keywords     = {{frames; digital; criminal trials; emotionalization; newsworthiness}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{48--66}},
  publisher    = {{Bristol University Press}},
  series       = {{Emotions and Society}},
  title        = {{Constructing clickable criminal trials: : Framing trials and legal professionals in digital news reports}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/135587252/Clickable_courts_Author_s_original_version.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1332/263169021X16716240161267}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}