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The Story of the Gun

Ado, Kriv LU (2024) CCRM20 20241
Sociology
Abstract
This study examines how Swedish media reported on gun violence in criminal gangs from a brief view of the 1990s, the early 2000s, to 2023. Its goal is to see how these stories have changed over time and how they affect people's thoughts and actions. There is little research on this topic; therefore, this study fills an important gap. It examines news articles from major Swedish newspapers and uses ideas about moral panic, crisis stories, and signs and symbols to
understand these media reports. The sampling initially consisted of 250 articles. However, when coding the data, this sample size was narrowed down.
The findings show several important trends. In the 1990s, news stories mostly focused on the worry of military guns being stolen... (More)
This study examines how Swedish media reported on gun violence in criminal gangs from a brief view of the 1990s, the early 2000s, to 2023. Its goal is to see how these stories have changed over time and how they affect people's thoughts and actions. There is little research on this topic; therefore, this study fills an important gap. It examines news articles from major Swedish newspapers and uses ideas about moral panic, crisis stories, and signs and symbols to
understand these media reports. The sampling initially consisted of 250 articles. However, when coding the data, this sample size was narrowed down.
The findings show several important trends. In the 1990s, news stories mostly focused on the worry of military guns being stolen and used by criminals, with calls for stricter rules. In the 2000s, the stories shifted to talk about gang wars and fights for control, showing gangs as organized and strategic. The 2010s saw more crisis stories, with reports of innocent people, especially children and young people, getting caught in gun violence. By the 2020s, the media reported that gangs were targeting innocent family members of criminals, making the situation seem even scarier. This study shows how important the media is in shaping how we understand gun violence and why we need strong plans to solve this problem. By looking at
how these stories have changed, this research helps us understand how society and leaders respond to gun violence in Sweden. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Ado, Kriv LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
A Study of Media Narratives on Gun Violence among Swedish Criminal Gangs
course
CCRM20 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Gun Violence, Media Narratives, Criminal Gangs, Moral Panic, Moral Regulation, Crisis Narratives, Semiology, Apocalyptic Narratives
language
English
id
9168388
date added to LUP
2024-06-26 10:46:29
date last changed
2024-06-26 10:46:29
@misc{9168388,
  abstract     = {{This study examines how Swedish media reported on gun violence in criminal gangs from a brief view of the 1990s, the early 2000s, to 2023. Its goal is to see how these stories have changed over time and how they affect people's thoughts and actions. There is little research on this topic; therefore, this study fills an important gap. It examines news articles from major Swedish newspapers and uses ideas about moral panic, crisis stories, and signs and symbols to 
understand these media reports. The sampling initially consisted of 250 articles. However, when coding the data, this sample size was narrowed down. 
The findings show several important trends. In the 1990s, news stories mostly focused on the worry of military guns being stolen and used by criminals, with calls for stricter rules. In the 2000s, the stories shifted to talk about gang wars and fights for control, showing gangs as organized and strategic. The 2010s saw more crisis stories, with reports of innocent people, especially children and young people, getting caught in gun violence. By the 2020s, the media reported that gangs were targeting innocent family members of criminals, making the situation seem even scarier. This study shows how important the media is in shaping how we understand gun violence and why we need strong plans to solve this problem. By looking at 
how these stories have changed, this research helps us understand how society and leaders respond to gun violence in Sweden.}},
  author       = {{Ado, Kriv}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Story of the Gun}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}