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Media Coverage of Sweden’s Temporary Aliens Act: A News Frame Analysis of Swedish Newspapers, 2016-2019

Kvist, Anna LU (2024) SOCM03 20241
Sociology
Department of Sociology
Abstract
In November 2015, during the height of the ‘[European] refugee crisis’, Sweden repositioned itself among the EU member states through its introduction of a swiftly drafted immigration law, the Temporary Alien’s Act. Met with concern, criticism and enthusiasm alike, the Temporary Act marked a distinct shift from the country’s previous immigration legislation, characterized by generous family reunification rules, towards the minimum prescribed by international and EU legislation. This paper aims to examine what themes are identifiable in printed Swedish news media on the topic of the Temporary – later turned Extended – Alien’s Act, during two selected time periods set in the years of 2016 and 2019, respectively. It additionally aims to... (More)
In November 2015, during the height of the ‘[European] refugee crisis’, Sweden repositioned itself among the EU member states through its introduction of a swiftly drafted immigration law, the Temporary Alien’s Act. Met with concern, criticism and enthusiasm alike, the Temporary Act marked a distinct shift from the country’s previous immigration legislation, characterized by generous family reunification rules, towards the minimum prescribed by international and EU legislation. This paper aims to examine what themes are identifiable in printed Swedish news media on the topic of the Temporary – later turned Extended – Alien’s Act, during two selected time periods set in the years of 2016 and 2019, respectively. It additionally aims to identify what, if any, thematic differences in reporting can be found between the two examined years. In order to achieve this, a mixed-methods news frame analysis was performed on a selection of articles from six major Swedish newspapers.

Results find the frames conflict and attribution of responsibility to be the most commonly occurring frames for both years, whereas the human interest frame was found less frequently employed than suggested by previous research. Throughout the material, collective language, often with naturalistic connotations, is applied to refer to immigrants and refugees, rendering those directly affected by the legislation changes in the Act largely anonymous in media. Between 2016 and 2019 a shift in perspective is identified, characterized by a normalization of the Act over time along with an increased focus on domestic politics. Lastly, the portrayal of immigration and immigrants as a cultural threat, explicitly emphasized through the discourse centered on ‘Swedish values’, indicates the adoption of right-wing rhetoric by mainstream media and politicians. (Less)
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author
Kvist, Anna LU
supervisor
organization
course
SOCM03 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
immigration, news framing, Temporary Alien’s Act, media coverage, public policy, Sweden
language
English
id
9175716
date added to LUP
2024-09-30 15:27:35
date last changed
2024-09-30 15:27:35
@misc{9175716,
  abstract     = {{In November 2015, during the height of the ‘[European] refugee crisis’, Sweden repositioned itself among the EU member states through its introduction of a swiftly drafted immigration law, the Temporary Alien’s Act. Met with concern, criticism and enthusiasm alike, the Temporary Act marked a distinct shift from the country’s previous immigration legislation, characterized by generous family reunification rules, towards the minimum prescribed by international and EU legislation. This paper aims to examine what themes are identifiable in printed Swedish news media on the topic of the Temporary – later turned Extended – Alien’s Act, during two selected time periods set in the years of 2016 and 2019, respectively. It additionally aims to identify what, if any, thematic differences in reporting can be found between the two examined years. In order to achieve this, a mixed-methods news frame analysis was performed on a selection of articles from six major Swedish newspapers.

Results find the frames conflict and attribution of responsibility to be the most commonly occurring frames for both years, whereas the human interest frame was found less frequently employed than suggested by previous research. Throughout the material, collective language, often with naturalistic connotations, is applied to refer to immigrants and refugees, rendering those directly affected by the legislation changes in the Act largely anonymous in media. Between 2016 and 2019 a shift in perspective is identified, characterized by a normalization of the Act over time along with an increased focus on domestic politics. Lastly, the portrayal of immigration and immigrants as a cultural threat, explicitly emphasized through the discourse centered on ‘Swedish values’, indicates the adoption of right-wing rhetoric by mainstream media and politicians.}},
  author       = {{Kvist, Anna}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Media Coverage of Sweden’s Temporary Aliens Act: A News Frame Analysis of Swedish Newspapers, 2016-2019}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}