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"Persona non Greta" - En kritisk diskursanalys av svensk medias rapportering om Greta Thunberg

Velinder, Anna LU (2025) HEKK03 20242
Department of Human Geography
Human Ecology
Abstract
This thesis studies the different discourses prevalent in Swedish mass media, regarding climate activist Greta Thunberg and her stance in support for Palestine in the late autumn of 2023. The study is done using the methodology and theoretical framework of critical discourse analysis, CDA, stating that language never is neutral and can be used to exercise power over groups of people. In the case of this study, one assumption is that media outlets use language as a way of either supporting or condemning Greta’s statements in support of Palestine and, in doing so, try to influence which issues she and other climate activists take a stand on. The thesis takes departure in the idea of post-politics, as a way of examining how ideals and... (More)
This thesis studies the different discourses prevalent in Swedish mass media, regarding climate activist Greta Thunberg and her stance in support for Palestine in the late autumn of 2023. The study is done using the methodology and theoretical framework of critical discourse analysis, CDA, stating that language never is neutral and can be used to exercise power over groups of people. In the case of this study, one assumption is that media outlets use language as a way of either supporting or condemning Greta’s statements in support of Palestine and, in doing so, try to influence which issues she and other climate activists take a stand on. The thesis takes departure in the idea of post-politics, as a way of examining how ideals and discourses of politic neutrality affects the attitudes towards the climate movement. The study concludes that Swedish media outlets, especially those who are to the right on the political spectrum, but also those who are politically “neutral”, tend to be critical towards the idea of climate activists like Greta engaging in topics such as Palestine, expressing this using derogatory or delegitimizing language. They reproduce the idea that the climate movement should be separated from other political questions, while the left-leaning writers express a positive attitude towards Greta’s standpoint and emphasizes the inherent political nature of the climate issue. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Velinder, Anna LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
"Persona non Greta" - A critical discourse analysis of Swedish media reports on Greta Thunberg
course
HEKK03 20242
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Critical discourse analysis, Greta Thunberg, Palestine, Fridays for Future, post-politics, mass media
language
Swedish
id
9180867
date added to LUP
2025-01-22 13:14:36
date last changed
2025-01-22 13:14:36
@misc{9180867,
  abstract     = {{This thesis studies the different discourses prevalent in Swedish mass media, regarding climate activist Greta Thunberg and her stance in support for Palestine in the late autumn of 2023. The study is done using the methodology and theoretical framework of critical discourse analysis, CDA, stating that language never is neutral and can be used to exercise power over groups of people. In the case of this study, one assumption is that media outlets use language as a way of either supporting or condemning Greta’s statements in support of Palestine and, in doing so, try to influence which issues she and other climate activists take a stand on. The thesis takes departure in the idea of post-politics, as a way of examining how ideals and discourses of politic neutrality affects the attitudes towards the climate movement. The study concludes that Swedish media outlets, especially those who are to the right on the political spectrum, but also those who are politically “neutral”, tend to be critical towards the idea of climate activists like Greta engaging in topics such as Palestine, expressing this using derogatory or delegitimizing language. They reproduce the idea that the climate movement should be separated from other political questions, while the left-leaning writers express a positive attitude towards Greta’s standpoint and emphasizes the inherent political nature of the climate issue.}},
  author       = {{Velinder, Anna}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{"Persona non Greta" - En kritisk diskursanalys av svensk medias rapportering om Greta Thunberg}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}