"Pandemisk paranoia"? En analyse av nyhetsomtalen av "svineinfluensaen" i norske aviser
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2011Metadata
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Hornmoen, H. (2011). "Pandemisk paranoia"? En analyse av nyhetsomtalen av "svineinfluensaen" i norske aviser. Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning, 52 (1) https://doi.org/10.18261/ISSN1504-291X-2011-01-02Abstract
The study analyzes how a selection of Norwegian newspapers represented the swine flu in two critical phases in 2009. The analysis suggests how the news coverage was one-dimensional. Little space was provided for critical perspectives. With some exceptions in the subscription-based Stavanger Aftenblad and Aftenposten, the newspapers barely included lay perspectives. Information from health authorities was amplified in a crisis discourse, a key function seemingly being to scare people into precautionary action. A rhetoric of fear was most pronounced in the tabloids Dagbladet and VG, whereas Aftenposten’s coverage could appear as a confusing mixture of alarming and comforting messages. However, the analysis indicates how Stavanger Aftenblad in a different way than the other papers could represent lay persons as responsible citizens. To a greater extent, Stavanger Aftenblad’s coverage lived up to dialogical ideals of risk communication and journalism.