Abstract
We still know relatively little of the discursive processes that take place in representations of ‘corruption’ in the media. Based on a critical discursive analysis of the media coverage of a corruption scandal in the Norwegian alcohol monopoly, this study highlights four discursive contests around which sense was made of alleged corruption: (1) definitions of corruption, (2) organizational hierarchy and power abuse, (3) state/market relations, and (4) national moral identity. These contests illustrate not only the meaning‐making processes involved in articulating controversial organizational activities as instances of corruption, but also the catalysing and symbolic functions of such articulations in ongoing public debates. Based on the findings, it is argued that the scandal was not about corruption in particular, but rather unfolded as a materialization of wider social, political, and historical concerns and controversies. While the findings are context‐specific, similar processes are also likely to characterize media discussions of corruption more generally.
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