Qualitative Media Analysis Research Articles

Mediated public perceptions of police encampment clearances in Canada and France: a cross-national study

ABSTRACT This qualitative study investigates public perceptions of police encampment clearances in Canada and France. Our focus is on how YouTube users in these two countries judge police conduct in response to videos of police clearing encampments. Research on police public perceptions and police legitimacy typically focuses on public views of the police institution and perceptions stemming from direct interactions with officers. An analysis of YouTube comments on police intervention videos offers important insights into a relatively unexplored intermediate case: the mediated judgements on concrete, specific police action from individuals outside of the perceived police intervention. Further, the scholarship specifically examining social media and public perceptions of policing in cross-national contexts is almost nonexistent. To address these gaps, we ask the following: What do comments on YouTube in response to videos of police encampment clearances reveal about police legitimacy in Canada and France as perceived by social media users? A total of 8,091 user-generated comments across 25 Canadian YouTube videos and 7,086 comments across 29 French YouTube videos were collected, sorted, and examined using qualitative media analysis. Our analysis confirms that the issue of police legitimacy generates dissensus and polarisation. It demonstrates that public perceptions of the legitimacy of the police clearance are strongly tied to the legitimacy of the encampment itself, and more broadly to moral judgements about the groups targeted by the police. Our findings also reveal that French police are more often perceived as violent than their Canadian counterparts.

Australian news media portrayals of filicide: depictions of mental health and the flawed mother trope

In reporting cases of filicide, the news media often relies on dominant cultural discourses that situate offenders within expected gender roles. This stereotypical framing can influence public perception of offenders and amplify outdated gendered expectations. This paper examines the portrayal of male and female filicide offenders, with a focus on depictions of mental health and the ‘flawed mother’ trope. The study drew from a sample of 103 Australian news media articles published between 2004 and 2021. Qualitative media analysis was used to examine tone and content, and to explore the gendered cultural lens through which offenders can be portrayed. The study addresses a gap in the literature by focusing on filicide and news media in Australia. The findings largely confirm that news media coverage of filicide perpetuates key cultural norms and gendered expectations of parenthood. The ‘flawed mother’ narrative, depictions of mental health issues, and a focus on parenthood were prevalent for female offenders. For male offenders there was general disconnect with their role as a parent. The findings provide a valuable insight into differential news media coverage of male and female parents who kill their children.

Amplifying victim–survivor voices: media power, collective action, and ultra-Orthodox Jewish identity in the Leifer case

This article underscores the transformative impact of victim–survivor voices in reshaping public discourse on child sexual abuse (CSA). The research project took as the backbone for analysis the Malka Leifer case that spanned 15 years and is linked to the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse's report of Case Study 22, which examined responses in ultra-Orthodox Jewish schools to child sexual abuse. Adopting a mixed methods research approach, this study combines qualitative media analysis of 102 news articles and 8 in-depth focus groups to investigate the impact of media outlets in amplifying victim voice and influencing public discourse, and how this impacts the subjects of mediatised public crises. Drawing on the theorising of Couldry and Cottle, the article considers the capacity and limitations of survivor-advocates to leverage media power in the contemporary media system. By exploring the ‘Privileging Victim Voice’ frame, this paper sheds light on how victim–survivor advocates utilised mainstream, local religious, and social media to solidify their central place in the narrative and its reportage. The media analysis served as the foundation for a ‘peer conversation’ style of focus groups with Jewish community members to investigate local impacts of the case's media reportage. The focus group methodology sought to represent this diverse community as wholly as possible. Findings reveal the significant power of journalists’ framing and sourcing practices, and how Jewish institutional child sexual abuse is framed by media outlets within the Australian media landscape. Further, it showcases the broader implications of public inquiries, such as Australia's Royal Commission, in empowering victim–survivors and centreing their narratives in media reportage.

Constructing a Crisis: Mental Health, Higher Education and Policy Entrepreneurs

In 2018, the UK Conservative government issued a ‘non-negotiable’ instruction for universities to make ‘positive mental health’ a strategic priority. This was responding to growing pressure from a variety of stakeholders including mental health organisations, student groups and higher education (HE) management who claimed a worsening crisis of student mental health in the UK. We conducted a qualitative media analysis (QMA) of public discussions of student mental health as a social problem in a sample of (a) newspapers and (b) policy documents produced in the UK between 2010 and 2019 using a contextual constructionist approach and Kingdon’s policy streams framework. It identifies expansive definitions of mental illness, assumptions that precede evidence-gathering, ‘professional exes’ as policy entrepreneurs, and solutions that spread risk across institutions. We conclude by discussing the shift away from autonomous subjectivity towards more heteronomous constructions. In so doing it provides an important contribution to sociological understandings of contemporary subjectivity and social policy regarding mental health in HE.

Microaggressions in the heartland “flyover” region: history, progress, lessons learned and challenges

PurposeThis article sheds light on the impact of collective characteristics of microaggression in a community and how this affects the perception and experiences of its underrepresented members through the lens of critical race theory (CRT). Using the Springfield community of the southwest Missouri Ozarks region in the United States of America as the authors' focus, the authors explore the barrier of microaggression in the lived experiences of a community striving for diversity and inclusion.Design/methodology/approachThe authors performed a systematic analysis using four CRT tenets: race is a social construct; racism is systematic, racism is commonplace and listening to lived experiences is essential. A sample of underrepresented professionals from the region was surveyed to obtain their lived experiences. Qualitative media analysis on varied media pieces was conducted to obtain context for the environment that precipitated these experiences.FindingsWhen residents from marginalized backgrounds face consistent microaggressions, their sense of belonging and contributions to the community significantly diminish, which has adverse implications for the community. If these issues are unaddressed, they might choose to leave due to feelings of underrepresentation. Community leaders must proactively implement strategies to welcome an evolving population and educate stakeholders about the detrimental effects of microaggressions on community cohesion.Originality/valueHistorically, the heartland of the United States of America has been a bellwether of the pulse of its average citizen. This region is currently experiencing an increase in diversity along with a significant rise in persistent microaggressions. Using CRT to analyze the impact, lessons learned and challenges, the authors provide recommendations for potential changes that could benefit the nation as a whole.

Introduction: Assimilation, integration or transnationalism? An overview of theories of migrant incorporation

Introduction: Assimilation, integration or transnationalism? An overview of theories of migrant incorporation

COVID-19 anti-Asian racism and race-based stress: A phenomenological qualitative media analysis.

News media has recently been replete with stories of anti-Asian rhetoric and racism related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Empirical literature, however, has yet to systematically analyze and document these experiences and their impact. Our study aimed to examine this phenomenon by analyzing news media coverage published between December 31, 2019-June 30, 2020 on COVID-related anti-Asian incidents. We utilized a phenomenological approach to conduct qualitative content analysis of 84 media articles reporting on coronavirus related anti-Asian incidents. We also present the emerging psychological framework of race-based stress and trauma to conceptualize the psychological impact of these race-based incidents reported in the media. Qualitative analysis revealed five primary themes: (a) pathologizing cultural practices; (b) alien in one's own land; (c) invalidation of interethnic differences; (d) ascription of diseased status; and (e) duality of frontline hero and virus carrier. We provide examples for each of these themes. These themes document stigmatizing narratives and demonstrate the phenomenology of race-based stress and trauma experienced by Asian individuals during the COVID era. We present potential implications for mental health of Asian individuals during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as recommendations for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Historical knowledge mobilisation in a post-factual era in the United States

Background:In the US, and conspicuously via social media, we are witnessing an acceleration of what we term historical knowledge mobilisation: increasingly and in various ways, evidence derived from academic historical research is being shared with broader publics. Moreover, evidence-based and false or misleading historical claims are being advanced with an eye toward influencing key decisions and/or impelling social change. Aims and objectives:This exploratory study draws upon Ward’s (2017: 477) ‘framework for knowledge mobilisers’ to facilitate an analysis of what and whose historical knowledge is being shared, and how and why this is happening. It aims to provide information and guidance to support scholars of knowledge mobilisation or evidence use, as well as active historical knowledge mobilisers. Methods:This study sought to identify patterns vis-à-vis historical knowledge mobilisation by applying qualitative media analysis to a set of cases. We attended to content, style, and process of historical knowledge mobilisation. Findings:Three main themes help to explain the historical knowledge mobilisation: (a) correcting or countering a master narrative; (b) real-time correction of historical claims; and (c) contextualising complicated political moments. We also described new ways to disseminate/exchange this knowledge which altogether function to expand access to historical knowledge, but also to competing historical claims. Discussion and conclusions:The trends revealed provide insights into how historical knowledge is being used to justify political aims, and how some academics are using non-traditional means to counter false and misleading claims. Further infrastructural and empirical development is needed to support these efforts.

The Holocaust Museum of Greece, Thessaloniki: In Whose Memory?

AbstractThis article explores the political and discursive framing of the emerging project Holocaust Museum of Greece (HMG) based in Thessaloniki (announced in 2013). As an “in situ” Holocaust museum, the HMG could represent an important step toward recognizing Jewish suffering in a country where—compared with the rest of Europe—unprecedentedly high levels of antisemitic attitudes have been recorded over the past decade. Supported by a qualitative media analysis and supplemented with data from our online survey, we explore how HMG stakeholders and potential local visitors reflect on the project. Occurring amid contemporary endeavors in Holocaust commemoration and Greek-German reconciliation, we connect it with their persistence in combating far-right tendencies and antisemitism. Specifically, we investigate whose memory HMG stakeholders aim to display, how they reflect on dominant Greek historical narratives and whether they express a clear memory commitment and a genuine effort to produce a more integrated historical interpretation of the Holocaust in Greece.

Addressing gambling harms by reducing the supply of electronic gambling machines: a comparative study of Italy and Finland

BackgroundElectronic gambling machines (EGMs) are amongst the most harmful forms of gambling. The high availability of EGMs is also linked to increased consumption. To reduce the burden of EGMs on public health, policies to reduce their numbers have recently been introduced in Italy and Finland. This study compares the aims and justifications of these legislative changes, as well as their overall impacts on total consumption.MethodsThe objectives and justifications of policies to reduce the number of EGMs were based on qualitative media analysis. The impacts on total consumption were measured using financial figures provided by gambling providers in Italy and Finland.ResultsResults show that the reductions in EGM numbers were justified in terms of public health concerns in both countries, but the amplitude of policies varied. In Italy, the reductions were more ambitious than in Finland, and included reductions in the number of gambling locations. The financial data nevertheless indicated that the reductions may not have been significant enough.ConclusionsPublic health concerns were initially highlighted in the media discussions, but eventually in both countries reduction policies were less ambitious due to industry lobbying and state revenue interests. The reductions therefore do not appear to have been effective in reducing total consumption and the burden on public health.

War Myths and the Normalization of PTSD and Military Suicide: The Military Suicide Equation

Abstract Military suicide is an increasing concern for Western militaries. In this article, using a qualitative media analysis, we introduce the military suicide equation as a metanarrative and analytic tool for understanding discourse on military suicides. This metanarrative—overseas service + post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) = suicide—positions military suicide as the consequences of PTSD acquired during overseas military deployment and positions increased military funding as the simplistic solution to what is often described as a military suicide “epidemic.” The military suicide equation operates to both normalize evidence of widespread mental health issues within militaries and sustain support for military institutions and war deployments by directing public attention to the “problem-solution” cycle identified in the equation. We assess the political consequences of this simplistic representation, namely the reproduction of preexisting myths about the “unknowability” of war, civilian responsibilities to “Support the Troops,” and the exceptional nature of military service and combat deployment.

Exploring transformative policy imaginaries for a sustainable Post-COVID society

The COVID-19 crisis and its underlying health, socio-economic and environmental challenges warrants a discussion about transformative policies for a more sustainable, post-pandemic world. At EU level, policy packages and initiatives such as the European Green Deal (EGD), the Bioeconomy Strategy (BES) or the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) may have the prerequisites to support a sustainable socio-economic transformation. But can these initiatives live up to public imaginaries of a sustainable post-pandemic world? To answer this question, we conducted a qualitative media analysis in order to outline emerging public imaginaries, as well as different policy suggestions put forth by different media outlets. We then grouped these imaginaries into seven major themes ranging from finance to resource management and city planning. With the help of the Delphi approach, we discussed these themes with a panel of ten international experts in order to scope for different transformative policy options. The public imaginaries we identified represent a mix of imaginaries underpinned by different political ideologies, economic philosophies and sustainability rationales. The highest expectations were connected to the EGD, although none of the EU policy packages can singlehandedly tackle the urgent sustainability challenges posed by the pandemic. However, the current trajectory of the EGD is geared towards the business-as-usual. We discuss how EU policies can overcome this limitation and imagine more radical transformation pathways in order to jumpstart a sustainable post-COVID recovery that goes beyond pursuing green growth.

Public Criminology and Media Debates Over Policing

Public criminology is concerned with public understandings of crime and policing and public discussions of such matters by criminologists and allied social scientists. For the purposes of this paper, these professionals are individuals identified by journalists on the basis of academic credentials or university affiliation as those who can speak to crime matters. This qualitative study investigates media statements made by criminologists and allied social scientists following the 2020 murder of George Floyd with two questions in mind: How have they responded to debates over reforming, defunding, and abolishing police? What insight can these responses provide about public criminology more generally? I analyze statements offered by criminologists in news reports and on Twitter using Qualitative Media Analysis, an approach that emphasizes the processes through which discourse is presented to audiences. I argue that recent criminological debates in the media concerning the future of policing have exposed unresolvable tensions among scholars who engage in the practice of public criminology, suggesting that the public is not receiving coherent, authoritative messages about these issues. The findings also raise questions about public criminology and illuminate new concerns regarding scholarly expertise related to knowledge claims and credibility relative to social justice.

Saying Her Name: Gendered Narratives in News Coverage of Breonna Taylor's Death

In 2020, Breonna Taylor was killed in her apartment as police officers served a no-knock warrant. Unlike most cases of police violence against a woman of color, Taylor’s death was eventually deemed newsworthy. Given that people’s perceptions of justice-related issues are often informed by media representations, the way the her death was covered can send critical messages about police violence against women of color. This research note presents the findings of a qualitative media analysis of newspaper coverage of Taylor’s case for the six months following her death. Drawing from research on media depictions of police use of force and women as victims, it explored how gender shaped the media coverage of her case. Findings indicate that while there are similarities to other news coverage of deadly use of force incidents that gender and its intersection with race shaped the narratives in three main ways—by characterizing Taylor through a patriarchal lens suggesting that she is an ideal victim; by shifting blame onto Taylor by focusing on relationships with men; and by addressing media coverage while reporting on her death.

Health promotion concepts and the stress exposed in print media

Background: The current concept of Health Promotion includes an interdisciplinary approach from various sectors of society. However, many themes related to health promotion are still restricted to prevention and a biologic approach to disease, as is presumably the case with stress. Objectives: This study aims to analyze the concepts of health promotion associated with stress exposed by the print media. Methods: It is a study in which it was carried out the qualitative media analysis of 727 news from printed newspapers, dated from 2015 to 2017. The concepts of Health Promotion related to stress, found in the approaches on the subject in the media were: 1- Early Health Promotion: absence of disease and birth of the term (past); 2 - Health Promotion as primary prevention (present); 3- Expanded Health Promotion (what is expected in the future). Results: The study contributes to stimulating society's leading role in health promotion and brought the novelty of the print media's approach to stress. The study shows that the most recent concepts of health promotion linked to stress are little discussed in the print media. The study suggests, with its originality, a current reflection on stress and the evolution of the meanings of Health Promotion. Conclusion: It was observed that the media still approaches the stress theme in a restricted, biologicist, medicalized, prescriptive way, and focused on commercial interests, reinforcing the need for public policies aimed at Health Promotion comunication.

One Health and reconciliation: media portrayals of dogs and Indigenous communities in Canada.

This qualitative media analysis explores how the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) portrayed 'dog problems' and their solutions in Indigenous communities in Canada from 2008 through 2018. We apply a One Health framework to demonstrate how human, animal, and the socio-environmental health are interconnected, which aligns more explicitly with Indigenous worldviews. Through this analysis, we respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) Calls to Action, specifically Action 19 (health inequity) and Action 84 (media). We found that the CBC portrayed dogs as "strays" and focused mainly on the removal of dogs, whether rehoming by animal rescue groups or through culling, and that rescue groups were portrayed as 'animal lovers'. Meanwhile, journalists sometimes mentioned the lack of policies to support community-driven dog population control and veterinary services, but these policy deficits did not receive emphasis. The CBC coverage did not highlight systemic injustices that can impact dog health and welfare in Indigenous communities. This media analysis outlines ways forward for reconciliation with Indigenous communities when the media reports on dogs; we recommend journalists (i) focus on lack of veterinary services in communities and the impacts rather than the removal of dogs, (ii) discuss broader systemic structures and policies that limit access to veterinary services in Indigenous communities and (iii) how such resource constraints impact human and animal health.

Media Analysis of News Articles During COVID-19: Renewal, Continuity and Cultural Dimensions of Creative Action

Worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to adapt quickly, and to reexamine interactions and responsibilities toward communities in creative ways. This paper presents a qualitative media analysis (Altheide and Schneider, 2013) of 50 online news articles (Los Angeles Times and New York Times) published between March 17th and August 6th, 2020 using the key-words “creativity” and “COVID-19.” Informed by a definition of creativity as actions that are considered both “new” and “appropriate” (Sternberg and Lubart, 1999), articles describing a “creative action” were kept for analysis. These articles highlight creative responses to the COVID-19 quarantine in various domains including architecture, fashion, and faith. In this paper, we discuss the themes derived during this analysis- “renewal and continuity” and “the multidimensionality of creativity” which elaborate and contextualize a perspective of socio-cultural creativity theory and propose two implications of this study. The first implication posits that creativity was an observable, cultural response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second implication offers a broader concept of how cultural resources function as dynamic constraints or “affordances” within the Five A’s model of creativity (Glǎveanu, 2013). Discussion of further research through the lens of socio-cultural creativity is discussed.

Ethical care during COVID-19 for care home residents with dementia.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on care homes in the United Kingdom, particularly for those residents living with dementia. The impetus for this article comes from a recent review conducted by the authors. That review, a qualitative media analysis of news and academic articles published during the first few months of the outbreak, identified ethical care as a key theme warranting further investigation within the context of the crisis. To explore ethical care further, a set of salient ethical values for delivering care to care home residents living with dementia during the pandemic was derived from a synthesis of relevant ethical standards, codes and philosophical approaches. The ethical values identified were caring, non-maleficence, beneficence, procedural justice, dignity in death and dying, well-being, safety, and personhood. Using these ethical values as a framework, alongside examples from contemporaneous media and academic sources, this article discusses the delivery of ethical care to care home residents with dementia within the context of COVID-19. The analysis identifies positive examples of ethical values displayed by care home staff, care sector organisations, healthcare professionals and third sector advocacy organisations. However, concerns relating to the death rates, dignity, safety, well-being and personhood- of residents and staff- are also evident. These shortcomings are attributable to negligent government strategy, which resulted in delayed guidance, lack of resources and Personal Protective Equipment, unclear data, and inconsistent testing. Consequently, this review demonstrates the ways in which care homes are underfunded, under resourced and undervalued.

The Egyptian Syndicate and (Digital) Journalism’s Unresolved Boundary Struggle

Focusing on the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate crisis in 2016, this article examines how non-traditional journalists contest their peripheral position and push journalism’s boundaries within an asymmetrical context beyond political-legal control. As digital and freelance journalists are excluded from legal journalism definitions, outdated regulations divide professional journalists into a hierarchical system. Rigid boundaries and blurred practice exist side by side. Power imbalances, media patrimonialism, and an ambivalent professional association divide the journalists’ community over recognition and benefits. A qualitative media analysis of three newspapers and interviews revealed a contested spectrum. Journalists demanded professional autonomy but did not push for boundary expansion. Radical critique was missing. Beyond the regional focus, this article offers a contextualized analysis of how severe exclusion and power imbalances shape journalism boundaries. It brings journalists themselves, not just politics, as a force into the foreground to be reckoned with as journalistic divisions block change and sustain inequalities.

Smartphones, youth and moral panics: Exploring print and online media narratives in India

India is a rapidly growing youth market for smartphone technology. Accompanying the spike in Indian youths’ smartphone use is a proliferation of media coverage on the purported impact of smartphones on youths’ physical, psychological, and social well-being. We use a qualitative media analysis to show that the online and print media narratives around this issue reveal widespread fear and anxiety about youths’ smartphone use. We argue that this stems from a moral panic reaction to youths’, particularly young women’s, potential exercise of agency using their smartphones and accessing forbidden content over the internet. This narrative fails to include the potential affordances of internet access for youth and other marginalized people while also failing to address deeper concerns about digitization.