Idealister eller idioter? : En studie av mediers framställning av Johan Persson och Martin Schibbye under och efter fängslandet i Etiopien

• Main Authors: Tetzlaff, Jonna, Nääs, Sofia
• Format: Others
• Language: Swedish
• Published: Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för mediestudier 2012
• Subjects: Journalistik; Persson; Schibbye; Etiopien; Sverige; Opinionsjournalistik; Kritisk diskursanalys; Fairclough; Nyheter; Mediers framställning
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-87545

The idea to this bachelor thesis was born after carefully following the coverage of Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye in Swedish media during their imprisonment in Ethiopia from June 2011 to September 2012.   Based on our interest we designed two questions to answer throughout the thesis. These are: (1) How are Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye portrayed as journalists in the discussion about them that has taken place in Swedish media? (2) How is the journalistic profession described in the discussion about Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye in Swedish media?   To answer these questions we decided to analyse texts that can be defined as the genre of opinion journalism, which all came from Swedish printed media. We have chosen 16 texts to analyse which show the variety of ways to write about Persson and Schibbye in the chosen genre during the chosen period of time. Opinion journalism is what newspapers use to attract readers, as they want to supplement the news coverage with comments and analysis from “experts”.   Persson and Schibbye were imprisoned in Ethiopia in June of 2011, and weren’t released until 15 months later, in September of 2012.   To analyse our material we have amongst others used theories regarding social constructionism, representation, discourse, the journalistic identity and the journalistic ideals that exist in Swedish society. The method chosen to carry through our analysis is a critical discourse analysis, according to Norman Faircloughs theory and his three dimensional model concerning text, the discourse practice and the social practice.   The results that came from our analysis is that Persson and Schibbye is portrayed in three ways; as journalistic heroes, victims and/or crooks. In those examples that portray Persson and Schibbye as heroes, it is not only them that are praised, but also journalism as a profession and the journalistic assignment. This is also true regarding the texts that portay Schibbye as a crook, since it is Schibbyes earlier engagement in communistic politics that is criticised, not the journalistic profession itself. Persson and Schibbye are also portrayed as victims of the Ethiopian government and abuse of power.