The evolution of a media image: Newspaper attention to the Flemish far right 1987–2004 (original) (raw)
Abstract
This article investigates changes in attention to the far right in Flemish newspapers. Not only the volume of attention will be analysed but especially how newspapers pay attention to the far right, focusing on the portrayal of far-right actors (substantial attention), and on favourable and unfavourable attributions of third parties in the news texts (support attention). For the content analysis, 2356 articles from three newspapers are investigated. The Flemish far right (Vlaams Blok) is unique because of its uninterrupted electoral growth between 1987 and 2004. Flemish newspapers still portray the far right as a controversial outsider. Such an image is constructed in the 1980s by focusing on a limited set of controversial characteristics of the far right. Even though the far right became the largest Flemish opposition party in the Belgian parliament and although media attention became more nuanced over the years, this media image was not replaced with another media image: the controversial outsider image remained dominant in the coverage between 1987 and 2004.
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Notes
- The key word list consisted of two parts; a general part with relevant key words and synonyms, and an election year specific part with names of parties, figureheads and candidates. The general key word list is as follows: ‘Extreem rechts’, extreemrechts, racis*, fascis*, ‘neo nazi’, rechtsextreem, nationalis*, ‘nationaal socialisme’, xenofo*, vreemdelingenhaat, integratie, assimilatie, immigratie, apartheid, ‘anti semitisme’, ‘sans papiers’, populisme, ‘gevestigde orde’, proteststem, gezinspolitiek, holocaust, ‘anti feminisme’, ‘anti communisme, partijverbod, tegendemonstratie. The selection of articles consisted of several steps, of which finding articles containing one or more keywords is only one (Schafraad et al, 2006, pp. 466–467).
- ‘… De leiders van de democratische partijen “namen akte” van het arrest’. De Morgen, 22nd April 2004. The article discussed reaction to the decree that declared that Vlaams Blok systematically urged discrimination.
- The ‘outsider’ image here has much in common with the outsider as described by Elias and Scotson (2005, p. 204). Groups of people or parties in this case are labeled and treated as such by others with a more resourceful position. Once an ‘outsider’, even a decrease in differences between outsiders and established parties (electoral success) does not mean an end to the outsider status, this sociological mechanism is reflected in the dynamics of the media image of the Flemish far right.
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Authors and Affiliations
- Communication Science, University of Amsterdam, Kloveniersburgwalt 48, Amsterdam, CX 1012, the Netherlands
Pytrik Schafraad - Institute for Media Studies, Parkstraat 46, Box 3603, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
Leen d'Haenens - Department of Sociology, P.O. Box 9104, Nijmegen, 6500 HE, the Netherlands
Peer Scheepers - Department of Communication Science, P.O. Box 9104, Nijmegen, 6500 HE, the Netherlands
Fred Wester
Authors
- Pytrik Schafraad
- Leen d'Haenens
- Peer Scheepers
- Fred Wester
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Correspondence toPytrik Schafraad.
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Schafraad, P., d'Haenens, L., Scheepers, P. et al. The evolution of a media image: Newspaper attention to the Flemish far right 1987–2004.Acta Polit 47, 356–377 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1057/ap.2012.12
- Published: 08 June 2012
- Issue date: 01 October 2012
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/ap.2012.12