Regina Cazzamatta | Universität Erfurt (original) (raw)

Papers by Regina Cazzamatta

Research paper thumbnail of Cazzamatta 2024 global misinformation trends commonalities and differences in topics sources of falsehoods and

New Media & Society, 2024

In a quantitative content analysis of 3,154 debunking articles from 23 fact-checking organization... more In a quantitative content analysis of 3,154 debunking articles from 23 fact-checking organizations, this study examines global misinformation trends and regional nuances across eight countries in Europe and Latin America (UK, DE, PT, SP, AR, BR, CL, and VZ). It strives to elucidate commonalities and differences based on political and media system indicators. Notably, countries with a substantial online presence of far-right parties avoid disclosing (fake) ordinary accounts to evade engaging in inauthentic coordinated actions. While entirely fabricated stories are infrequent, they stand out in Brazil and Spain, the two countries with higher political polarization. Despite variations, aggregated forms of fabrication (invented, manipulated, imposter, or decontextualized content) are more prominent in Latin America due to high social media use for news and low reliance on public media. Conversely, in Europe, countries are more impacted by misleading (cherry-picked, exaggerated, and twisted) information.

Research paper thumbnail of IJC-Annenberg

International Journal of Communication, 2024

Falsehoods targeting political parties and candidates have long been entrenched in Brazilian poli... more Falsehoods targeting political parties and candidates have long been entrenched in Brazilian politics and monitored by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). Since the rise of the far right in Brazil, the TSE has itself become a disinformation target. This study aims to unveil disinformation that has been directed at the Brazilian electoral system since 2018 and explore the court’s responses. First, we quantitatively analyzed 420 verification
articles from the TSE’s Fato ou Boato website to identify the falsehoods’ origins, targets, narratives, and deceptive strategies. Second, we conducted expert interviews and qualitatively examined official documents to explore counteraction strategies, particularly collaborations with fact-checkers. The findings indicate that disinformation primarily revolves around the alleged vulnerability of the electronic voting system (25%) and supposed illegal actions that have been committed by the TSE (15%). Supreme Federal
Court ministers, notably Luís Barroso and Alexandre de Moraes, have become frequent targets. Assaults on the TSE surged from 15% (2018) to 27% (2022). Strengthened collaboration with fact-checkers enhances their societal recognition and significance in the Brazilian public sphere.

Research paper thumbnail of Who Shapes Mediated Conversations Among Rising Global Powers? Examining News Geography, Authorship, and Media Sources Within the BRICS Framework

The International Journal of Press/Politics, 2024

This study investigates how news flows have shaped the mediated conversations among BRICS countri... more This study investigates how news flows have shaped the mediated conversations among BRICS countries by examining aspects such as news geography, underlying topics, authorship attribution, and references to media sources. The authors conducted a quantitative manual content analysis of 3,945 discursive articles that were published between 2011 and 2019 by leading newspapers in BRICS countries, which covered ten dailies in four languages. The findings reveal that the most discussed countries reflected the traditional structure of international news, which includes trade partners, neighboring countries, and elite nations. Among the BRICS member states, China and Russia received the most media attention. China-related issues often intersected with economic topics, while articles on Russia predominantly centered around violent conflicts and security. Conversely, Brazil, India, and South Africa had limited visibility, with Brazil and South Africa often being discussed within the BRICS framework. Notably, South Africa led with the highest share of articles on the BRICS states altogether (19%), surpassing the share of U.S.-related articles (13.41%). Correspondent-authored articles on BRICS countries were comparatively recurrent in Chinese and Russian newspapers. Moreover, Chinese and Russian media footprints were scarce. More balanced coverage and denser news flow across BRICS media systems remain necessary to boost South-South communication and convey BRICS as more than a Chinese-Russian alliance "plus others."

Research paper thumbnail of The Content Homogenization of Fact-Checking Through Platform Partnerships: A Comparison Between Eight Countries

Journalism Mass Communication Quarterly, 2024

This article evaluates the extent of social media policing in fact-checking (as opposed to verify... more This article evaluates the extent of social media policing in fact-checking (as opposed to verifying public figures' statements) and the thematic convergence across eight countries in Europe and Latin America. Based on audience reach, we collected links from various organizations (independent outlets, legacy media, or global news agencies). A representative stratified sample of 25% resulted in 3,154 articles. Among the findings, the trend of social media policing prevails across countries and organizations, except for most European legacy media. Independent news-born factchecking organizations follow a convergent path, sharing more similarities with their global counterparts than their national media peers.

Research paper thumbnail of How can journalism studies benefit from a systems theoretical approach?

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Jun 1, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Checking verifications during the 2022 Brazilian run-off election: How fact-checking organizations exposed falsehoods and contributed to the accuracy of the public debate

Journalism

This study observes content-related indicators of the editorial decisions made by fact-checkers d... more This study observes content-related indicators of the editorial decisions made by fact-checkers during the 2022 Brazilian run-off election. Specifically, it aims to investigate fact-checkers’ outputsregarding verification genres, scrutinized actors, types of verified falsehoods, and inspected platforms. The focus on Brazil stems from its reputation as a disinformation hub, owing to social polarization, populist communication, high social media use, low media trust, and intense WhatsApp penetration. Consequently, fact-checking agencies have proliferated within Brazil’s media landscape. To provide some hints about the fact-checkers’ editorial choices, we conducted a quantitative content analysis of verification articles ( n = 349) published during the second round of the presidential election by four leading fact-checking organizations: Lupa and Aos Fatos (independents), Estadão Verifica (press), and AFP Checamos (global news agency). The results reveal a prioritization of combating o...

Research paper thumbnail of “Democratically Elected Caudillo”: Western Media Coverage on Venezuela and the Era Chávez – Empirical Insights from Germany

Journalism Practice

This article aims to identify structural trends in the German media coverage of Venezuela. While ... more This article aims to identify structural trends in the German media coverage of Venezuela. While very few studies on the topic have been conducted within liberal media systems (the UK and the US), this paper focuses on the German democratic corporatist model. Based on a longitudinal mixed methods approach ­– a quantitative content analysis of the German quality press (SZ, FAZ, taz, and Der Spiegel) over 15 years, combined with a qualitative inductive frame analysis –, we identified a classic pattern of foreign reporting: limited thematic agenda, conflict orientation, negativity, and a possible strong influence of news agencies. Except for the link-oriented alternative taz, the German media portrayed Chávez highly negatively and crisis-oriented. Noteworthy is that only 17% of the total coverage on Venezuela was produced on-site. The fact that we observed similar frames produced by different media systems (the UK, US, and DE), a comparable thematic limitation with a strong focus on political issues, and the disregard of positive developments, such as the report on social programs, might be an indicator of a solid thematic orientation to Western global news agencies.

Research paper thumbnail of La representación de Brasil en la prensa alemana, el cambio de imagen en la era de Bolsonaro y el papel de los medios en la ascensión del populismo de derecha en todo el mundo

Revista de Estudios Brasileños, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Checking verifications during the 2022 Brazilian run-off election: How fact-checking organizations exposed falsehoods and contributed to the accuracy of the public debate

Journalism, 2023

This study observes content-related indicators of the editorial decisions made by factcheckers du... more This study observes content-related indicators of the editorial decisions made by factcheckers during the 2022 Brazilian runoff election. Specifically, it aims to investigate factcheckers' outputs regarding verification genres, scrutinized actors, types of verified falsehoods, and inspected platforms. The focus on Brazil stems from its reputation as a disinformation hub, owing to social polarization, populist communication, high social media use, low media trust, and intense WhatsApp penetration. Consequently, factchecking agencies have proliferated within Brazil's media landscape. To provide some hints about the fact-checkers' editorial choices, we conducted a quantitative content analysis of verification articles (n = 349) published during the second round of the presidential election by four leading fact-checking organizations: Lupa and Aos Fatos (independents), Estadão Verifica (press), and AFP Checamos (global news agency). The results reveal a prioritization of combating online falsehoods (82.2%) spread by anonymous sources, as opposed to verifying public figures' statements (5.5%), a trend already observed in other media systems. Although Meta's social networks and Twitter are primarily monitored, other platforms such as TikTok, Kwai, and Telegram are increasingly

Research paper thumbnail of “Democratically Elected Caudillo”: Western Media Coverage on Venezuela and the Era Chávez – Empirical Insights from Germany

Journalism Practice , 2023

This article aims to identify structural trends in the German media coverage of Venezuela. While ... more This article aims to identify structural trends in the German media coverage of Venezuela. While very few studies on the topic have been conducted within liberal media systems (the UK and the US), this paper focuses on the German democratic corporatist model. Based on a longitudinal mixed methods approach ­– a quantitative content analysis of the German quality press (SZ, FAZ, taz, and Der Spiegel) over 15 years, combined with a qualitative inductive frame analysis –, we identified a classic pattern of foreign reporting: limited thematic agenda, conflict orientation, negativity, and a possible strong influence of news agencies. Except for the link-oriented alternative taz, the German media portrayed Chávez highly negatively and crisis-oriented. Noteworthy is that only 17% of the total coverage on Venezuela was produced on-site. The fact that we observed similar frames produced by different media systems (the UK, US, and DE), a comparable thematic limitation with a strong focus on political issues, and the disregard of positive developments, such as the report on social programs, might be an indicator of a solid thematic orientation to Western global news agencies.

Research paper thumbnail of Review: Media Cultures in Latin America. Key Concepts and New Debates

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Jul 1, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Como a teoria dos sistemas pode contribuir para os estudos em jornalismo? A teoria de Luhmann aplicada ao jornalismo

Galáxia (São Paulo)

Este é um ensaio publicado em acesso aberto (Open Access) sob a licença Creative Commons Attribut... more Este é um ensaio publicado em acesso aberto (Open Access) sob a licença Creative Commons Attribution, que permite uso, distribuição e reprodução em qualquer meio, sem restrições desde que o trabalho original seja corretamente citado. ensaio e574651

Research paper thumbnail of Media Cultures in Latin America

Research paper thumbnail of How can journalism studies benefit from a systems theoretical approach? Luhmann’s systems theory applied to journalism

Galáxia (São Paulo)

Este é um ensaio publicado em acesso aberto (Open Access) sob a licença Creative Commons Attribut... more Este é um ensaio publicado em acesso aberto (Open Access) sob a licença Creative Commons Attribution, que permite uso, distribuição e reprodução em qualquer meio, sem restrições desde que o trabalho original seja corretamente citado. ensaio e574652

Research paper thumbnail of The significance of cultural aspects in Latin America’s media image: the representation of the continent in the German press

Journal of Latin American Communication Research, 2021

This paper focuses on Latin America’s cultural coverage produced by the German press – Süddeutsch... more This paper focuses on Latin America’s cultural coverage produced by the German press – Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Der Spiegel and tageszeitung – from January 2000 to December 2014. At first, one analysed the main subjects areas of coverage amidst 3.831 articles and identified a surprisingly 17% amount of cultural reports (662 news items). While empirical results on foreign reports worldwide point to a weak representation of cultural themes and an intense concentration on politics, this does not apply fully in the case of Latin America. Brazil, Argentina, Mexico (with an intense power status and economic proximity) and Cuba (still a myth in the German perception) show a high amount of cultural coverage with a broader spectrum of themes, from music and literature to art, architecture and exhibitions. On the contrary, the cultural coverage of small Central American nations concentrates on travel & tourism, an indicator of exoticism. South American states also ...

Research paper thumbnail of Theoretische Hintergründe

Research paper thumbnail of Systematische Zusammenfassung

Research paper thumbnail of Fazit: Winzig, aber vielfältig? Kunstszene und Wirtschaftsangelegenheit oder einfach mehr von denselben Konflikten, Krisen und Katastrophen?

Die Auslandsberichterstattung Lateinamerikas ist aus einer rein quantitativen Perspektive nicht a... more Die Auslandsberichterstattung Lateinamerikas ist aus einer rein quantitativen Perspektive nicht ausreichend, um die deutsche Offentlichkeit uber die politischen und gesellschaftlichen Entwicklungen in der Region zu informieren (Abschn. 4.1.1). In der modernen, global vernetzten Mediengesellschaft werden Informationen als eine wesentliche strategische Ressource angesehen (vgl. Thussu 2005) und die offentliche Perzeption anderer Nationen masgeblich durch die Auslandsberichterstattung determiniert (vgl. Hafez 2002a). Die (Nicht)-Darstellung eines Landes kann entweder forderlich oder schadlich fur sein Image und internationale Verstandigung sein (vgl. Hafez 1999), denn anders als im Nahbereich des Lebens haben Rezipienten weniger Chancen, die Weltbilder der Medien mit eigenen, direkten Erfahrungen zu vergleichen (vgl. Wilke 1989; vgl. Tiele 2010; vgl. Hafez und Grune 2015).

Research paper thumbnail of The role of the ‘negativity’ factor in international news coverage: A case study of Latin America in the German press, 2000–2014

This paper analyses the predominance of the ‘negativity’ factor as the primary determinant of new... more This paper analyses the predominance of the ‘negativity’ factor as the primary determinant of news coverage in the German press – Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Die Tageszeitung and Der Spiegel – of events in Latin America. Based on a sample of 3831 articles published between January 2000 and December 2014, this study finds a general concentration of negative events (43.05%) with regard to 20 Latin American countries. However, since this number does not exceed 50%, the research assumption of a conflict-oriented news reporting has to be relativised. The ‘negativity’ rate stands out as sectorial depending on specific countries and areas of news coverage. Considerable interest in cultural issues helps to provide a more balanced image. While Honduras, Haiti, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and Paraguay exhibit a strong negative balance, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Chile and Cuba boast a dynamic, positive image. Brazil and Mexico account for two ambivalent cases.

Research paper thumbnail of Methodische Auseinandersetzung und Forschungsdesign

Im folgenden Abschnitt wird der vollstandige Aufbau der Untersuchung zur Auslandsberichterstattun... more Im folgenden Abschnitt wird der vollstandige Aufbau der Untersuchung zur Auslandsberichterstattung Lateinamerikas entwickelt und die spezifischen methodischen Vorgehensweisen sowie deren Begrundung vorgestellt.

Research paper thumbnail of Cazzamatta 2024 global misinformation trends commonalities and differences in topics sources of falsehoods and

New Media & Society, 2024

In a quantitative content analysis of 3,154 debunking articles from 23 fact-checking organization... more In a quantitative content analysis of 3,154 debunking articles from 23 fact-checking organizations, this study examines global misinformation trends and regional nuances across eight countries in Europe and Latin America (UK, DE, PT, SP, AR, BR, CL, and VZ). It strives to elucidate commonalities and differences based on political and media system indicators. Notably, countries with a substantial online presence of far-right parties avoid disclosing (fake) ordinary accounts to evade engaging in inauthentic coordinated actions. While entirely fabricated stories are infrequent, they stand out in Brazil and Spain, the two countries with higher political polarization. Despite variations, aggregated forms of fabrication (invented, manipulated, imposter, or decontextualized content) are more prominent in Latin America due to high social media use for news and low reliance on public media. Conversely, in Europe, countries are more impacted by misleading (cherry-picked, exaggerated, and twisted) information.

Research paper thumbnail of IJC-Annenberg

International Journal of Communication, 2024

Falsehoods targeting political parties and candidates have long been entrenched in Brazilian poli... more Falsehoods targeting political parties and candidates have long been entrenched in Brazilian politics and monitored by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). Since the rise of the far right in Brazil, the TSE has itself become a disinformation target. This study aims to unveil disinformation that has been directed at the Brazilian electoral system since 2018 and explore the court’s responses. First, we quantitatively analyzed 420 verification
articles from the TSE’s Fato ou Boato website to identify the falsehoods’ origins, targets, narratives, and deceptive strategies. Second, we conducted expert interviews and qualitatively examined official documents to explore counteraction strategies, particularly collaborations with fact-checkers. The findings indicate that disinformation primarily revolves around the alleged vulnerability of the electronic voting system (25%) and supposed illegal actions that have been committed by the TSE (15%). Supreme Federal
Court ministers, notably Luís Barroso and Alexandre de Moraes, have become frequent targets. Assaults on the TSE surged from 15% (2018) to 27% (2022). Strengthened collaboration with fact-checkers enhances their societal recognition and significance in the Brazilian public sphere.

Research paper thumbnail of Who Shapes Mediated Conversations Among Rising Global Powers? Examining News Geography, Authorship, and Media Sources Within the BRICS Framework

The International Journal of Press/Politics, 2024

This study investigates how news flows have shaped the mediated conversations among BRICS countri... more This study investigates how news flows have shaped the mediated conversations among BRICS countries by examining aspects such as news geography, underlying topics, authorship attribution, and references to media sources. The authors conducted a quantitative manual content analysis of 3,945 discursive articles that were published between 2011 and 2019 by leading newspapers in BRICS countries, which covered ten dailies in four languages. The findings reveal that the most discussed countries reflected the traditional structure of international news, which includes trade partners, neighboring countries, and elite nations. Among the BRICS member states, China and Russia received the most media attention. China-related issues often intersected with economic topics, while articles on Russia predominantly centered around violent conflicts and security. Conversely, Brazil, India, and South Africa had limited visibility, with Brazil and South Africa often being discussed within the BRICS framework. Notably, South Africa led with the highest share of articles on the BRICS states altogether (19%), surpassing the share of U.S.-related articles (13.41%). Correspondent-authored articles on BRICS countries were comparatively recurrent in Chinese and Russian newspapers. Moreover, Chinese and Russian media footprints were scarce. More balanced coverage and denser news flow across BRICS media systems remain necessary to boost South-South communication and convey BRICS as more than a Chinese-Russian alliance "plus others."

Research paper thumbnail of The Content Homogenization of Fact-Checking Through Platform Partnerships: A Comparison Between Eight Countries

Journalism Mass Communication Quarterly, 2024

This article evaluates the extent of social media policing in fact-checking (as opposed to verify... more This article evaluates the extent of social media policing in fact-checking (as opposed to verifying public figures' statements) and the thematic convergence across eight countries in Europe and Latin America. Based on audience reach, we collected links from various organizations (independent outlets, legacy media, or global news agencies). A representative stratified sample of 25% resulted in 3,154 articles. Among the findings, the trend of social media policing prevails across countries and organizations, except for most European legacy media. Independent news-born factchecking organizations follow a convergent path, sharing more similarities with their global counterparts than their national media peers.

Research paper thumbnail of How can journalism studies benefit from a systems theoretical approach?

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Jun 1, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Checking verifications during the 2022 Brazilian run-off election: How fact-checking organizations exposed falsehoods and contributed to the accuracy of the public debate

Journalism

This study observes content-related indicators of the editorial decisions made by fact-checkers d... more This study observes content-related indicators of the editorial decisions made by fact-checkers during the 2022 Brazilian run-off election. Specifically, it aims to investigate fact-checkers’ outputsregarding verification genres, scrutinized actors, types of verified falsehoods, and inspected platforms. The focus on Brazil stems from its reputation as a disinformation hub, owing to social polarization, populist communication, high social media use, low media trust, and intense WhatsApp penetration. Consequently, fact-checking agencies have proliferated within Brazil’s media landscape. To provide some hints about the fact-checkers’ editorial choices, we conducted a quantitative content analysis of verification articles ( n = 349) published during the second round of the presidential election by four leading fact-checking organizations: Lupa and Aos Fatos (independents), Estadão Verifica (press), and AFP Checamos (global news agency). The results reveal a prioritization of combating o...

Research paper thumbnail of “Democratically Elected Caudillo”: Western Media Coverage on Venezuela and the Era Chávez – Empirical Insights from Germany

Journalism Practice

This article aims to identify structural trends in the German media coverage of Venezuela. While ... more This article aims to identify structural trends in the German media coverage of Venezuela. While very few studies on the topic have been conducted within liberal media systems (the UK and the US), this paper focuses on the German democratic corporatist model. Based on a longitudinal mixed methods approach ­– a quantitative content analysis of the German quality press (SZ, FAZ, taz, and Der Spiegel) over 15 years, combined with a qualitative inductive frame analysis –, we identified a classic pattern of foreign reporting: limited thematic agenda, conflict orientation, negativity, and a possible strong influence of news agencies. Except for the link-oriented alternative taz, the German media portrayed Chávez highly negatively and crisis-oriented. Noteworthy is that only 17% of the total coverage on Venezuela was produced on-site. The fact that we observed similar frames produced by different media systems (the UK, US, and DE), a comparable thematic limitation with a strong focus on political issues, and the disregard of positive developments, such as the report on social programs, might be an indicator of a solid thematic orientation to Western global news agencies.

Research paper thumbnail of La representación de Brasil en la prensa alemana, el cambio de imagen en la era de Bolsonaro y el papel de los medios en la ascensión del populismo de derecha en todo el mundo

Revista de Estudios Brasileños, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Checking verifications during the 2022 Brazilian run-off election: How fact-checking organizations exposed falsehoods and contributed to the accuracy of the public debate

Journalism, 2023

This study observes content-related indicators of the editorial decisions made by factcheckers du... more This study observes content-related indicators of the editorial decisions made by factcheckers during the 2022 Brazilian runoff election. Specifically, it aims to investigate factcheckers' outputs regarding verification genres, scrutinized actors, types of verified falsehoods, and inspected platforms. The focus on Brazil stems from its reputation as a disinformation hub, owing to social polarization, populist communication, high social media use, low media trust, and intense WhatsApp penetration. Consequently, factchecking agencies have proliferated within Brazil's media landscape. To provide some hints about the fact-checkers' editorial choices, we conducted a quantitative content analysis of verification articles (n = 349) published during the second round of the presidential election by four leading fact-checking organizations: Lupa and Aos Fatos (independents), Estadão Verifica (press), and AFP Checamos (global news agency). The results reveal a prioritization of combating online falsehoods (82.2%) spread by anonymous sources, as opposed to verifying public figures' statements (5.5%), a trend already observed in other media systems. Although Meta's social networks and Twitter are primarily monitored, other platforms such as TikTok, Kwai, and Telegram are increasingly

Research paper thumbnail of “Democratically Elected Caudillo”: Western Media Coverage on Venezuela and the Era Chávez – Empirical Insights from Germany

Journalism Practice , 2023

This article aims to identify structural trends in the German media coverage of Venezuela. While ... more This article aims to identify structural trends in the German media coverage of Venezuela. While very few studies on the topic have been conducted within liberal media systems (the UK and the US), this paper focuses on the German democratic corporatist model. Based on a longitudinal mixed methods approach ­– a quantitative content analysis of the German quality press (SZ, FAZ, taz, and Der Spiegel) over 15 years, combined with a qualitative inductive frame analysis –, we identified a classic pattern of foreign reporting: limited thematic agenda, conflict orientation, negativity, and a possible strong influence of news agencies. Except for the link-oriented alternative taz, the German media portrayed Chávez highly negatively and crisis-oriented. Noteworthy is that only 17% of the total coverage on Venezuela was produced on-site. The fact that we observed similar frames produced by different media systems (the UK, US, and DE), a comparable thematic limitation with a strong focus on political issues, and the disregard of positive developments, such as the report on social programs, might be an indicator of a solid thematic orientation to Western global news agencies.

Research paper thumbnail of Review: Media Cultures in Latin America. Key Concepts and New Debates

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Jul 1, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Como a teoria dos sistemas pode contribuir para os estudos em jornalismo? A teoria de Luhmann aplicada ao jornalismo

Galáxia (São Paulo)

Este é um ensaio publicado em acesso aberto (Open Access) sob a licença Creative Commons Attribut... more Este é um ensaio publicado em acesso aberto (Open Access) sob a licença Creative Commons Attribution, que permite uso, distribuição e reprodução em qualquer meio, sem restrições desde que o trabalho original seja corretamente citado. ensaio e574651

Research paper thumbnail of Media Cultures in Latin America

Research paper thumbnail of How can journalism studies benefit from a systems theoretical approach? Luhmann’s systems theory applied to journalism

Galáxia (São Paulo)

Este é um ensaio publicado em acesso aberto (Open Access) sob a licença Creative Commons Attribut... more Este é um ensaio publicado em acesso aberto (Open Access) sob a licença Creative Commons Attribution, que permite uso, distribuição e reprodução em qualquer meio, sem restrições desde que o trabalho original seja corretamente citado. ensaio e574652

Research paper thumbnail of The significance of cultural aspects in Latin America’s media image: the representation of the continent in the German press

Journal of Latin American Communication Research, 2021

This paper focuses on Latin America’s cultural coverage produced by the German press – Süddeutsch... more This paper focuses on Latin America’s cultural coverage produced by the German press – Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Der Spiegel and tageszeitung – from January 2000 to December 2014. At first, one analysed the main subjects areas of coverage amidst 3.831 articles and identified a surprisingly 17% amount of cultural reports (662 news items). While empirical results on foreign reports worldwide point to a weak representation of cultural themes and an intense concentration on politics, this does not apply fully in the case of Latin America. Brazil, Argentina, Mexico (with an intense power status and economic proximity) and Cuba (still a myth in the German perception) show a high amount of cultural coverage with a broader spectrum of themes, from music and literature to art, architecture and exhibitions. On the contrary, the cultural coverage of small Central American nations concentrates on travel & tourism, an indicator of exoticism. South American states also ...

Research paper thumbnail of Theoretische Hintergründe

Research paper thumbnail of Systematische Zusammenfassung

Research paper thumbnail of Fazit: Winzig, aber vielfältig? Kunstszene und Wirtschaftsangelegenheit oder einfach mehr von denselben Konflikten, Krisen und Katastrophen?

Die Auslandsberichterstattung Lateinamerikas ist aus einer rein quantitativen Perspektive nicht a... more Die Auslandsberichterstattung Lateinamerikas ist aus einer rein quantitativen Perspektive nicht ausreichend, um die deutsche Offentlichkeit uber die politischen und gesellschaftlichen Entwicklungen in der Region zu informieren (Abschn. 4.1.1). In der modernen, global vernetzten Mediengesellschaft werden Informationen als eine wesentliche strategische Ressource angesehen (vgl. Thussu 2005) und die offentliche Perzeption anderer Nationen masgeblich durch die Auslandsberichterstattung determiniert (vgl. Hafez 2002a). Die (Nicht)-Darstellung eines Landes kann entweder forderlich oder schadlich fur sein Image und internationale Verstandigung sein (vgl. Hafez 1999), denn anders als im Nahbereich des Lebens haben Rezipienten weniger Chancen, die Weltbilder der Medien mit eigenen, direkten Erfahrungen zu vergleichen (vgl. Wilke 1989; vgl. Tiele 2010; vgl. Hafez und Grune 2015).

Research paper thumbnail of The role of the ‘negativity’ factor in international news coverage: A case study of Latin America in the German press, 2000–2014

This paper analyses the predominance of the ‘negativity’ factor as the primary determinant of new... more This paper analyses the predominance of the ‘negativity’ factor as the primary determinant of news coverage in the German press – Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Die Tageszeitung and Der Spiegel – of events in Latin America. Based on a sample of 3831 articles published between January 2000 and December 2014, this study finds a general concentration of negative events (43.05%) with regard to 20 Latin American countries. However, since this number does not exceed 50%, the research assumption of a conflict-oriented news reporting has to be relativised. The ‘negativity’ rate stands out as sectorial depending on specific countries and areas of news coverage. Considerable interest in cultural issues helps to provide a more balanced image. While Honduras, Haiti, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and Paraguay exhibit a strong negative balance, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Chile and Cuba boast a dynamic, positive image. Brazil and Mexico account for two ambivalent cases.

Research paper thumbnail of Methodische Auseinandersetzung und Forschungsdesign

Im folgenden Abschnitt wird der vollstandige Aufbau der Untersuchung zur Auslandsberichterstattun... more Im folgenden Abschnitt wird der vollstandige Aufbau der Untersuchung zur Auslandsberichterstattung Lateinamerikas entwickelt und die spezifischen methodischen Vorgehensweisen sowie deren Begrundung vorgestellt.

Research paper thumbnail of Brasilien-Berichterstattung in der deutschen Presse

Brasilien-Berichterstattung in der deutschen Presse, 2014

Die Fußballweltmeisterschaft in Brasilien hat das Land wieder verstärkt in den Fokus auch der deu... more Die Fußballweltmeisterschaft in Brasilien hat das Land wieder verstärkt in den Fokus auch der deutschen Presseberichterstattung gerückt. Regina Cazzamatta analysiert das Image Brasiliens in den deutschen Medien.
Über welche Themen und Akteure wird am häufigsten berichtet? Entspricht die Darstellung der Realität? Folgt sie allgemeinen Trends der Auslandsberichterstattung; können beispielsweise Politik- und Elitenzentrierung oder ethnozentristische Tendenzen ausgemacht werden? Diese und weitere Fragen klärt die Autorin mit Hilfe einer quantitativen und qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse sowie anhand konkreter Beispiele für die am häufigsten behandelten Themen.

Research paper thumbnail of Lateinamerikaberichterstattung der deutschen Presse Struktur und Entstehungsbedingungen

Springer VS, Wiesbaden, 2020

Das vorliegende Buch zu Struktur und Entstehungsbedingung Lateinamerikas in der deutschen Presse ... more Das vorliegende Buch zu Struktur und Entstehungsbedingung Lateinamerikas in der deutschen Presse basiert auf einer in dieser Dimension bis heute nicht vorhandenen empirischen Grundlage. Die Studie basiert auf 21.929 Beiträgen, von denen mithilfe einer geschichteten Stichprobe 4.164 in die Analyse einbezogen, ausgewertet und mit Korrespondenten-Interviews kombiniert wurden. Sie beleuchtet die Auswahlkriterien und Mechanismen der Berichterstattung zu Lateinamerika und füllte eine Forschungslücke zu einem Thema, das außenpolitisch extrem relevant ist. Das Buch betrachtet Themen und Merkmale des Mediendiskurses in kombinierter Form, stellt Länderprofile dar und sucht nach theoretischen Erklärungen für die Bildkonstruktionen. Die Studie kommt zum Ergebnis, dass es das Lateinamerikabild in der deutschen Presse nicht gibt, sondern sich eine Perzeption nach Ländern und Landesgruppen ausdifferenziert lässt. Die Forschungsarbeit ist über das Fachgebiet Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaft hinaus interessant und bedeutet einen Gewinn für die Lateinamerikaforschung in Deutschland.