Claudia Klobasa | University of Vienna (original) (raw)
Papers by Claudia Klobasa
Journalism
We examined how Muslims are depicted in connection with Islamist terrorism and to what extent jou... more We examined how Muslims are depicted in connection with Islamist terrorism and to what extent journalists use undifferentiated coverage – that actively links Muslims to terrorism – and differentiated coverage that actively differentiates Muslims from terrorism. Drawing from research in journalism studies and from terror management theory, we examined media-specific and event-specific predictors using a quantitative content analysis (12 quality/tabloid newspapers from three countries, N = 1071 articles). Results reveal that undifferentiated coverage occurs in almost every other article. Differentiation occurs much less. Tabloids use undifferentiated and differentiated coverage in fact-oriented and opinion-oriented articles. Quality news only do so in opinion-oriented articles. Proximity of a terror event resulted in more undifferentiated and less differentiated coverage. Results have important implications for journalism practice, terrorism research and intergroup relations.
Journalism Studies, 2020
The present study took an actor-based approach to explain news differentiation in terrorism cover... more The present study took an actor-based approach to explain news differentiation in terrorism coverage. Actors were defined as non-Muslim sources, Muslim sources, and journalists. Actors who generate undifferentiated statements actively link Muslims to terrorism, whereas actors who use differentiated statements explicitly distinguish Muslims from terrorism. We examined actorspecific, media-specific, and event-specific predictors of differentiation using a quantitative content analysis in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, 2015-2017 (12 quality/tabloid newspapers, N = 1071 articles). Results reveal that non-Muslim sources and journalists are more likely to make undifferentiated statements and less likely to make differentiated statements compared to Muslim sources. This gap between Muslim sources on the one side and non-Muslim sources as well as journalists on the other side is more accentuated for severe terroristic attacks and for articles mentioning dead and injured victims. For differentiated statements, the gap is also more pronounced in tabloid newspapers as compared to quality newspapers.
This thesis examines how proximity (i.e., spatial and personal closeness/distance) and sensationa... more This thesis examines how proximity (i.e., spatial and personal closeness/distance) and sensationalized reporting (i.e., victim exemplification) of a fictional reported terroristic act affects news consumers in their emotional (i.e., fear of terrorism) and attitudinal (i.e., Islamophobic attitudes) responses. With framing, social identity theory, social/self-categorization theory, intergroup threat theory, exemplification theory and social learning theory - the news coverage of Muslims, terrorism and subsequent audience effects are explored. An online-experiment, using a quota-based sample was conducted. The results of the online-experiment show that proximity significantly increased avoidance behavior as well as perceived similarities with the victims of the fictional terrorist act. The conducted mediation analysis further reveals that perceived similarities mediated and increased the effects of proximity on fear of terrorism. Furthermore, it was found that fear of terrorism mediate...
Journalism
We examined how Muslims are depicted in connection with Islamist terrorism and to what extent jou... more We examined how Muslims are depicted in connection with Islamist terrorism and to what extent journalists use undifferentiated coverage – that actively links Muslims to terrorism – and differentiated coverage that actively differentiates Muslims from terrorism. Drawing from research in journalism studies and from terror management theory, we examined media-specific and event-specific predictors using a quantitative content analysis (12 quality/tabloid newspapers from three countries, N = 1071 articles). Results reveal that undifferentiated coverage occurs in almost every other article. Differentiation occurs much less. Tabloids use undifferentiated and differentiated coverage in fact-oriented and opinion-oriented articles. Quality news only do so in opinion-oriented articles. Proximity of a terror event resulted in more undifferentiated and less differentiated coverage. Results have important implications for journalism practice, terrorism research and intergroup relations.
Journalism Studies, 2020
The present study took an actor-based approach to explain news differentiation in terrorism cover... more The present study took an actor-based approach to explain news differentiation in terrorism coverage. Actors were defined as non-Muslim sources, Muslim sources, and journalists. Actors who generate undifferentiated statements actively link Muslims to terrorism, whereas actors who use differentiated statements explicitly distinguish Muslims from terrorism. We examined actorspecific, media-specific, and event-specific predictors of differentiation using a quantitative content analysis in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, 2015-2017 (12 quality/tabloid newspapers, N = 1071 articles). Results reveal that non-Muslim sources and journalists are more likely to make undifferentiated statements and less likely to make differentiated statements compared to Muslim sources. This gap between Muslim sources on the one side and non-Muslim sources as well as journalists on the other side is more accentuated for severe terroristic attacks and for articles mentioning dead and injured victims. For differentiated statements, the gap is also more pronounced in tabloid newspapers as compared to quality newspapers.
This thesis examines how proximity (i.e., spatial and personal closeness/distance) and sensationa... more This thesis examines how proximity (i.e., spatial and personal closeness/distance) and sensationalized reporting (i.e., victim exemplification) of a fictional reported terroristic act affects news consumers in their emotional (i.e., fear of terrorism) and attitudinal (i.e., Islamophobic attitudes) responses. With framing, social identity theory, social/self-categorization theory, intergroup threat theory, exemplification theory and social learning theory - the news coverage of Muslims, terrorism and subsequent audience effects are explored. An online-experiment, using a quota-based sample was conducted. The results of the online-experiment show that proximity significantly increased avoidance behavior as well as perceived similarities with the victims of the fictional terrorist act. The conducted mediation analysis further reveals that perceived similarities mediated and increased the effects of proximity on fear of terrorism. Furthermore, it was found that fear of terrorism mediate...