Kandidatuppsatser

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    Hållbarhetsarbete i världsklass. En diskursiv studie av Business Region Göteborgs och Göteborg & Co:s kommunikation kring det hållbara Göteborg ur ett varumärkesperspektiv
    (2025-09-08) Börjesson, Alexandra; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    The municipally owned companies Business Region Göteborg and Göteborg & Co have major influence on the perception of Gothenburg - including the 13 municipalities surrounding the city - as a sustainable placebrand. Their communication about the “brand” of Gothenburg is central to how Gothenburg is perceived among investors, tourists, scientists and other target groups, shaping their views and decisions related to the city. The aim of this thesis was to analyze how sustainability is expressed in public publications from Business Region Göteborg and Göteborg & Co in the area of placebranding, strategic communication and sustainable development. Using a discursive perspective, I examine how the rhetorical language in these documents produces and reproduces values that form sustainability-related discourses, and how these relate to other discourses influencing perceptions of sustainability. I also highlight what is underrepresented in the strategic communication, especially concerning inclusion and participation, and discuss the implications for sustainable urban development. The study contributes knowledge about how sustainability is constructed and understood in an urban context and what values are associated with it. As sustainable development is seen as central to urban planning and communication is recognized as key for promoting understanding and engagement, I argue that analyzing power relations through discourse analysis is essential to interpreting how sustainability is defined and legitimized.The findings reveal that discourses on growth, innovation, and future development dominate the communication, while inclusion and participation are inadequately addressed. Furthermore, I conclude that a “top-down” perspective on sustainability prevails, which may impact Gothenburg’s place brand identity and affect the conditions necessary for a successful and well-established place brand.
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    Opportunity to hear vs attention i audiella kontexter. En explorativ studie om selektiv uppmärksamhet
    (2025-09-08) Lithner, Sebastian; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    This study explores how auditory attention functions in sound-rich environments where multiple audio sources compete for the listener’s focus. It aims to deepen the understanding of how we listen, what we perceive, and why certain sounds capture more attention than others. The research is exploratory and method-developing, proposing and testing a method for measuring attention in auditory contexts. It also seeks to clarify the distinction between opportunity to hear (OTH) and actual attention, with the broader goal of improving audio-based communication. The study uses a qualitative design with semi-structured individual interviews combined with a listening task. Twelve participants were exposed to three 30-second audio sequences, each constructed to isolate different independent variables: sound characteristics (low- vs high-frequency voice), content characteristics (important vs non-important message), and source characteristics (familiar vs unfamiliar voice). All audio tracks were normalized in loudness and frequency to reduce unintended variation. After each listening session, participants recalled what they had heard (unaided and aided recall) and validated the intended properties of the material. The results indicate that high-frequency voices generally captured more active attention than low-frequency ones, important messages attracted more focus than non-meaningful content, and familiar voices were more effective at retaining attention than unfamiliar ones. However, variables sometimes interacted, such as differences in share of voice (SOV), making it difficult to isolate single-factor effects. Contextual factors like listening environment and self-assessed concentration levels showed no clear pattern of influence, though individual experiences and prior knowledge sometimes played a role. The study demonstrates that the proposed method can yield meaningful insights into auditory attention, while also revealing areas for refinement, such as controlling SOV more strictly or focusing on single variables in future experiments. As a method-developing and exploratory project, it provides valuable groundwork for larger-scale research and contributes to the underexplored field of measuring attention in auditory contexts.
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    SÅ TALAR FLASHBACK. En kritisk retorikanalys av inlägg på en Flashback-tråd under statsministermötet 2022
    (2025-08-19) Helm, Karolina; Rizell, Anna; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    Political discourse on digital platforms has changed dramatically, where anonymity and new forms of communication influence both the tone and the content of discussions. This shift raises important questions about the role of rhetoric in online political discussions, as the tone and style of communication can influence public perception of political figures and the way they are questioned in public opinion. This can also influence people’s willingness to participate in political communications, which in turn may have consequences for democracy. Rhetorical tools such as ethos, pathos and logos are usable to understand how opinions are formed and expressed, while the concepts of civility and incivility can help define the line between respectful and disrespectful political communication. In this context, gender constitutes a central aspect to consider, as research shows that male and female politicians are treated differently and risk being affected by unequal power relations. This gender-specific dynamic is therefore important to consider when rhetorical strategies and expressions of civility or incivility manifest in digital political discussions. This study focuses on the platform Flashback, which is an anonymous discussion forum often characterized by controversial debates. We will analyze how rhetorical tools and civility/incivility interact on the platform, and how these dynamics may relate to the gender of party leaders. The aim of this study was to examine the use of rhetorical strategies - ethos, pathos and logos - in a discussion about the politicians Magdalena Andersson and Ulf Kristersson. The study also seeked to analyze how the concepts and dimensions of civility and incivility are manifested in the discussion. The dimensions applied in the analysis were civility/incivility as politeness/impoliteness, justificatory and moral. To explore this, we analyzed posts from a Flashback thread created in response to SVT’s 2022 prime ministerial debate between Andersson and Kristersson. Furthermore, the study aimed to identify whether rhetorical strategies and forms of civility or incivility vary depending on the party leader's gender. To fulfil the study's aim, the following research questions were formulated: 1. In what ways are rhetorical strategies and expressions of civility/incivility manifested in the Flashback posts, and what combinations of these occur? 2. Are there patterns in how the posts express rhetorical tools and civility/incivility in relation to the party leader's gender? By using the method of critical rhetorical analysis, we were able to investigate how language and rhetoric are used to express opinions about politicians Magdalena Andersson and Ulf Kristersson within a digital setting. This method allows for a detailed interpretation of how messages are constructed and their influence on maintaining or questioning societal norms. The analysis and results showed that the rhetorical tool pathos, which refers to emotional appeal, often appeared alongside with incivility as impoliteness characterized by rude and disrespectful language. This combination was also the most frequent among the posts concerning Magdalena Andersson. The other combinations found in the the posts included pathos and moral incivility alongside incivility as impoliteness, logos and justificatory incivility, ethos and civility as politeness and finally pathos and civility as politeness. Our analysis revealed that posts concerning Magdalena Andersson often used emotional and negative language, as well as rude expressions. In contrast, posts about Ulf Kristersson typically either praise his communication or criticize him in a polite and respectful manner. However, Flashback is characterized by controversial opinions and brief posts, which shape the tone of the platform and may explain the dominant combination of pathos and incivility as impoliteness. It’s also important to note that Magdalena Andersson was already serving as prime minister at the time of the debate, which may have contributed to the greater amount of criticism directed at her, as Ulf Kristersson’s politics had not yet been implied in society.
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    Tuta, köra, gilla och interagera. En kvalitativ uppsats om bilindustrins kommersiella kommunikation på sociala medier.
    (2025-08-06) Lagerholm, Thea; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    This thesis is based on how interactivity and social media has changed how the car industry works when it comes to digital marketing. This is also the purpose of this thesis, the research questions are as follows: 1. Which social media platforms do the companies choose to invest their time in, and why? 2. Have new forms of interactivity on social media led to changes in marketing strategies? 3. What strengths and weaknesses do the interviewees perceive in relation to interactivity on social media? These research questions are answered through a qualitative method; this qualitative method is done with semi structured interviews. The respondents were five people, three from one company called organisation X, and two people from a company called organisation Y. These semi structured interviews are based on two different theories, the interactivity theory and the relationship marketing theory. With the information that both the interview and the theoretical background gives, it is easy to analyse the research questions. Based on the nature of qualitative interviews it gives this insight to the qualities and motivations of the respondents and their experiences. The method helps get more detailed information on the car industry and their view of interactivity when it comes to social media. New types of social media, such as TikTok, have put more focus on different types of marketing strategies to enable the usage of new types of interactivities (Steinhoff et al., 2018:370–371). The results are therefore based in both theory and interview answers, which makes this essay have an abductive inquiry. This type of inquiry gives a unique way of understanding the way in which the subject is studied and understood. This gives the results an interesting way of viewing how individuals in these companies view the subject. While also based in theory gives a scientific base to the essay and therefore to the results. The results show an increase in the use of digital interaction from both organisations, while understanding the complicated notion that digital interaction is. The usage of social media platforms is similarly used for both organisations. However, the size difference of the organisations means that the local parts of the organisations have different opportunities of how much resources they can give to digital interaction.
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    DEN PERFEKTA FEMININITETEN. En multimodal kritisk diskursanalys över hur femininitet uttrycks i TikTok-trenden ”Soft Girl”
    (2025-08-05) Jillnefelt, Julia; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    TikTok is a popular social media platform that mostly consists of shorter videos, but also pictures. Trends, or that something is trending has become a big part of the content on TikTok. One type of trend that often goes viral is trends that revolve around femininities, and often include the word "Girl." What these trends have in common is that they construct femininities in often similar and stereotypical ways. In 2024, the "Soft Girl" trend spread widely on TikTok, and was also discussed in media globally. The definition of Soft Girl looks a little different. It started as a rebellion by African women who wanted to resist the harsh pressure and expectations they had faced for a more softer lifestyle. Then a more Western take on the trend was adopted, moving more towards traditional gender roles, renouncing professional life and affirming soft values such as beauty and family life. It is the Soft Girl trend that this study examines. The purpose of the study has been to investigate how femininity is expressed in the popular TikTok trend "Soft Girl". This was investigated with two theoretical frameworks: critical discourse analysis as theory together with a postfeminist perspective and its idea of the perfect. Based on these, together with background and previous research, the study's three questions were formulated: Q1: Through what activities and characteristics is femininity expressed in the Soft Girl trend? Q2: How do you relate to self-regulation and self-discipline in the Soft Girl trend? Q3: In what way is the perfect expressed in the Soft Girl trend? The study has a qualitative methodological approach where the analysis was done in two steps. To answer Q1 a strategic selection of 100 TikTok videos was carried out, which was then applied by a thematic analysis to get an overview of the activities and characteristics through which femininity was expressed in the trend. Based on the categories that the thematic analysis resulted in, five videos were selected for a more in-depth analysis of the content, which constituted the material for the second stage of the analysis. In this step, the method of multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA) was applied, and aimed to answer Q2 and Q3. The thematic analysis resulted in activities and characteristics that revolved around taking care of something or oneself, consumption, pink and light values, and a banishment of masculinity. This resulted in the categories Care of the outer, care of the inner and care of the home. For MCDA, two videos were selected from The Outer and The Inner and one video from The Home. The result for the Q2 showed that the users in the videos relate to a number of different self-disciplines and self-regulation over the self and the body in order to reach and maintain the right and perfect femininity. Also, in their presentation of themselves. The result for Q3 was expressed partly in the activities the women in the videos performed, such as the pursuit of a perfect home and a perfect femininity for the trend. But it was also expressed in the very aesthetics of the trend and what seems to be part of being a Soft Girl, to possess a perfect aesthetic and lifestyle. In the Soft Girl trend, femininity is expressed through activities and characteristics that are typically female-coded, where the pursuit of perfection is a constant process and normalized. Based on the multimodal critical discourse analysis, it is possible to see that the discourse of a perfect femininity is reproduced in the Soft Girl trend, without further resistance.
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    ATT KOMMUNICERA I MOTVIND. En kvalitativ textanalys av SAS:s kommunikativa strategier och retoriska positionering i pressmeddelanden under den inledande fasen av Covid-19-pandemin
    (2025-08-04) Gunroth, Matilda; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 represented a profound global crisis with significant implications for various sectors, including the aviation industry. As international borders closed and travel restrictions were enforced, airlines faced both operational and reputational challenges. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), as one of the region´s major carriers, found itself in a critical situation requiring not only organizational adaption but also crisis communication. This study investigates how SAS communicated through press releases during the initial phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, limited to the period of March to April 2020. The aim of the thesis is to examine which communicative strategies SAS employed in its press releases, and how SAS positioned itself in the rhetorical arena during a period of heightened public attention and uncertainty. The analysis is grounded in theoretical frameworks, Framing Theory and the Rhetorical Arena Theory. Framing Theory and Rhetorical Arena Theory are two complementary frameworks that together provide a comprehensive understanding of crisis communication, taking into account content, actors and context. Framing Theory explains how communication shapes meaning by emphasizing certain elements over others, and the Rhetorical Arena Theory focuses on the dynamic interaction between multiple actors in a crisis, highlighting how context and competing voices influence communication. Using a qualitative text analysis, ten press releases published by SAS during the defined time period were analyzed. The study found that SAS consistently framed the pandemic as an external and uncontrollable crisis, portraying itself more as a victim than a responsible actor. In addition, SAS strategically emphasized its role as a socially responsible and essential actor. A notable rhetorical strategy was strategic silence, where SAS avoided commenting on sensitive issues such as onboard infection risks, and instead steered the narrative toward selected themes that reinforced legitimacy. This allowed the organization to control the narrative and focus public attention on its societal contributions. The study also found a development in language and tone during March and April. Early press releases were more formal and informative, while later press releases adopted a more emotionally charged and empathetic tone. This shift is interpreted as an effort to build trust and strengthen relationships during a prolonged crisis. Furthermore, the findings show that SAS actively engaged with other voices in the rhetorical arena, such as authorities, media, the market, employees and stakeholders. Both directly and indirectly, as part of a broader strategy to uphold public trust and credibility. Future studies should aim to study a recipient-oriented perspective, as emphasized in previous studies, to explore how communication was actually perceived and affected stakeholders. Another interesting direction would be to include an international perspective, comparing how similar organizations communicated under different national regulations during the same period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Future studies could also extend the time frame to examine a larger sample of press releases offering deeper insights into how crisis communication strategies evolved over time.
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    “... då man inte kan ändra er och ni alla är inombords glorifierande horor, helt ärligt. Jag har mer respekt för en gatuhora, än en vanlig tjej.” En kritisk diskursanalys av antifeministiska diskurser på Flashback och Reddit.
    (2025-08-04) Schoultz, Hanna; Öncü, Helin; Örtenfelt, Amanda; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    The fall of 2017 marked a global turning point in which millions of women shared their stories and experiences regarding sexual harassment and assaults in connection with the global #MeToo movement. Questions about gender, power and sexual abuse took a bigger space in the public sphere which was followed by reactions, both positive and negative. The negative reactions partly grew into a parallel discourse, questioning the movements legitimacy, blaming women for being dishonest, and the disbelief of feminism grew into antifeminism. The discussion about antifeminism turned to online forums such as Flashback and Reddit, where anonymous users could voice their opinions in an environment with like minded people. The posts on these forums contain mistrust, skepticism, ideological polarization, and the emergence of a new discursive figure: the male victim. Antifeminism is an ideological movement that opposes feminism and the societal changes it advocates. This study explores the evolution of antifeminist discourses on online forums in Sweden and The United States from 2015 to 2025, with a particular focus on the impact of the #MeToo movement. By conducting a critical discourse analysis of user-generated content on Flashback and Reddit, the thesis investigates how resistance to feminist ideas manifests through linguistic strategies, ideological narratives and identity constructions in anonymous online spaces. The analysis highlights how antifeminist exposure often emerges as emotional responses to feminist mobilization and how these reactions are shaped by political, cultural and media contexts. The study seeks to deepen the understanding of how antifeminist discourses are reproduced, formed and spread in digital online spaces. Because of the user-generated function of these forums they are important arenas for analyzing how antifeminist ideas are expressed, reinforced, and normalized online. The study applies theories of discourse, hegemony, appraisal and echo chambers to understand the reinforcement of antifeminist ideologies. A comparative perspective between two countries, Sweden and The United States, demonstrates transnational parallels and context-specific variations providing valuable insights into how gender, power, and resistance interact within contemporary digital public spheres in different parts of the world, an analysis that spans the years 2015 to 2025 and highlights developments over time, something that we found missing in previous research. The research questions asked are: 1. How are antifeminist discourses constructed and articulated in digital forums in Sweden and the United States in connection with the #MeToo movement? 2. What similarities and differences can be identified in the antifeminist discourses on Flashback and Reddit? 3. How has antifeminist discourse changed in digital forums from 2015 to the present in each respective country? The results show that antifeminist resistance is constructed through consistent use of offensive and derogatory language, targeting both women and feminism. The discourse has shifted over the years, from emotionally charged and aggressive expression to more ideologically grounded and pseudo-scientific rhetoric. Different contexts, such as national and political, influence how these discourses evolve, revealing both transnational patterns and culturally specific variations in expression, rhetoric and ideological framing. This study shows that anonymous digital platforms act as echo chambers that both legitimize and reinforce antifeminist sentiments and ideologies. Gaining insight into these discourses is essential for understanding how contemporary views on gender and power are shaped in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement. It is therefore vital to examine how such digital discourses are formed and maintained.
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    “THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS, THEY’RE EATING THE CATS!”. En analys av politiska memes under USA-valet 2024
    (2025-08-04) Nuri, Guhar; Segergren, Klara; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    In an era where political communication is increasingly shaped by social media, internet memes have emerged as powerful tools for conveying messages, shaping public opinion, and generating affective narratives. This study explores how political image-based memes were used as a communicative instrument during the 2024 U.S. presidential election, with a focus on how content and form interact to express political ideas and construct public discourse online. The analysis is guided by three research questions concerning the representation of presidential candidates, the visual and stylistic elements of memes, and the way they can both strengthen and question political stances. Using semiotic and textual analysis, nine curated meme series were examined to identify patterns in how images, text, and cultural references build political narratives. The analysis draws on theoretical frameworks such as framing (Chong & Druckman, 2007), satire (Vigsø, 2025) and Barthes theory about denotation and connotation (1964). The selected material was primarily sourced from the website Know Your Meme as well as pop-cultural articles. The results show that memes are used to both glorify and ridicule the presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Trump is either depicted as incompetent or as a criminal, and Harris is reduced to a caricature by exaggerating her body language, laughter or gender in ways that question her authority. These portrayals demonstrate how memes act as framing devices, where visual and stylistic elements shape public interpretation of political figures. Furthermore, the political memes that circulated during the 2024 campaign were characterised by satire, irony and pop culture references. A common feature is the use of humour and simplification, which makes content accessible and engaging but also risks trivialising complex issues. Image series referencing TV shows, music, or viral memes often rely on shared cultural knowledge and serve as markers of in-group belonging. This makes memes a form of cultural capital and identity-driven communication. The study also finds that memes are ideological tools. They reinforce existing beliefs and frequently rely on stereotypes or polarised representations. By establishing a strong “us versus them” narrative, memes foster affective communities that solidify political identity but risk exacerbating polarisation and diminishing room for nuance. This supports earlier research describing memes as discursive weapons in the digital public sphere (Milner, 2013). Finally, the study reflects on the meme as a form of participatory journalism, a visually driven, accessible mode of political communications where users are not only consumers but also producers of content. Participation in meme culture is, in itself, a political act. For future research, the study recommends quantitative approaches to measure the effects of memes on voter attitudes, as well as a deeper focus on AI-generated memes and their implications for credibility, virality and political discourse. Overall, this study offers insight into how memes function as contemporary political expressions and how they shape our understanding of candidates, campaigns and broader societal ideologies.
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    ”ETT NORRLANDSKNÄCK OM ÅRET RÄCKER”. En kvalitativ studie av mediediskurser kring Norrland
    (2025-08-04) Ek, Felicia; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    This study examines how discourse in the news regarding Norrland, a region in Northern Sweden historically subjected to internal colonialism, is produced, reproduced and changes in national and local news coverage. The study specifically investigates the case of the opening of a graphite mine in Vittangi, a village in the northernmost municipality of Sweden. The mine has sparked a conflict that has been widely reported in Swedish media. On one side of the conflict stands the Swedish government and the EU, who claim that the graphite is a necessary part in the building of new, environmentally friendly industries. On the other side there are local politicians, residents, Sami reindeer herders and environmental organizations who claim that the mine would lead to financial losses for the municipality, polluted waters, major challenges for reindeer herding and damage to protected natural areas. The overall aim of this study is to examine the types of discourse that occur in news reporting regarding Norrland, how ideologies and power relations are reflected in these discourses, and to find out what local journalism contributes to the reporting. To examine this, news articles covering the events surrounding the graphite mine from two Swedish newspapers, one local and one national, were analysed. Former research has shown that media representations of Norrland are characterized by postcolonial discourses. Hence, postcolonialism and internal orientalism were chosen as the theoretical framework for the study, together with critical discourse analysis (CDA) to explain the discourses found. CDA was also used as the method in this study to uncover the discourses, ideologies and power relations in the newspapers. This thesis focuses mainly on three aspects: How are Norrland, the graphite mine in Vittangi and the actors involved portrayed in local and national media? What perspectives and voices are highlighted in local and national media, and how do the media's news evaluation and geographical proximity in reporting differ? And how do the discourses in the reporting relate to overarching ideologies such as postcolonialism and internal orientalism? The main findings show that postcolonial discourses were reproduced only in the national newspaper, through the journalists emphasising perspectives that spoke in favor of the mine. In this way, discourses that produced the mine as a necessity for the greater good came to dominate in the national newspaper. The local newspaper generally reported about the issue in a more factual and unbiased way and provided information that the national newspaper was missing. They also aired the local perspectives, most of them critical to the mine, to a much higher extent than the national newspaper. These findings indicate that local journalism contributes with perspectives that are otherwise easily overlooked and a broader picture of issues that can be missed by the ones reporting from afar.
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    Mellan flöde och förtroende. En kvantitativ studie som genom en multipel regressionsanalys undersöker sambandet mellan nyhetskonsumtion via sociala medier och förtroendet för traditionella medier.
    (2025-07-31) Lindeberg, Elsa; Strand Gustafsson, Karolina; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    In this study we investigate the association between news consumption on social media and trust in traditional media. We tested this association through two hypotheses: (H1) Higher news consumption on social media has a negative association with trust in traditional media, and (H2) Younger individuals who consume news on social media have a higher trust in traditional media. To interpret our findings, we applied theoretical frameworks such as the Uses & gratifications theory (Ruggiero, 2000) and the analytical perspective digital natives vs digital immigrants (Jarrahi & Eshraghi, 2019). While Uses & gratifications theory focuses on how users actively seek out and evaluate media based on personal needs and gratifications, the digital natives vs digital immigrants perspective highlights how age-related differences in media habits and familiarity influence perceptions of trust and credibility. The analysis is based on nationally representative survey data from the SOM-institute from the years 1986-2023. Multiple regression analysis was applied on this data to test direct and interaction effects. Age was included as a moderating variable and gender was included as a control variable. One key finding in this study is that no statistically significant correlation was found between general news consumption on social media and trust in traditional media. This means that our first hypothesis was vaguely supported. Another key finding was that a significant interaction was found between age and news consumption: older individuals tended to show higher levels of trust in traditional media when consuming news on social media. Thus, our second hypothesis was not supported which contradicts our assumption that younger users would show higher trust. Our analysis also showed that the r² value was very low, indicating weak explanatory power. One possible explanation for this is the way the variable for social media news consumption was constructed. It measured general news consumption on social media and not specifically the consumption of traditional media content on social media platforms. This represents one of the limitations of the study due to limitations in the available variables in the SOM-data. The findings of this study suggest that trust is influenced not only by how frequently individuals consume news or which platform they use, but also by their media habits and age. The results align with previous research emphasizing the complex and multi-dimensional nature of media trust. This study provides new insights in how age moderates the association between news consumption on social media and trust. It also highlights the importance of considering user characteristics and platform dynamics in media trust research.
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    “Systerskap online: En studie av community-bygge i SheRuns clubs sociala medier”. En kvalitativ analys av sociala medier som plattform för gemenskap
    (2025-07-31) Gustafsson Déman, Beatrice; Jensen, Isabelle; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    This essay aims to explore how members perceive SheRuns Club's presence on social media as a source of belonging, inspiration, and empowerment within a digital community. The study is grounded in Uses and Gratifications Theory to analyze users’ motivations, as well as convergence culture to highlight how digital platforms enable increased interaction and blurred boundaries between producers and consumers. Empirical data was collected through eight qualitative interviews with women aged 20–35 who are active in SheRuns Club’s digital community. The interviews were analyzed thematically to identify recurring patterns in the participants' experiences and motivations. The results show that the community meets several psychosocial needs, especially belonging, inspiration, and support. Many participants also expressed that the digital format lowers the threshold for engaging in exercise, while interactions with other members strengthen their training habits and self-esteem. The conclusion of this thesis shows that SheRuns Club successfully uses social media to create and maintain an engaging, inclusive, and empowering digital community. Social media serves not just as a communication tool but as a space for shared values, emotional connection, and identity-building. The club’s followers are active co-creators of content and community, reflecting principles of participatory culture. Messages of sisterhood, joy, diversity, and non-judgment are central to creating a safe and welcoming environment. Overall, She Runs Club demonstrates how digital platforms can promote mental well-being and create real-life impact through positive, community-driven communication.
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    NYHETSUNDVIKANDE OCH POLITISKT SJÄLVFÖRTROENDE. En kvantitativ analys av sambandet mellan nyhetskonsumtion och politiskt självförtroende, baserad på befintliga enkätdata från SOMinstitutet år 2023
    (2025-07-31) Egnell, Ella; Ström, Astrid; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    Today, copious amounts of national and international news are only a click away. With the large-scale change in the media environment, we are witnessing a fundamental shift in the way we consume news. Even though traditional media is not completely dead, a large portion of it has been replaced by digital media platforms such as online news outlets, digital newspapers and social media. Even though these platforms provide an accessible and constant flow of news scholars have found that more and more people tend to avoid news, or at the very least, consume less. This change has puzzled scholars who through research have identified two main types of news avoidance: intentional avoidance based on negative emotional reactions to news and unintentional avoidance based on algorithms filtering out news or simply because other media content is more interesting. One of many variables that studies have found to impact the levels of news avoidance is internal political efficacy – one’s belief in their ability to understand and participate in politics. Others argue that the reasoning behind avoidance should be of secondary focus suggesting instead that focus should be on the fact that people consume low amounts of news, not why they do. Therefore, not many studies have focused on how news avoidance or levels of news consumption impact other parts of the individual’s perceived self – even though many scholars highlight the damaging risks of low news consumption to both the individual citizen and to democracy. Since internal political efficacy’s explanatory effects on news avoidance mainly has been studied in an international context and as a smaller part of broader studies on news avoidance, we wish to flip the relationship and analyze whether levels of news consumption can explain levels of internal political efficacy in a swedish context. In this study, levels of news consumption will act as an indicator on news avoidance, as some previous studies has measured it in that way. To achieve the purpose of our study, we formulated one main research question: What is the relationship between news consumption and internal political efficacy in a swedish context? We based our study on the theoretical framework of news avoidance. The theory is a suitable choice for this thesis since it brings clarity on why, how and when people choose to avoid news. In addition to the theoretical framework, we have also included previous research conducted on news avoidance, levels of news consumption and internal political efficacy. To answer the research question, we conducted a quantitative analysis based on existing data from the 2023 national SOM-survey constructed by the SOM-institute. The survey consisted of seven different forms, each answered by different people. In this study form number six was used as material for the analysis, it consisted of 58 questions, and it was answered by 1,752 people ranging from ages 16-90. The form included questions about both news consumption and internal political efficacy which is why it was selected as the material for this study. To analyze the relationship between our two variables we created two index scales, one for news consumption and one for internal political efficacy and then compared the two to one another. A high score on the news consumption index indicated high levels of news consumption while a high score on the internal political efficacy index indicated low levels of internal political efficacy. We also included age and gender as control variables to see if the studied relationship persisted when controlling for age and gender. The results show a statistically significant negative correlation between news consumption and internal political efficacy. Meaning that the respondents with low levels of news consumption also reported low levels of internal political efficacy. A conducted regression analysis also confirm that the relationship persists when controlling for age and gender. We also found that both women and younger individuals were overrepresented among the respondents who showed low levels of internal political efficacy, gender being the variable with a slightly stronger effect. Since the used data is cross-sectional no definitive causal conclusions can be drawn from the material. However, since strong implications was found, future research should consider moving forward with trying to assess whether the relationship is causal or not. It should also try to assess possible bidirectional effects. Our findings align with previous research on news avoidance and internal political efficacy but brings a unique contribute to the field by studying the relationship in a swedish context via consumption frequency instead of self-reported motives. We therefore have studied news avoidance as a habitual behavior rather than something intentional. Finding out how this behavior relates to individuals’ belief in their political capacity is crucial for many reasons – mainly democratic ones.
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    FOMO i det digitala ungdomslivet. En kvalitativ studie om synlighet, normer och digitalt välbefinnande
    (2025-07-30) Miöen, Alexandra; Relam Wide, Louise; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    This study explores how young women experience the phenomenon of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) in relation to their use of social media, and how these experiences impact their digital well-being. Using a qualitative approach, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with ten female high school students, aged 17–19, from two major cities in Sweden. The theoretical framework combines Uses and Gratifications Theory (Ruggiero, 2000), Social Comparison Theory (Festinger, 1954), and Mediatization Theory (Couldry & Hepp, 2017; Hjarvard, 2013) to analyze the participants’ narratives. The study addresses the following research questions: 1. How do young people describe their use of social media in relation to needs, motivations, and feelings of FOMO? This question is analysed using Uses and Gratifications Theory (Ruggiero, 2000), which explores the needs that young people seek to fulfil through social media, and how, or if, FOMO arises when these needs remain unmet. 2. How do young people perceive that FOMO influences the way they compare themselves to others on social media? To understand this aspect, the study applies Social Comparison Theory (Festinger, 1954), which explains how individuals evaluate themselves in relation to others, especially in digital environments shaped by constant exposure to idealised lives. 3. In what ways do young people experience that FOMO affects their sense of well-being in a digital context? This question is explored through Mediatization Theory (Couldry & Hepp, 2017; Hjarvard, 2013), which helps explain how digital platforms not only serve as tools for communication, but also shape cultural norms and perceptions of what constitutes a meaningful life. The findings reveal that social media is deeply integrated into the everyday lives of young people, serving not only as a tool for entertainment and information but also as a central arena for social interaction, identity construction, and the maintenance of social belonging. Platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram are used daily and are perceived as essential to keeping up with social circles. Presence, visibility, and activity have become normative expectations, aligning with theories on how mediatization shapes social norms and values. However, the study also highlights a tension between the benefits and the emotional costs of social media use. While social media offers inspiration, connection, and entertainment, it simultaneously creates emotional pressure through social comparisons and the fear of exclusion. FOMO emerges when young people perceive a gap between their psychological and social needs, such as belonging and recognition, and the gratification they actually receive. This emotional stress is further reinforced by constant exposure to curated and idealized portrayals of others' lives online. Participants describe ambivalent feelings toward social media- they appreciate its role in their social lives but also acknowledge that it contributes to feelings of unworthiness, stress, and anxiety. Many report strategies to manage FOMO, such as taking short breaks from apps, engaging in alternative activities, or intentionally downplaying the importance of what they see online. Nevertheless, these efforts are often undermined by the structural norms of visibility and participation embedded in the platforms themselves. Ultimately, the study concludes that FOMO is not simply an individual psychological phenomenon but a socially and culturally conditioned experience shaped by the logic of digital platforms. Social media usage among young people is driven not only by personal motivations but also by collective expectations about what it means to live a “successful” and socially validated life. This creates a paradox where digital media simultaneously offers belonging and generates emotional strain. The findings suggest that understanding FOMO requires attention to the interplay between individual needs, social comparisons, and the broader mediatized culture that defines much of today's youth experience.
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    UNGDOMAR OCH MYNDIGHETSINFORMATION. En kvalitativ intervjustudie om att nå ut till tonårspojkar i ett digitalt medielandskap
    (2025-07-30) Lindbom, Desirée; Lindholm, Malin; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    This study aims to examine how the Swedish youth relate to information from public authorities. It was conducted on behalf of Västra Götalandsregionen, with the purpose of identifying how they can better communicate in an ever-changing digital media landscape. Today's youth have grown up with different circumstances regarding media consumption compared to previous generations. From the perspective of public authorities, this shift requires adapting their communication strategies from traditional methods to digital approaches, in order to reach the intended audience. Authorities must also compete with algorithms and increased selective media exposure, particularly to engage with the younger generation, which is especially important in the case of teenage boys, who may be more prone to gravitating toward extreme groups or viewpoints based on the content they interact with online. This issue highlights the relevance of research for future public communication strategies. To accomplish our study we decided to conduct group interviews with teenage boys. The participants consisted of eight boys aged 16-17. With our chosen method we reached a deeper understanding in their reasoning and opinions regarding how they prefer to receive information from public authorities. The results were analysed in relation to previous research on this topic, as well as our chosen theories which include Uses and Gratification, Information-seeking repertoires and Filter Bubbles. There are three core questions on which the thesis is based. The first addresses the participants' need for information, by investigating their general awareness and trust in public authorities, and Västa Götalandsregionen in particular. The second investigates how the participants access public authority information, by analysing their media habits. The third and final question explores how our participants prefer to be addressed in public authority communication, focusing on the tone of voice, language and format. Our findings indicate a high level of trust in both Swedish authorities and Västra Götalandsregionen, despite a limited knowledge of their actual functions. The participants mainly consume such information passively, primarily through social media. In general the participants consider themselves well informed regarding the information they require. Whether or not they engage with the information largely depends on whether they find it relevant to oneself. According to the participants the information should be formal, clear and not resemble advertising in order to capture their attention. The results show that the participants want authorities to adapt to their media habits, but not to the content in their feeds. This study contributes new knowledge to the relatively unexplored field of public authority communication regarding youth, offering deeper insights into how teenage boys interpret and engage with such information in a digital media landscape. Our findings enhance the understanding of how young people’s media habits influence their reception of official messages, and what factors determine their receptiveness. The study provides a foundation for further research in the field as well as practical applications for public authorities. It also highlights the need for future research involving teenage girls.
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    BARN, BUBBLAN OCH BUDSKAPEN. En kvalitativ intervjuanalys om hur barn resonerar kring information på sociala medier
    (2025-07-30) Ljungberg, Julia; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    This study aims to find out how children in the age 6 to 12 reason abaut information on social media, with a significant focus on their media literacy, perception of message and assessment of reliability. Through qualitative semi- structured interviews with two groups of children in different age categories, this study analyzes how children perceives platforms, creators and messages´ on social media. To carry out this study I mainly used Vygotsky’s and Piaget’s theories of children’s cognitive development and through these I was able to create a connection between age and practical experience in relation to their reasoning about information on social media. Piaget’s theory (Piaget, 1953) highlights the fact that age is a central component in a child’s cognitive development and is crucial for their ability to critical thinking and understanding of society. Vygotsky’s theory (Vygotsky, 1978) claims that children’s critical thinking and cognitive development is made by social interactions with others, such as a parent or a teacher, that already possesses these skills. The study shows that the younger age group (group 1, age 6-7) exhibits basic strategies for source criticism, by asking adults for guidance when coming across content that is questionable, while the older age group (group 2, age 11-12) exhibits more evolved strategies and reasons around the credibility of platforms, creators, and content, as well as the effect of algorithms. The study found that there is a clear difference between the age groups in how they reason about social media platforms, creators and messages´. Children in Group 1 had limited experience and mostly used YouTube and occasionally TikTok, making their reasoning focus on content rather than platforms. Their trust was based on visual and auditory cues, such as tone and appearance. Group 2 had more experience across different social media platforms and therefor a more advanced reasoning. They ranked platforms by trustworthiness, liking credibility to user age and content seriousness, as well as accounts´ that were verified. They also showed greater awareness of digital manipulation and used specific strategies like cross- referencing with news sites or asking adults to verify information. While both groups emphasized the importance of evidence when judging a messages credibility, Group 2 applied a more critical, abstract level of thinking, consistent with Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Their media literacy was more developed, shaped by both cognitive maturity and digital practices. The study also suggests that children’s media literacy evolves as children grow older and their cognitive abilities develops. It also suggests that their digital practices help develop a deeper understanding for social media and promote their media literacy in ways that enable them to question, interpret and reflect on the content they encounter, as well as distinguish between reliable information and manipulation or misinformation. This points to the fact that younger children may not be ready to handle the information that they are provided with on social media. These insights emphasize the importance of further research within this field, particularly in relation to children’s digital practices, critical thinking development, and the evolving nature of online platforms. By continuing these types´ of research, there is a possibility to identify shortcomings and missing aspects so that their digital experience can be safer, and their critical thinking better equipped to navigate today’s social media landscape.
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    “En personlig varumärkesidentitet?!?!!!! Vafan är det??”* En kvalitativ studie som undersöker hur offentliga personer resonerar för hur de stärker och upprätthåller sin varumärkesidentitet i sin digitala kommunikation sett utifrån teorierna personal- och corporate branding
    (2025-07-30) Hansson, Matilda; Möller, Cornelia; Yap Brattberg, LeeAnn; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    The purpose of this thesis is to examine how public figures motivate their decisions for strengthen and maintaining their brand identity through digital communication. We have analyzed this through the theories of personal- and corporate branding. The main research question for this thesis is: “How do public figures reason about how they strengthen and maintain their brand identity in their digital communication in a changing media landscape?”. The two research questions we developed to help us investigate our purpose are: 1. How do public figures reason about the strategies they use in their digital communication regarding branding in today’s changing media landscape? 2. Are strategies in personal- and corporate branding combined by public figures to strengthen and maintain their brand identity, and if so, in what way? The background introduces a framework for understanding the changing media landscape, and especially how digital media at times has replaced traditional media. The ever-changing media landscape has, through the digitalization of media, created a new and influential actor, called influencers, utilizing new digital platforms where strategies for branding now has developed. This has caused a major shift in the importance of brands, especially regarding the changed media landscape. Previous research has highlighted that brands are of great importance, not only for creating brand-recognition, but also in distinguishing market-actors from others in the same field. In addition, previous research has also shown significant similarities between market strategies within both personal and corporate branding, however, with the blog as the main communication channel. In our analysis, we utilize two theoretical frameworks that jointly provides insight into brand identities for both individual actors and companies. We assume that the contemporary media landscape has created new ways to work with brand identity. This can indicate that public figures take on new strategies which mainly comes from corporate branding theory. Our analysis confirms the assumption that the new media landscape has indeed created new ways to work with brand identities. All individuals possess a personal brand. Moreover, the results also show that the respondents combines personal and corporate branding strategies in their work with brand identity through digital communication. Finally, our analysis show evidence to suggest that both strategies are combined and that this is a direct consequence of the new digitialized media landscape.
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    “Jag kan ju välja att inte scrolla men jag skulle hellre scrolla än att inte scrolla.” En kvalitativ studie om ungdomars scrollbeteende på sociala medier och de behov som förväntas uppfyllas
    (2025-07-30) Eriksson, Milla; Lundberg, Malte; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    In today’s digital landscape, social media usage has become a routine part of adolescents’ daily lives. One central activity within this media consumption is scrolling, a passive, often automatic engagement with endless content feeds, particularly on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. This thesis investigates how upper secondary school students experience their scrolling habits. Whether these are active choices or passive behaviors, what needs or motivations underlie them, and how platform technologies influence their patterns of use. Grounded in media and communication theory, particularly Uses and Gratifications Theory and its later developments, this thesis applies a qualitative approach by conducting four focus group interviews with Swedish students aged 16-17. A thematic analysis was employed to identify recurring patterns in the gathered data. The findings of this thesis reveal a clear ambivalence in youth media practices, while some social media use is intentional and driven by needs such as entertainment, inspiration, or social connection, much of the scrolling appears habitual and unconscious. Participants describe a loss of self-regulation, often continuing to scroll despite finding the content uninteresting or meaningless. This challenges Uses and Gratifications classical view of the user as a goal-oriented and rational actor. A key contribution of this study is its emphasis on the role of technological design. Features like infinite scroll, personalized feeds, and content autoplay were seen to undermine conscious control while simultaneously offering comfort in the form of low-effort entertainment. Interestingly, participants did not universally perceive this technological influence as negative. In some cases, the passive nature of scrolling was described as a welcomed pause from everyday demands, indicating a need to nuance assumptions about media control and autonomy. This thesis highlights how digital platforms both shape and are shaped by youth behavior. While theories like Uses and Gratifications Theory provide valuable frameworks for understanding media motivations, this study suggests that platform affordances and social contexts can create needs, not just satisfy them. Thus, scrolling should be understood not only as a media habit but as a culturally and technologically embedded practice with both empowering and limiting implications for young users.
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    "JAG BLEV V*LDTAGEN AV EN SKÅDESPELARKOLLEGA”. En kvantitativ studie om svensk dagspress rapporteringen av uppropsgruppen #tystnadtagning inom metoo
    (2025-03-31) van Reis, Lovisa; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    Sexual harassment is something that has existed for several decades, and are something that still occurs today in many places around our society. In the fall of 2017, a movement called the Metoo-movement, started and spread across the whole world, which made an impact on many countries – particularly Sweden. Serval women from different occupational groups started to share their stories to the media, about sexual harassment that they gone thru, in order to show that the perpetuators are just ordinary men in their industry, which is something that media previous misconception provided about. The first stories that reached the Swedish residents were from the Swedish film- and theater industry, and were also one of the most known and visible first call-out groups. They shared 703 different stories about sexual harassment to one of Sweden's leading newspapers, Svenska Dagbladet, in november of 2017. This occurrence was the starting point for many other industries to share their stories as well, and the Metoo-movement was now on the agenda all over Swedish media. The aim of this study is to investigate how one of metoo’s first call–out groups called #tystnadtagning, was framed in the Swedish newspress, and to analyze how the press reinforced or challenged the call–out group’s message and goals. By doing an analyze of the publicity of Sweden's four leading newspaper; Dagens Nyheter, Aftonbladet, Expressen and Svenska Dagbladet about the first call-out group #tystnadtagning under metoo. The study particularly focus on #tystnadtagning and how they are framed in the Swedish newspapers. But it also includes how the problems about sexual harassment were presented, their solutions and explanations to how it first became an problem. By using the framing theory as a fundamental theoretical perspective, and examining whether the call–out group was framed in an episodic or thematic way – and if there's a difference in how they are framed between the four earlier mentioned newspapers. In addition to using the framing theory, I used a qualitative content analysis as a methodological method to be able to analyze the content of the material on a more in-depth and detailed level. My conclusion of this study is that the pivotal role of media coverage in sharping impact and visibility of the #tystnadtagning movement. Swedish four leading newspaper reports significantly amplified the call-out group’s message, drawing public attention to issue of sexual harassment and abuse within in the film- and theater industry. The findings suggest that media engagement was not only instrumental in disseminating the groups’ demands, but also in fostering broader societal discussions.
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    Den svenska fotbollens supporterkultur, huliganism och läktarvåld. En kvantitativ innehållsanalys om hur svensk nyhetsmedia framställer supporterkultur inom fotboll
    (2025-03-13) Hörling, Einar; Karvik, Hugo; Larsson, Gustav; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    The aim for this study was to investigate, analyze and compare the way Sweden's main five news outlets portray and frame Swedish supporter culture surrounding football. In order to do so we formulated four research questions, all with the purpose to operationalize both the questions and the theories into data and results. The questions reads as follows: 1. What are the dominant portrayals in Swedish news outlets presentation of supporter culture? 2. Which word and concepts are most frequently used in connection to supporter culture and in what sense is this done? 3. Who gets space to actively speak in the articles and in what sense? 4. Are there any differences between different news outlets in their portrayal of supporter culture? The study is of a quantitative nature and utilizes online news articles published in the main five news outlets, those being Aftonbladet, Dagens Nyheter, Expressen, Svenska Dagbladet and SVT Nyheter. These five news outlets provide a wide variety of editorial working practices that may differ from outlet to outlet as some are seen as public-service, some evening papers and some morning papers. This method was employed due to the sheer volume of news articles that we had to analyze in the search for keywords, themes and different ways to frame, as well as it being the most efficient method when going through 300 articles in a relatively short space of time. The study's results showed that Swedish news outlets tend to make use of a portrayal that is based in conflict and with a perspective of public order in a third of the analyzed articles. This portrayal is prone to paint a negative picture of supporters and the culture that surrounds them as well as making them out to be a threat to society and the general public order. In addition to this, the news outlets make use of an episodic and thematic portrayal approximately the same amount with a slight advantage for episodic. Furthermore the keyword supporter was the most recurring during the study and even though the result was fairly even it showed that the portrayal was slightly more negative than neutral. Pyrotechnics was another keyword we included in the research which was almost exclusively framed in a negative manner and in a way that highlighted conflict over the original way pyrotechnics is meant to be used. This puts both supporters and supporter culture in jeopardy due the portrayal that football fans tend to seek out conflict rather than deescalating it. When the prevailing theme was based in conflict, representatives of the club was the actor that was awarded the most medial space and that space mostly tended to be of a negative nature. When it came to portrayals where the public order was in focus, the actor that stood out was the police and they too spoke more in a negative manner. Additionally, Aftonbladet was the news outlet that framed supporters as well as supporter culture in a negative way the most with a focus on public order and pyrotechnics that tend to villainize the supporters and portray them as a risk to the overall security. In relation to these findings, Expressen provided a more balanced coverage regarding supporters that even tended to be of a positive nature. Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet and SVT Nyheter all followed a pattern that was made up of both negative and neutral portrayals with the numbers being fairly even and all five news outlets were subject to using an episodic way to frame the news being published. In conclusion, the study shows that Swedish news outlets have an effect in the way the topic is being depicted in the media which is often made up by a negative framing that is based on conflict. The negative discourse surrounding the matter and the lack of a diverse perspective may lead to the general perception of supporters as a whole being subject to negative stereotypes and a perceived threat to society and the public order. The study also highlights the responsibility and the power that is being possessed by the journalist and the editorial office and that a fair and diverse coverage of a subject is necessary in order to avoid marginalization and polarization, both in the media and on the stands in the arena.
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    ‘VEM SA ATT POLITIK INTE KAN VARA KUL?’ En kvantitativ innehållsanalys om frekvensen av politainment hos politiska ungdomsförbund på TikTok år 2023 respektive år 2024
    (2025-02-27) Klasson, Ellen; Sedin, Stella; Mucelli Ström, Emma; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för journalistik, medier och kommunikation; Göteborg University/Department of Journalism Media and Communication
    The political landscape is constantly changing and influenced by outside forces. The strong connection to the traditional media has evolved to include a new important part, social media. A good way for the politics to utilize social media is through their youth associations, whose main purpose is to engage young people and spark their interest in politics. Due to the increasing influence of social media, the politicians, parties and various actors have to adapt to its demands, to be able to gain visibility on these platforms. One way to adapt is to become more entertainment driven, because these platforms are a safespace where people find time to relax and have a good time. With a growing emphasis on simplified, engaging and more fun political massages, political communication has changed its form. This phenomenon is referred to as “politainment” and encapsulates the merging of politics and entertainment. The purpose of this study is to examine and measure the frequency of politainment in Swedish political youth associations political communications. This is achieved by measuring entertaining content in the publications on the social media app TikTok, from the two largest political parties youth associations, Sveriges Socialdemokratiska Ungdomsförbund (SSU) and Moderata ungdomsförbundet (MUF). By analyzing publications from two different years, the EU election year 2024 and the non EU election year 2023, this study intends to measure and compare the occurrence of politainment. To detect if the entertaining elements in the youth associations political communication increase or decrease depending on social circumstances, as an election. Our three research questions are following; 1. How often do youth associations use entertainment in their publications in connection with the non EU election year 2023 versus the EU election year 2024? 2. How often do youth associations use political messages in their publications in connection with a non EU election year 2023 versus the EU election year 2024? 3. How often do youth associations use entertainment in their political messages in connection with the non EU election 2023 versus the EU election year 2024? To measure the frequency of politainment, a quantitative content analysis has been conducted. The TikToks, that refers to a publication on the platform, has been analysed by coding occurrences of various entertainment aspects based on TikToks affordances. These aspects include music, sound, dance, mockery, challenge, filter, visual effects and vlog. The TikToks were also coded to determine if they were political content. The analysis units that were coded amounted to a total of 484 units. The results of the study concludes that there is indeed a frequent use of the combination of entertainment and politics. When the parties communicate political messages, they also often use an entertaining aspect, such as music or a visual effect. However not to the extent we thought, since it turned out that the youth parties did not take advantage of all the entertaining possibilities available on the platform. Of the eight variables that could be coded, the average affordance used was around 1.5 in both years, with a slight increase observed in the non-election year 2023. The results also show that the youth associations show a more serious side of themselves and publish more political based content, during the election year. More entertaining content, without political messages occured to a greater extent during the non EU election year 2023. However, as social media continuously grows in power we do believe the phenomenon of politainment has only just begun to develop and it will be interesting to follow the evolution in future studies.