Tracing Mediatization – Swedish Newspapers, Journalism and Government Agencies

Abstract

Title: Tracing Mediatization – Swedish Newspapers, Journalism and Government Agencies Author: Lucas Rengér Client: University of Gothenburg, Department of Media, Journalism and Communication Course: Bachelor’s Thesis Course - 15 higher education credit Semester: Spring 2012 Thesis Advisor: Professor Bengt Johansson Number of words: 14.693 Number of pages: 46 Purpose and assertion: To trace mediatization with the assertion that as displayed in news content, Swedish national newspapers’ dependence on government agencies has decreased over time. Method: Quantitative Content Analysis (QCA) Material: 56 issues of Expressen and Dagens Nyheter Main Results: Mediatization of Politics exists and is demonstrated by journalists in newspaper articles on policy areas. Journalists become independent from government agencies in their news production by taking command of articles’ narrative and decreasing the presence of government agencies in news stories covering agencies’ policy remits. However, in terms of journalistic ideals of investigation, journalists become decreasingly independent since they decrease investigation of government agencies—even though agencies constitute an important part in the Swedish political institution.