“Det här programmet kommer att handla om en hemsk och ovanlig händelse” - En kvalitativ studie av Lilla Aktuellts krisjournalistik

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to exam crisis journalism for children in Sweden. It focuses on the Swedish public service television news program Lilla Aktuellt, which is an established news medium aimed towards children. With the perspective that children have the same right to information as adults, this thesis examines how Lilla Aktuellt creates access to the news children are expected to have in a democratic society. Furthermore the aim is to study if Lilla Aktuellt makes understandable and democratic crisis news and if Lilla Aktuellt’s crisis news has any common characteristics. The method used is qualitative content analysis and the material is four crises with three different broadcasts from each one. The theoretical framework is based on framing, crisis communication and the social responsibility theory of the press. The results were that Lilla Aktuellt has a well adapted language and is in general understandable for children. However, it does not fulfil the democratic expectations applied by this thesis. The causes behind the crises are not explained in depth and no exhaustive picture is given. Lilla Aktuellt avoids using negative news angles and violent/gory images. There is still, however, some usage of emotionally upsetting language and images. Lilla Aktuellt addresses their target audience in a way that does not respect their right to complete and accurate information. The broadcasts from the 00s talks about children, instead of addressing the audience directly. This gets better with time, but instead Lilla Aktuellt starts wrapping the serious information in cautionary words.