University of Twente Student Theses
Media Bias of Traditional Media in Coverage of Conspiracy Theories during Covid-19 : A content analysis about how newspapers are reporting on the 5G-conspiracy theory
Wolf, Nora (2022) Media Bias of Traditional Media in Coverage of Conspiracy Theories during Covid-19 : A content analysis about how newspapers are reporting on the 5G-conspiracy theory.
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| Abstract: | Newspapers are still seen as the most reliable information sources, so that many people, especially in times of uncertainty like the Covid-19 pandemic, resort to them. Informing about misinformation, such as conspiracy theories about Covid-19, is a crucial task of traditional media. Since newspapers can entail media bias, it is necessary to investigate to what extent newspapers report objectively and according to facts, and whether they have an influence on the readers. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to answer how newspapers deal with the reporting of conspiracy theories and if there are possible differences and influences. Thus, the following research question is posed: “In what ways do traditional media report conspiracy theories in the emergence of the COVID19 pandemic?” To answer this question, a representative sample of articles from five different German daily (online) newspapers and their articles directed to the topic of the 5G-conspiracy theory are examined. To examine any ideological and/ or linguistic differences, the articles are chosen based on their newspapers’ ideological direction. Hence, newspapers reaching from the ideologically left side to the ideologically right side of the spectrum are included. Regarding theoretical expectations set by previous literature, data is analyzed inductively via a content analysis (CA) following the approach by Mayring. Accordingly, an investigation of the fifteen chosen articles is given in terms of certain keywords and examined with the help of Atlas.ti. The results of the analysis show that there is a difference in reporting on conspiracy theories and its believers among newspapers. Especially far left and far right media show strong media bias and thus have a certain influence on the readers. Furthermore, all newspapers, from far left to far right, report in a negative tone of voice on the conspiracy believers, so that the readers are negatively influenced regarding this group. Moreover, most newspapers, except for right media, stereotype them as far-right. Overall, it is obvious that all newspapers have a certain focus in their reporting, which is determined by the political orientation of the newspaper. However, since this correlation is not very distinct, more research should be done to be able to draw further conclusions and generalize the results. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 05 communication studies, 88 social and public administration, 89 political science |
| Programme: | Management Society and Technology BSc (56654) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/91851 |
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