Med ett kritiskt diskursanalytiskt tankesätt ämnar denna uppsats att studera hur nyhetsmedier rapporterar om manliga offer respektive kvinnliga offer för dödligt våld i nära relation. Syftet med studien är att utreda om nyhetsmediet Aftonbladet i sin nyhetsrapportering bidrar till stigmatiseringen av kvinnliga och manliga offer för dödligt våld i nära relation. I denna studie ska det även analyseras hur Aftonbladet väljer att tilldela skuld i fallen för att undersöka hur de ser på maskulinitet och femininitet. Studien ämnar att bidra med kunskap om huruvida Aftonbladet främjar eller hämmar jämställdhet i samhället, stigmatisering kring könen och om de bidrar till de patriarkala idéerna. För att besvara forskningsfrågorna analyserades elva artiklar mellan åren 2016 till 2023. Resultatet visar att manliga offer refereras på ett opersonligt sätt där den kvinnliga gärningsmannen står i fokus i artiklarna. De manliga offren tilldelas även skuld i brottet i och med de attribut som de tilldelas och hur de representeras inför och under morden där de misshandlade kvinnan, vilket används som rättfärdigande för tilldelningen av skuld. Därmed bidrar Aftonbladet inte till stigmatiseringen kring manliga offer och främjar jämställdhet i samhället. Resultatet av de kvinnliga offren visar att de tilldelas attribut som är personliga, och därmed ger läsaren en “vi”-känsla. På grund av det får kvinnliga offer ingen tilldelning av skuld i brott. Dock innebär detta att Aftonbladet bidrar till stigmatiseringen då de kvinnliga offren även får attribut som svaga och rädda samt inte främjar jämställdhet. Däremot främjar Aftonbladet jämställdhet i och med att de kvinnliga offren får mer utrymme i artiklarna och könsmaktsordningen bryts. / Using a discourse analysis approach, this thesis aims to study how news media report on male and female victims of fatal domestic violence. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether the news media Aftonbladet in its news reporting contributes to the stigmatisation of female and male victims of fatal domestic violence. And how Aftonbladet chooses to assign blame in the crimes, to see how they view masculinity and femininity. The study aims to contribute to understand whether Aftonbladet promotes or inhibits gender equality in society, stigmatisation around the genders and whether they contribute to patriarchal ideas.  In order to answer the research questions, eleven articles between 2016 and 2023 were analysed. The results show that male victims are referred to in an impersonal way where the female offender is the focus of the articles. The male victims are also assigned guilt in the crime through the attributes they are assigned and how they are represented before and during the murders where they abused the woman, which is used as justification for the assignment of guilt. Thus, Aftonbladet does not contribute to the stigmatisation of male victims and promotes gender equality in society. The result of the female victims shows that they are assigned attributes that are personal, thus giving the reader a "we" feeling. Because of this, female victims do not receive an attribution of guilt in crime. However, this means that Aftonbladet contributes to stigmatisation as the female victims are also given attributes such as weak and afraid and do not promote gender equality. However, Aftonbladet promotes gender equality because the female victims are given more room in the articles and the gender power structure is broken.

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This dissertation addresses the complex challenge of communicating knowledge about environmental risks from toxic chemicals. Modern environmental risks are often invisible and technically complex, making the management of these risks highly dependent on data and information. Reliance on risk knowledge necessitates effective dissemination and communication by government agencies, yet the public's engagement with this information remains unclear due to limited real-world studies. This dissertation is comprised of three standalone papers bridging this gap. Each focuses on different aspects of risk knowledge communication using news dialogues as data sources. The first paper investigates the communication of location-specific risk information through a case study of the Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RAAP). Using content analysis and logistic regression, the study examines how scientific information about local environmental issues is presented in news articles and what factors influence its inclusion. Findings highlight the varying capacities among different stakeholder groups to access and utilize scientific information, underscoring the need for governmental and research support for less-resourced groups. The second paper explores chemical-specific risk knowledge, focusing on the environmental risks associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Employing a structural topic model (STM) and multinomial logistic regression, the study assesses the impact of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)'s Draft Toxicity Assessment for GenX, one of the PFAS chemicals, on news topics. Results indicate that the influence of new risk knowledge on news topics varies depending on community context, with significant impacts observed when communities are ready for governmental action or legislation using the new assessment. The third paper examines the use of the US EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) database in news media. Through exploratory analysis, it reveals how different stakeholders use TRI data to make claims about environmental risks, highlighting that environmental organizations are primary users who often reconstruct TRI data to make it more relevant to the public. This suggests their potential role as intermediaries in risk knowledge communication. This dissertation provides empirical evidence of the limited news coverage of environmental risk knowledge, the dominance of government sources, and the significant role of intermediary groups. The findings suggest policy implications for government agencies and other organizations, highlighting the need to improve the conveyance and communication of risk knowledge. Recommendations include providing more contextual information and training for communities and intermediary groups on interpreting and utilizing risk data and information. These aim to bolster public comprehension and responsiveness to environmental risks, thereby protecting public safety and health. / Doctor of Philosophy / Toxic chemicals in our environment pose serious risks, but these dangers are often invisible and complex, making them hard to understand and manage without data and information about them. This dissertation explores how information about these risks is shared with the public through printed and online news coverage, aiming to enhance communication and our understanding of these environmental threats. This dissertation presents findings from three studies, each focusing on different types of risk information. The first looks at scientific information about local environmental risks at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant communicated in the news. It shows that not all groups have the same ability to access and use scientific data, and people tend to or feel compelled to bring up scientific information when they claim that risks exist, while the same level of scientific proof is not deemed necessary when denying the risks. The second study identifies topics in the news coverage of a specific chemical risk, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination across the United States. This study also reveals how the publication of a new risk assessment for GenX – one type of PFAS chemical that was found to be more harmful than previously thought – changes the topics covered in the news. It finds that the impact of the new risk assessment depends on the readiness of communities to engage with the information and take action. The third study examines how a broad database of toxic chemical releases – the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory – is used by various groups speaking in the news. It finds that environmental organizations play a crucial role in making complex data understandable and relevant to the public. Overall, this dissertation highlights the challenges and importance of effectively sharing information about toxic chemicals. It suggests ways for government agencies and other organizations to improve how they communicate these risk data and information, such as providing more context and training for those who advocate or report on these issues. By doing so, we can help the public better understand and respond to environmental risks, ultimately protecting our health and the planet.

Syntetisk media är en form av manipulerat eller genererat innehåll som skapas med hjälp av avancerad AI. Denna teknik har potentialen att revolutionera skapandet av medieinnehåll men medför också betydande utmaningar, som spridning av desinformation. Denna studie utforskar de konsekvenser som syntetisk media har för nyhetsmedia, som traditionellt följer strikta journalistiska standarder. Verktyg som skapar syntetisk media har potentialen att effektivisera delar av nyhetsproduktionen och frigöra tid till andra uppgifter. I takt med att syntetisk media utvecklas blir det svårare att verifiera äktheten hos audiovisuell media. Studien undersöker syntetisk medias betydelse för nyhetsmedia genom empirisk datainsamling med respondenter som är yrkesverksamma inom svensk nyhetsmedia. Studiens slutsats resulterade i fyra rekommendationer riktade till nyhetsmedieindustrin för att hantera utvecklingen, inklusive implementering av AI-policyer, teknisk utbildning, förbättrade verifieringsprocesser och ökade investeringar i faktagranskning. / Synthetic media is a form of manipulated or generated media created using advanced AI. This technology has the potential to revolutionize news media production, but it also poses several challenges that need to be addressed and remedied, one of them being the increased risk of disinformation deployment. As the technology behind synthetic media evolves, it also challenges the journalistic principles that the news media industry are built upon. Thus this study aims to explore the implications that synthetic media has on the news media industry, through empirical data collected from interviews with Swedish news media professionals. The findings of the study conclude a number of key strategies that the news media industry are recommended to implement to maintain their credibility, while also adapting to the development of AI and synthetic media. The strategies include implementing AI policies, providing essential AI education, enhancing verification and detection processes, and further investing in specialized fact-checking desks. Furthermore, the findings of the study highlights the need of implementing a holistic approach that combines technical solutions, with journalistic expertise and legislative measures to maintain public trust in news media. The study also calls for further research to understand the broader implications of synthetic media across the industry.

Diploma thesis "Principles of popularization of scientific knowledge on the Czech and American news servers" evaluates and compares news published during three month period in scientific sections of news servers in the Czech Republic and the United States of America. The thesis follows room provided for scientific topics, the audiovisual features and theme agenda on NYTimes.com, USAToday.com, iDnes.cz and Novinky.cz. The results are accomplished through the quantitative content analysis which is supplemented by the qualitative semiotic analysis. The semiotic analysis determins compositional and narrative structures and the language features in the articles. It is very important to be concerned about the scientific journalism, as science is important in people's lives and, furthermore, it is the public who helps to support scientific efforts financially. Thus, scientists should be concerned about and aware of science communication in media.

政治功效意識普遍被學界認為是影響民眾政治態度與政治參與的重要因素之一，因為其為個人評估自己對政治事務瞭及影響能力的評估。另一方面，新聞媒介是提供民眾訊息的主要來源，從之前相關研究也發現，在民眾接觸大眾傳播媒介後，會對其政治態度造成一定程度的影響；不過，對於大眾傳播媒介的使用與政治功效意識的關聯，過去研究的結果則有不同的看法。因此，本研究試圖藉由非選舉與選舉時期的調查資料，透過民眾使用新聞媒介的習慣，來瞭解其與內在及外在政治功效意識的關聯。 研究結果顯示，不論是在非選舉或選舉時期，民眾的新聞媒介使用從注意程度與暴露程度觀察，電視是最主要的資訊來源，其次則為報紙。其餘廣播、新聞雜誌、網路等新聞媒介的使用率皆偏低；而電視與廣播政論性CALL-IN節目，有習慣收看、收聽的民眾也佔少數。 對於新聞媒介使用與政治功效意識關聯性的探討，在非選舉時期民眾對媒體所報導的新聞愈注意時，其內在及外在政治功效意識則可能愈高。不過，民眾收看電視新聞的時間愈長，其內在政治功效意識則可能愈低；但與外在政治功效意識的關係不顯著，代表與外在政治功效意識的高低沒有顯著的關係。 至於選舉時期，則是針對民眾接觸大眾傳播媒介報導的選舉新聞進行研究；發現民眾在選舉時期對於選舉新聞的接觸，與其政治功效意識的高低沒有顯著的關係。所以，由於政治功效意識是受到生活經驗長期培養而成，是深植於民眾心中長期穩定的政治態度；新聞媒介對於報導的選舉新聞則僅出現在接近選舉的一兩個月，因此這種短期因素較難與民眾的政治功效意識有顯著的關聯。 / Political efficacy is regarded as an important factor to influence political attitudes and political participation. On the other hand, mass media nowadays are the main sources to provide people political information and may furthermore influences people’s political attitudes. However, existed literarature shows different views about the relationships between the use of mass media and political efficacy. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to analyze the relationships between mass media use and their impact on internal and external political efficacy. By conducting secondary analysis of national surveys, which were collected during the period of election and non-election, this study has the following findings. First of all, television is the major news media for people to get information, and newspaper is second to it. Radio, magazine and internet are far below the importance of television and newspaper in acquiring political information. Second, our analysis shows that during the period of non-election, the more that people pay attention to news, the higher internal and external political efficacy they have. If people spend more time on watching news on television, they have less internal political efficacy. However, there is no correlation between the exposure of news media and external political efficacy. Finally, during the period of election, there is no correlation between the use of news media and political efficacy. It is inferred that because political efficacy is mostly influenced by people’s life-long experiences so it is stable in terms of political attitude. Therefore, it is not likely that election news will influence people’s political efficacy in a short period of time.

This study focuses on the factors shaping innovation in online newsrooms in three nations of the Arab World, with particular interest in the adoption of multimedia news innovations. Applying theoretical perspectives from the social shaping of technology and the diffusion of innovation literature, this study sought to identify the key factors shaping the innovation process. Field studies were based in three Arabic newsrooms: Aljazeera Net in Qatar, Almasry Alyoum in Egypt, and Almassae in Morocco. The case studies are grounded in two weeks of participant-observation field research within each online newsroom, along with over 100 in-depth interviews with those involved in the production of online news, and online archival reviews of the three news portals since their inception. Field research began with participant observation at Aljazeera in 2010, prior to the uprisings of the Arab Spring, and continued through early 2013. The political context of each newsroom during the field research became a major aspect of the innovation process of each case study. The thesis reinforces a wide range of social, economic, and organizational factors in the adoption and adaptation of multimedia technologies in the newsrooms studied, supporting earlier research on newsroom innovation across other regions of the world. For example, conceptions about ‘ideal’ industry multimedia models for the modern newsroom were important in each case. However, in the political context of events related to the Arab Spring, the overriding importance of the larger political context emerged in each case. The significance of this observation suggests that research on news organizations cannot take the political context for granted and should more explicitly embed it in discussion of the social shaping of innovation, even under more stable and liberal political conditions. There is a relative lack of systematic empirical research on Arabic newsrooms among studies of news innovation. Looking at the political context of emergent or weak democracies and their influence on modern multimedia newsrooms especially during crisis events, therefore, can contribute to the development of theory and research in Western democracies; and reintroduce politics into theories of innovation within modern newsrooms. This study suggests that future scholarship brings politics into the study of the social shaping of newsroom innovation without losing the many significant advances of existing research in more liberal democratic Western contexts of the multimedia newsroom.

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The Internet, and Web 2.0 tools can empower audiences to actively participate in media creation. This allows the production of large quantities of content, both amateur and professional. Online memes, which are extensions of usually citizen-created viral content, are a recent and popular example of this. This thesis examines the participation of ordinary individuals in political culture online through humor creation. It focuses on citizen-made political humor memes as an example of engaged citizen discourse. The memes comprise of photographs of political figures altered either by captions or image editing software, and can be compared to more traditional mediums such as political cartoons, and 'green screens' used in filmmaking. Popular culture is often used as a 'common language' to communicate meanings in these texts. This thesis thus examines the relationship between political and popular culture. It also discusses the value of 'affinity spaces', which actively encourage users to participate in creating and sharing the humorous political texts. Some examples of the political humor memes include: the subversion of Vladimir Putin's power by poking fun at his masculine characteristics through acts similar to fanfiction, celebrating Barack Obama’s love of Star Wars, comparing a candid photograph of John McCain to fictional nonhuman creatures such as zombies using photomanipulation, and the wide variety of immediate responses to Osama bin Laden's death. This thesis argues that much of the idiosyncratic nature of the political humor memes comes from a motivation that lies in non-serious play, though they can potentially offer legitimate political criticism through the myths 'poached' from popular culture.