Drawing on theories of ethnic representations in mainstream news media and racial discrimination (van Dijk 2000, Hultén 2006, Husband & Downing 2005, Wodak 2011), and using methods of critical discourse analysis (mainly van Dijk 1993, 1991, Fairclough 1995) this bachelor thesis aims to investigate the inter-textual and inter-discursive relationship between selected editorial and opinion pieces written by three mainstream right wing “symbolic elites” and the xenophobic blog “Avpixlat”. The three selected symbolic elites are: Per Gudmundsson, editorial writer at the second largest Swedish newspaper SvD, Andreas Johansson Heinö, academic with a P.H.D. in political science, specialized on issues of integration and ethnic relations, and Paulina Neuding, editorial writer at SvD and editor in chief for right-wing oriented magazine Neo. All three are actively taking part in the mediated discussion of ethnic relations in Sweden from a liberal-conservative perspective. My study shows that the blog Avpixlat on numerous occasions use editorials and opinion pieces written by the three symbolic elites to validate xenophobic and racist notions of the “Islamic invasion” and cultural racism. The blog frames these symbolic elites as truth-telling exceptions within the politically correct multiculturalism-loving media establishment. I conclude that Avpixlat, purposefully exaggerates, transforms and widens some of the claims, themes and arguments made in the editorials and opinion pieces to better fit within a racist discourse. But also concur that the criticism and problem-oriented notions about immigration and ethnic relations, and representation of “the others”, framed in such topics as terrorism, crime and social problems, exists inherently within the editorials and opinion pieces –all-though expressed in a somewhat more implicit and “coded” official discourse. Paradoxically themes and notions taken from the “symbolic elites” within the “media-establishment” are used to strengthen a polarized anti-establishment position. The relationship signifies a shift towards a more problem oriented immigration and integration- discourse overall.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:su-87581 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Pollack Sarnecki, Simon |
| Publisher | Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för mediestudier |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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