AbstractsCommunication

The effect of the perfect enemy

by de Bunt van




Institution: Uppsala University
Department:
Year: 2016
Keywords: Anonymous; media representation; second level agenda setting; normative representation; ISIS; Social Sciences; Samhällsvetenskap; Masterprogram i samhällsvetenskap; Master Programme in Social Sciences; Digital Media; Digitala medier
Posted: 02/05/2017
Record ID: 2065571
Full text PDF: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-297058


Abstract

After the attacks in Paris on November 13th 2015, the movement Anonymous has declared a cyber war to terrorist group ISIS that claimed responsibility for these attacks. According to Klein (2015) Anonymous has earlier been framed by the news media as malicious prankster, because their choice of targets did not align with western standards. However, ISIS can be seen as a common enemy of the West. As such, what is the effect of this newly chosen target on the representation of the movement in the media? Departing from this question, this thesis aims to research whether the attributes in use to represent Anonymous in the news media have normatively changed due to the taking on of a common western enemy. In fulfilling this aim, 21 articles published before and 21 articles published after the public declared war on ISIS on November 13th have been analysed based upon second level agenda setting theory. Focus is placed upon the attributes that describe Anonymous in the news media agenda and how these normatively evaluate the movement. In doing so, findings of this analysis present a change in the evaluation of the movement towards a more positive depiction.