The Blame Game: Framing in Belarusian state-controlled media reporting on the EU border crisis

The purpose of this study is to gain insights on how the causes of the EU-Belarus border crisis are framed by Belarusian state-controlled media by answering the research question: in what ways do Belarusian state-controlled media use framing tactics in their reporting to explain the EU-Belarus border crisis? This research employs qualitative thematic analysis on 32 selected articles from two major Belarusian news outlets to explain how the frames are constructed and what framing techniques are used. This research found that four major meta-narratives can be distinguished, that are supported by several frames: the EU has caused the crisis itself; the EU, Poland and the Baltic states have something to gain, the West has caused the crisis due to involvement in the Middle East; and the US and NATO want war in the region as to weaken Russia. Four additional frames support these meta-narratives: violence; human rights; nazi’s in the military; and Belarus as a victim. This research found...Show moreThe purpose of this study is to gain insights on how the causes of the EU-Belarus border crisis are framed by Belarusian state-controlled media by answering the research question: in what ways do Belarusian state-controlled media use framing tactics in their reporting to explain the EU-Belarus border crisis? This research employs qualitative thematic analysis on 32 selected articles from two major Belarusian news outlets to explain how the frames are constructed and what framing techniques are used. This research found that four major meta-narratives can be distinguished, that are supported by several frames: the EU has caused the crisis itself; the EU, Poland and the Baltic states have something to gain, the West has caused the crisis due to involvement in the Middle East; and the US and NATO want war in the region as to weaken Russia. Four additional frames support these meta-narratives: violence; human rights; nazi’s in the military; and Belarus as a victim. This research found that the Belarusian statecontrolled media construct narratives that support meta-narratives through which the conflict can be seen and understood. Reasoning devices in combination with the framing tactics of one-sided reporting, omittance of information and disinformation are used in constructing these frames and narratives.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

The Blame Game: Framing in Belarusian state-controlled media reporting on the EU border crisis