Large problems you divide into smaller pieces : A qualitative study about how Swedish and Danish media construct the same perpetrator

The purpose of this study was to examine how a Danish & Swedish newspaper reported in their news articles regarding the same perpetrator and to see if there were any differences. The perpetrator in this case was Danish, while the victim was Swedish. This was the main reason for us choosing a newspaper from each country. We examined what discourses were used for the perpetrator and analyzed both similarities and differences between the two newspapers in their descriptions. We did this by thoroughly examining each article, one at a time, dissected each sentence and analyzed it. The study answered the following question: How do Danish & Swedish news outlets construct the same perpetrator? This was answered by dividing it into two more detailed questions. How is the perpetrator manufactured in Danish/Swedish crime journalism? Which attributes are given to the perpetrator in both newspapers? We used a critical discourse analysis as our method for examining the 8 articles in total (4 from each newspaper) Our conclusion of the study shows that there are several similarities in the way the discourses are constructed around the perpetrator, often focusing on the morbid details. There are however equally big differences in the way that the specific discourses are described. Danish media focuses more on the direct quotes from the perpetrator, while the Swedish media empathises more on circumstances surrounding him. The two newspapers we chose are two of the major newspaper in respective country, Ekstrabladet & Aftonbladet