"Att vara en incel är som att vara en fet ponny" : En inramningsanalys av incels i svenska tidningsartiklar från hösten 2021

Involuntary celibates, or “incels”, have receieved increased attention in the public discourse in the recent years. This is partly due to the news media reporting on cases where the incel culture has been linked to acts of mass violence. Here, incels are often framed as misogynic and as a new terrorist threat. In this study we wanted to take a deeper look at this due to the power that media has in influencing how society views incels. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify how incels were framed in the Swedish news media discourse during autumn 2021. This study answers: 1. Which frames of incels existed in Swedish news articles autumn 2021? and 2. How can these frames be analyzed using theory of media discourse? To answer these questions the thesis uses framing theory and news discourse as a theoretical framework. A framing analysis was performed of 15 Swedish newspaper articles from the selected time frame. The results reveal that incels are framed as both dangerous perpetrators and as an outcast group of society. The first frame was more prominent and was often accompanied with varied negative and hostile comments directed toward the group. We argue that these frames reveal a one-sided image of incels and that the comments reproduce traditional norms of masculinity. Moreover, we briefly discuss the development of the journalistic profession in how it hinders the consideration of specific ethical ideals, which could have a negative effect on incels.