“A Big Step, but a Very Natural one” : How Dagens Nyheter Discursively Constructed Sweden’s NATO Accession

Sammanfattning

Abstract This thesis examines how the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter discursively constructed and legitimized Sweden’s NATO accession during February–March 2024, when Sweden formally became a NATO member. Drawing on Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse theory and perspectives from critical security studies and securitization theory, the study applies critical discourse analysis (CDA) to eight strategically selected news articles published during the final phase of the accession process. The analysis identifies four interrelated dimensions through which Sweden’s NATO accession was represented: the construction of threat, the legitimation of NATO membership, the transformation of national identity and the normalization of militarization. Russia was frequently represented as a source of insecurity, while NATO membership was articulated as a rational and responsible response to a changing security environment. The analysis further shows how Sweden was increasingly positioned as part of a broader Western democratic community and how military preparedness was integrated into broader narratives of security, responsibility and societal development. The findings suggest that the selected news coverage represented Sweden’s NATO accession through recurring discursive constructions that made NATO membership appear increasingly legitimate, reasonable and taken for granted within the material. By focusing on routine news reporting during the final stage of the accession process, the study contributes to research on media discourse, security politics and geopolitical change. Keywords: Sweden, NATO accession, critical discourse analysis, media discourse, securitization, national identity, militarization, security policy, journalism