A Political Fallout Witnessed in News Media

Sammanfattning

This thesis explores whether two news channels CNN and Fox News portray and depict political events based on their political ideologies. At the same time, this study examines whether and how these channels use communication strategies to report on the meeting between Trump and Zelensky on February 28. To arrive at a conclusion, a comparative case study was conducted, through careful observation of 20 articles to understand their communicative techniques. By applying two theories of narrative and framing, this study explores how these are used in news reporting. This led to the conclusion that CNN and Fox News articles can be divided into five different frames; of which two frames were individually applicable to either CNN or Fox News. Another conclusion is that news channels implement narratives overlaid by media bias, in the form of selective and presentation bias, and overall, this portrayal can be considered a contributing factor to political polarisation and media fragmentation. This study provides valuable insights into how media channels use strategic communication strategies in their political communication and how it contributes to polarisation within society.