ETT PROJEKT – TVÅ BERÄTTELSER. En kvantitativ innehållsanalys av Ostlänken i lokal respektive nationell nyhetsrapportering

Sammanfattning

This study examines how the large-scale infrastructure project Ostlänken is portrayed in Swedish news media, focusing on differences between local and national reporting. Ostlänken is one of the largest ongoing infrastructure projects in Sweden and emtails both national politicial significance and substantial local consequenses. Against this background, it is relevant to analyze how media coverage varies depending on geographical level. The aim of the study is to compare how local and national news media report on Ostlänken, focusing on dominant news frames, themes, actors, and the overall tone of the coverage. The study is grounded in agenda-setting theory and framing theory, and employs a quantitative content analysis as its methodological approach. The empirical material consists of 130 newspaper articles from four Swedish daily newspapers: two local papers (Södermanlands Nyheter and Norrköpings Tidningar) and two national papers (Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet). The articles were retrieved from Mediearkivet Retriever and were selected from different phases of the Ostlänken project in order to provide a broad and representative overview of the media coverage. The results reveal clear differences between local and national news reporting. Local media place greater emphasis on municipal decision-making, and human-interest perspectives, and give more visibility to local actors such as municipalities and private individuals. National media, on the other hand, focus more strongly on economic aspects, politics, and state-level actors. Differences are also evident in tone, with national coverage being more frequently negative, while local coverage is more often positive or neutral. Overall the study demonstrates that geographical level plays a significant role in how largescale infrastructure projects are framed in the news media. By highlighting differences in content, perspectives, and evaluative tone, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how major state-led development projects are represented in the public media discourse.