Framing the Russia-Ukraine War : A Comparative Analysis of Dutch and Latvian TV News Coverage

Sammanfattning

In the context of ongoing geopolitical tensions and contemporary war, media framing is a key journalistic practice through which news media construct meaning and shape public understanding of the events. This master’s thesis examines how Latvian and Dutch television news broadcasters frame the Russia-Ukraine war and analyses whether these framing practices can be analysed through framing theory and media systems theory. The research focuses on the national media systems of two different European countries with distinct historical and geopolitical backgrounds: Latvia and the Netherlands. This study draws on a qualitative comparative content analysis of 56 TV news broadcaster segments between the time period of February 17th and March 2nd within Dutch programmes NOS Journaal and RTL Nieuws, and Latvian LTV1 Panorāma and TV24 “Aktuālais par karadarbību Ukrainā” (APKU). The methodological approach combines analysis through multiple categories, including segment type, dominant frames, tone, actors, time perspective, focus, visual emphasis, and source. The findings revealed that the military/conflict frame is dominant across both countries’ TV programmes, positioning the Russia-Ukraine war primarily as an international geopolitical and security issue. Ukraine is consistently framed as a central actor, while Russia is framed as an opposing force, but NATO/EU as the main institutional response. However, differences emerge in programme production style and narrative structure. Dutch broadcasters mainly apply descriptive, tone-neutral and classic reporting practices, whereas, for example, Latvian commercial media provide more interpretative, in-depth analytical segments, combining news reporting with expert discussions and live-studio engagement with the audience. Overall, the findings across the dataset suggest that war framing similarities across both countries are not only influenced by national media systems' characteristics, but also by transnational political frameworks and journalistic practices, particularly within the EU and NATO context. Thesis contribute to the ongoing discussion that classic approaches of framing and media systems theory may no longer be sufficient for war journalism analysis, as it suggests analysis through the combined perspective of national media systems and broader transnational contexts.