Bilden av kvinnlig könsstympning i Aftonbladet : En kvalitativ innehållsanalys

Sammanfattning: Female genital mutilation is a convention that is mainly practiced in about thirty African countries and in some countries in the Middle East and Asia. The topic has become more relevant in Sweden due to increased migration. While female genital mutilation is often referred to as a foreign phenomenon mass media is a main source of information. The purpose of this study was to explore how the convention was conveyed in the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet during the past 25 years and the significance of its presentation there. The method used was content analysis and 69 articles on female genital mutilation from Aftonbladet during the period 01 January 1995 - 01 January 2020 were selected as the empirical material. For the analysis two theoretical approaches were applied, namely Social constructivism and Agenda Theory. Three recurring themes emerged in the analyzed material, indicating that 1) female genital mutilation was presented as a crime and a violation of human rights; 2) female genital mutilation was presented as a silenced and maintained practice in Sweden; and 3) that media can be significant for the maintenance of the convention. The study concludes that media as a tool for dissemination to the public has the power to inform about changes concerning the convention as well as about facts about genital mutilation which would perhaps not otherwise reach the direct victims of the convention.