Lugn i bur, best i natur : en diskursanalys av svensk nyhetsrapportering om djur i djurparker

Sammanfattning: This thesis aims to provide a deeper understanding of how animals in zoos were constructed through Swedish news journalism in 2022. To answer the research question, the study uses concepts such as social constructionism and foucaultian discourse analysis and qualitative method in the form of discourse analysis. We have been able to identify six main themes which together create an understanding of the construction of animals in zoos. The first is a recurring personification of the animals. Simultaneously, there is a widespread collectivization of animals, which shows that the aforementioned personification is not consistent and that animals are additionally grouped and “de-individualized” on repeated occasions. The third theme is about entertainment, which mainly shows itself through humorous descriptions. Another clear feature is that animals are described as dangerous, but only in cases where they are beyond human control. This theme is strongly connected with how the animals' home and place in society is portrayed, which is that they belong in zoos. Finally, it appears that representatives from zoos are given a lot of space in news reporting and that they are mainly the ones who speak for the animals.