Representationen av Tornedalen : En kvalitativ diskursanalys av en svensk minoritet i riksmedia

Sammanfattning: This study aims to investigate the representation of the region Tornedalen and tornedalians, a Swedish minority, in national news media through a critical discourse analysis. Despite being recognized as a national minority, tornedalians have reported a lack of media coverage, which can lead to feelings of invisibility and discrimination. News media has a significant impact on what we discuss and think about, and they have the responsibility to provide a broad representation of society, including its diversity. However, historically, minority groups have been overlooked or devalued in news media, which can have consequences for marginalized groups lacking significant power, including minorities. Therefore, this study seeks to deepen the understanding of the media’s impact on society’s perception of the minority. The study analyzes how power structures and ideologies shape their representation, interpreted from a post-structuralist perspective, using concepts such as producers/consumers, positioning, otherness, subaltern, and cultural identity. The study’s findings suggest that Tornedalen is often represented as a peripheral and exoticized place, reinforcing the idea of a homogeneous Swedish identity. Tornedalians are often positioned as “the other” with their cultural practices and language being portrayed as inferior or irrelevant. Journalistic practices play a crucial role in shaping knowledge and understanding of minority groups such as tornedalians, and the study highlights the need for news media to provide a more diverse and accurate representation of society. The study also suggests areas for further research, such as investigating how different audiences interpret and react to news articles, and how Tornedalen and tornedalians are represented in public service media. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of how news media shapes society’s perception of minorities and highlights the importance of providing a diverse and accurate representation of society.