This paper examines the following question: How successful did the press conference frames influence second-level agenda-setting in German and Spanish news media?
In the flight industry, cultural differences are present every day. When a crash occurs, the airline's crisis communication requires meeting the journalistic expectations of different cultural spheres. Thus, the study compares frames in Spanish and German news media. Humans gather information about the airline's crisis communication through traditional media formats. So, high-quality newspapers (n = 255) and newscasts (n = 40) were sampled. Additionally, the study compares the media formats. To understand Germanwings's and Lufthansa's sense-making frames were selected from a press conference. Afterward, the impact on second-level agenda-setting, which is about manoeuvring around issues and the debate's tone, was examined. Essentially, frames between both countries and both media formats varied. In detail, the difference was stronger pronounced for the latter. Since, in German news media, the frames were more salient, the company has to consider cultural particularities when being in a European conversation. Frames were also more successful in newscasts than in newspapers. Considering the wide reach of television, the format is noteworthy for companies. Also, the study determined salient actors in three dimensions: Occurrence, prominence, and centrality. Here, experts, airlines, and political actors were salient. At this point, a broad inclusion of civil society actors indicates a high quality of the debate. Finally, future research could include the two explored dimensions in longitudinal comparisons. Also, investigating the crisis communication of parent companies and subsidiaries should be considered.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Theoretical background
Agenda-setting
Framing Success
Visibility
Methods
Sample
Codebook Development
Coding Procedure
Data Analysis
Results
Comparing Frame Occurrence in Countries and Media Formats
Individual Framing Differences in Countries and Media Formats
Comparing Actors in German and Spanish News Media
Conclusion & Discussion
Discussion
Limitations
Future Research
Practical Implications
Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the influence of corporate press conference frames on second-level agenda-setting in German and Spanish news media following the Germanwings flight 9525 crash, with a specific focus on comparing traditional media formats like newspapers and newscasts.
- Comparison of framing effects in German and Spanish news outlets.
- Evaluation of differences between newspapers and newscasts regarding frame adoption.
- Analysis of actor salience and prominence within the mediated crisis debate.
- Assessment of corporate sensemaking success through media coverage.
Excerpt from the Book
Introduction
On March 24, 2015, the 72nd deadliest plane crash worldwide occurred, according to the Aviation Safety Network (2022). In detail, the staggering Germanwings tragedy was a murder-suicide, with 150 victims, including the perpetrator (Soubrier, 2016). After less than 45 min descending, the plane collided in the French Alps (Le Roux, 2017). Since flying is the securest way of transportation, the event was a shock (Le Roux, 2017; Li et al., 2015; National Safety Council, 2020).
To channel the crisis communication in a media event, both airlines held a press conference 2 days after the incident (Phoenix, 2015). Generally, Lufthansa’s and Germanwings’s crisis communication was preoccupied with the aftermath. Abstractly, there is a requirement to moderate cruelty’s message (Mirzoeff, 2018). At this point, one similar occasion highlights the necessity for an adequate approach to stay in business. Despite each crisis having individual dynamics, there are indications from the ValuJet flight 592 crash that the brand suffered (Coombs, 2014).
Dealing with a corporate issue, extensively mediated discussions evolve, and actors are highly dynamic (van der Meer & Jonkman, 2021). For the company, heated debates result in the requirement to align with the media environment to maintain the social license to operate (van der Meer & Jonkman, 2021). Recently, airline accident mediatization in Dutch and U.S. newspapers increased, giving crisis communication more attention (van der Meer et al., 2019; van der Meer et al., 2021).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the context of the Germanwings flight 9525 tragedy and establishes the foundation for studying crisis communication and media framing.
Theoretical background: Discusses the concepts of agenda-setting, framing, and media visibility to ground the empirical investigation into corporate crisis communication.
Methods: Details the sampling of German and Spanish news media, codebook development, and the statistical approaches used to analyze frame occurrence and actor salience.
Results: Presents the findings regarding how German and Spanish news media, as well as different media formats, adopted specific frames and which actors emerged as salient.
Conclusion & Discussion: Synthesizes findings, addresses theoretical implications, notes study limitations, and suggests avenues for future research and practical applications for corporations in crisis.
Conclusion: Offers a final assessment of the framing success and the double-edged nature of visibility for both Lufthansa and Germanwings.
Keywords
plane crash, press conference, news media, crisis communication, content analysis, agenda-setting, second-level agenda-setting, framing, corporate reputation, media systems, Germany, Spain, newscasts, newspapers, visibility
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research investigates how frames used by Lufthansa and Germanwings in a press conference following the flight 9525 accident influenced the subsequent reporting in German and Spanish news media.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The work centers on crisis communication, media sociology, second-level agenda-setting, corporate reputation management, and the comparative analysis of international and cross-format (print vs. broadcast) media coverage.
What is the main research objective?
The primary goal is to determine the success of specific corporate frames in influencing the news agenda, specifically examining whether these frames resonate differently based on cultural (German vs. Spanish) and format-based (newspaper vs. newscast) contexts.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The study utilizes a mixed-method combination of qualitative content analysis to identify frames and quantitative content analysis (using statistical tools like t-tests and Fischer’s exact tests) to measure frame frequency and actor salience.
What does the main body of the work address?
It provides a robust theoretical framework, details the methodical process of analyzing media materials from multiple countries, presents statistical results regarding framing and actor prominence, and discusses these findings in the context of crisis communication theories.
Which keywords categorize this study?
Key terms include plane crash, press conference, news media, crisis communication, content analysis, agenda-setting, and framing strategies.
How do the findings differentiate between the analyzed countries?
The findings conclude that German media tended to adopt frames with more salience than Spanish media, suggesting that media systems categorized as "democratic-corporatist" and "polarized-pluralist" impact how corporate messaging is received and transmitted.
What is the conclusion regarding media formats?
The study finds that broadcast media (newscasts) often showed a higher and more dynamic adoption of corporate frames compared to newspapers, which provided more sustained, albeit differently focused, coverage.
How does this study contribute to visibility theory?
It highlights that high corporate visibility acts as a double-edged sword; while it demonstrates successful engagement in the issue arena, it also increases the company's association with the crisis, potentially risking its legitimacy.
Are individual actors analyzed in the study?
Yes, the study maps the activities and prominence of various stakeholders, finding that experts, politicians, and the airlines themselves were notably salient, whereas direct citations revealed the relative power and positioning of these actors within the crisis discourse.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Julien Brühl (Autor:in), 2022, Second-level agenda-setting in German and Spanish news media. Germanwings's flight 9525 press conference with Lufthansa, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1306051
