Taking framing and agenda-setting as theoretical approaches, the present study analyzed the portrayal of refugees in German news reporting before and after the Cologne mass sexual assault on New Year’s Eve 2015. Comparing the two largest public (ARD and ZDF) and private (RTL and Sat1) TV broadcasters, the results indicated that the incident had an immediate impact on the news reporting of all channels, but not in the long term. The problem/threat frame peaked in January 2016 for all channels.
Overall, private channels showed a stronger tendency to emotionalize the news and portray refugees negatively. Especially RTL strongly changed its portrayal of refugees after the incident. The political frame was most popular for all channels after the incident, but much stronger so for public channels. The number of articles published peaked for public as well as private channels in the month following the incident. Public opinion data indicated that the popularity of the German right-wing party AfD has increased to an all time high since the beginning of the refugee debate in the media. The Cologne mass sexual assault did however not have an immediate impact. It is argued that the effect is cumulative rather than a short-term immediate reaction to specific events.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 The Cologne Mass Sexual Assault
1.2 Research questions
2. Theoretical Framework
2.1 Conceptual definitions relating to the refugee debate
2.2 The German refugee regime and its history
2.3 Refugees in the media and politics
2.4 Migrant, asylum and refugee discourse in Germany
2.5 Agenda-setting and framing as cognitive media effects
2.5.1 Agenda-setting
2.5.2 Framing
2.6 Private and public broadcasting in Germany
3. Research Methods
3.1 Data collection
3.2 Data analysis
3.3 Coding protocol for quantitative framing analysis
4. Results
4.1 Sample summary
4.2 The portrayal of refugees before the incident
4.2.1 Private channels
4.2.2 Sat.1
4.2.3 RTL
4.2.4 Public channels
4.2.5 ARD
4.2.6 ZDF
4.3 Private – public comparison
4.4 The portrayal of refugees after the incident
4.4.1 Private channels
4.4.2 Sat.1
4.4.3 RTL
4.4.4 Public channels
4.4.5 ARD
4.4.6 ZDF
4.5 Comparison and summary
4.6 Neutral, negative, and positive articles
4.6.1 Private channels
4.6.2 Public channels
4.7 Content analysis of selected positive and negative articles
4.7.1 Private channels
4.7.2 Public channels
4.8 Agenda-setting
4.8.1 Media agenda
4.8.2 Audience agenda and evaluation
4.8.3 Xenophobic crimes
5. Discussion
6. Conclusion
7. Bibliography
Objectives & Core Themes
This study investigates how the portrayal of refugees in German news media changed before and after the 2015 Cologne mass sexual assault, utilizing agenda-setting and framing as theoretical frameworks to analyze the differences in narrative construction between private and public broadcasters.
- Comparison of public (ARD, ZDF) and private (RTL, Sat.1) news coverage regarding refugees.
- Analysis of media framing shifts triggered by the 2015 New Year's Eve incident in Cologne.
- Examination of the causal link between media agenda-setting and public opinion formation.
- Investigation of negative, neutral, and positive portrayal patterns in German news outlets.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 The Cologne mass sexual assault
The socio-economic, cultural, and political consequences associated with the sudden large scale influx of refugees have of course not gone unnoticed by the media. While the refugee subject matter has been prevalent in the German media landscape since at least mid-2015, one incident intensified the debate even more: The mass sexual assault that occurred in Cologne during New Year’s Eve 2015, where allegedly several hundred men of north African and Arab origin sexually assaulted and mugged women that were passing by on a public square between Cologne main station and the Dome. Some reports put the number as high as up to a group of 1000 offenders. A total of at least 500 reports have been filed at the police, reporting sexual assault, robbery, and libel. The estimated number of victims is around 80.
The incident was quickly picked up not only by German but also international media and hotly debated in the context of the refugee subject matter. The incident sparked far-reaching public discussions about limiting the number of refugees, tightening border controls, Merkel’s refugee policies in general, and about refugees being nearly impossible to integrate. Different media might however pursue different agendas in this debate, most notably private versus public channels, which will be further explained in section 2.6.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Outlines the context of the European refugee debate and introduces the specific event of the Cologne mass sexual assault as the focal point of the study.
2. Theoretical Framework: Defines key terms related to refugees and establishes the theoretical foundations of agenda-setting, framing, and the structure of the German broadcasting system.
3. Research Methods: Describes the quantitative framing analysis methodology, data collection from online archives, and the coding protocol used to categorize news reports.
4. Results: Presents the comprehensive data on frame distribution, comparing private and public channels before and after the incident, and explores the development of the media agenda.
5. Discussion: Interprets the empirical findings in relation to existing media theories and examines the role of German broadcasting in shaping public perception.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes the study’s core findings regarding the impact of the Cologne incident on news reporting and the differing approaches between public and private media.
7. Bibliography: Provides a complete list of sources, including referenced news articles and academic literature used throughout the research.
Keywords
Refugees, Germany, Cologne incident, mass sexual assault, media framing, agenda-setting, public broadcasting, private broadcasting, news reporting, immigration discourse, media analysis, public opinion, political discourse, asylum policy, xenophobia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research?
The work examines how the portrayal of refugees in German news reporting evolved specifically in response to the Cologne mass sexual assault on New Year's Eve 2015.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study centers on the intersection of media framing, refugee discourse, public policy, and the comparative performance of public versus private German television channels.
What is the central research question?
The core inquiry is to determine the extent to which the portrayal of refugees changed post-Cologne and how public and private broadcasters differed in their framing of this group.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The researcher used a quantitative framing analysis combined with a manual holistic approach to categorize and measure the frequency of specific frames in news texts.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers historical context, the theoretical model of agenda-setting, a detailed quantitative analysis of news frames, and a comparative study of sentiment in reports.
What are the characterizing keywords of the study?
Key terms include refugees, media framing, agenda-setting, public/private broadcasting, Germany, and the Cologne mass sexual assault.
How did private channels like RTL and Sat.1 differ from public channels?
Public channels generally maintained a more balanced, diverse set of frames, whereas private channels often leaned toward more negative, emotionalized, or depersonalizing depictions of refugees.
Did the Cologne incident have an immediate effect on AfD voting preferences?
The data suggests that while the media agenda was significantly influenced by the incident, there was no immediate spike in AfD support, indicating a more cumulative effect rather than a sudden shift.
What role does the 'problem/threat' frame play in the reporting?
The study identifies the 'problem/threat' frame as a significant factor in how news outlets often depersonalized refugees, particularly after the Cologne assaults and Paris terror attacks.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Rene Tanious (Autor:in), 2016, The Portrayal of Refugees in Public and Private German News Reporting Before and After the Cologne Mass Sexual Assault, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/459321
