Mahepõllumajanduse kuvand Eesti meedias Maalehe ja Postimehe näitel 1997-2005
Date
2007
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
Description
Present bachelor thesis “Media image of organic farming in Estonian media in 1997 –
2005 based on Postimees and Maaleht” gives an overview of the theoretical and
empirical basis of the media coverage of organic farming in Estonian media during the
years 1997-2005 based on daily newspaper Postimees and weekly newspaper Maaleht.
The aim of the bachelor thesis is to find out which are the subject fields that gained the
most coverage, to analyze the tone of the coverage and to asses the diferences in the
chosen topics and in the range of the coverage based on the target audience.
In the theoretical part of the thesis there has been characterized the evolving process of
the media image and the factors affecting it based on the theories of image genesis and
the influence of image by Gamson, Sigal and Gunther. The concept of media framing
and tone is based on the theories of Gimlin, Hall, Eco and Christen. There has also been
given an overview of the present situation of organic farming based on the national
development plans and strategies.
In the empirical part of the thesis a content analysis of 138 articles publiched in
Postimees and Maaleht during the years 1997 – 2005 was carried out and analyzed
based on 15 categories. The combined analysis of two editions aimed at different reader
segments gives an overview of how the topics and the range of the coverage differ in
accordance with the target audience and also of what are the overall media image and
tone of the coverage.
Based on the synthesis of the research results and the theoretical and empirical basis
we can say that the evolving of the media image is greatly influenced by where the
information comes from and in what form it is communicated to the audience. In case
the content itself is where the emphasis is it is more to the experts and the subjects of
the organic farming to whom the word is given to. Most of the media coverage was
about the positive qualities and the progress of the organic farming as well as about
GMO and the content of organic farming. Although Maaleht put more emphasis on
explaining the content of this new manufacturing method and the different aspects of organic farming both of the issuses based their coverage on the positive messages. And
in the same way was the tone of the coverage mostly positive in both editions.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General)