Across time and space: Explaining variation in news coverage of the European Union

News about the European Union (EU) looks different in different countries at different points in time. This study investigates explanations for cross‐national and over‐time variation in news media coverage of EU affairs drawing on large‐scale media content analyses of newspapers and television news...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of political research 2013-08, Vol.52 (5), p.608-629
Main Authors: Boomgaarden, Hajo G., De Vreese, Claes H., Schuck, Andreas R.T., Azrout, Rachid, Elenbaas, Matthijs, Van Spanje, Joost H.P., Vliegenthart, Rens
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Content Analysis
Elections
Electoral campaigning
elite conflict
Elites
Europe
European Monetary Union
European Parliament
European Parliament elections
European Union
Legislative Bodies
media
Media coverage
News Coverage
News Media
Political behavior
Political Campaigns
Political Elites
Political science
Programming (Broadcast)
Space and Time
Television
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Summary:News about the European Union (EU) looks different in different countries at different points in time. This study investigates explanations for cross‐national and over‐time variation in news media coverage of EU affairs drawing on large‐scale media content analyses of newspapers and television news in the EU‐15 (1999), EU‐25 (2004) and EU‐27 (2009) in relation to European Parliament (EP) elections. The analyses focus in particular on explanatory factors pertaining to media characteristics and the political elites. Results show that national elites play an important role for the coverage of EU matters during EP election campaigns. The more strongly national parties are divided about the EU in combination with overall more negative positions towards the EU, the more visible the news. Also, increases in EU news visibility from one election to the next and the Europeanness of the news are determined by a country's elite positions. The findings are discussed in light of the EU's alleged communication deficit.
ISSN:0304-4130
1475-6765
DOI:10.1111/1475-6765.12009