Brexit - How were the reasons for wanting the UK to leave the EU constructed through discourse in British tabloid media at the time of the referendum?
Author
Gordon, Shaun
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2019
Submitted on
2019-10-15
Pages
51
Abstract
Den 23. juni 2016 stemte et snævert flertal i Storbritannien for at forlade EU. Regeringen indledte derefter udtrædelsesprocessen, som blev forlænget flere gange, da parlamentet afviste den forhandlede aftale. På tidspunktet for dette studie i 2019 var processen stadig uafklaret. Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan fire britiske aviser under folkeafstemningen i 2016 præsenterede begrundelser for at forlade EU. Det bruger diskursanalyse, dvs. studiet af hvordan sprog og fortællinger skaber mening og kan påvirke offentligheden, fordi aviser kan forme den offentlige opinion. Målet er at klarlægge, hvordan medierne fremhævede mulige fordele ved at forlade EU, og hvordan de positionerede sig i forhold til læserne. Analysen er en kritisk diskursanalyse med udgangspunkt i Chouliraki og Faircloths analytiske værktøjskasse, der bygger på systemisk funktionel lingvistik. Denne tilgang gør det muligt at vise, hvordan valg af grammatik og ord blev brugt til at konstruere begrundelser for at forlade EU. Taggert og Szczerbiaks teori om euroskepsis blev brugt som støtte, særligt deres begreb om en afvisende holdning til EU-medlemskab. Undersøgelsen finder, at begrundelserne for at forlade EU næsten altid blev formuleret omkring tre temaer: økonomi, suverænitet (national kontrol) og immigration.
On 23 June 2016, a narrow majority in the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. The government then began the withdrawal process, which was delayed several times after Parliament rejected the negotiated agreement. At the time of this study in 2019, the process remained unresolved. This thesis examines how four British newspapers presented reasons for leaving the EU during the 2016 referendum campaign. It uses discourse analysis—the study of how language and narratives create meaning and can influence the public—because newspapers can shape public opinion. The aim is to identify how these outlets highlighted potential benefits of leaving the EU and how they positioned themselves in relation to their readers. The study applies critical discourse analysis using Chouliraki and Faircloth’s analytical toolbox, drawing on systemic functional linguistics. This approach makes it possible to show how choices of grammar and vocabulary were used to construct reasons for leaving the EU. Taggert and Szczerbiak’s theory of Euroscepticism was used to support the analysis, particularly the idea of a rejectionist stance toward EU membership. The study finds that reasons for leaving were framed mainly around three themes: the economy, sovereignty (national control), and immigration.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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