Iceland's involvement in bribes and corruption in Namibia's fishing industry, Discourse analysis of the media
Author
Bjarnadóttir, Sól Margrét
Term
4. term
Publication year
2020
Submitted on
2020-09-15
Pages
53
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan islandske medier dækkede den såkaldte Samherji-sag fra 12. november 2019 til 12. juli 2020, baseret på et omfattende dokumentlæk om mulig korruption i Namibias fiskerisektor. Med et teoretisk afsæt i konstruktivisme og poststrukturalisme samt tillidsteori, småstatsteori og medieteori (agenda-setting og framing), analyserer studiet både indholdet og diskursen i artikler fra tre medier—Stundin, Fréttablaðið og Morgunblaðið. Formålet er ikke at fastslå sagens faktuelle skyld, men at kortlægge, hvordan diskursen former en “sandhedsregime” i offentligheden, og hvilke ideologiske standpunkter der dominerer. Analysen identificerer fire gennemgående temaer, som prægede dækningen: korruption i og omkring Island, udnyttelse af namibiske ressourcer, Islands internationale omdømme samt mistillid og konflikter i regeringen. På tværs af disse temaer fremstår korruption som et samfundsproblem, hvis konsekvenser inkluderer demokratiske skader, omdømmetab og politisk ustabilitet gennem øget mistillid mellem borgere og magthavere. Resultaterne peger samtidig på, at medierne kan have medvirket til at fastholde og forme diskursen, i tråd med agenda-setting-teorien om mediers rolle i at sætte dagsordenen for den offentlige debat.
This thesis examines how Icelandic media covered the so-called Samherji case from November 12, 2019 to July 12, 2020, following a major document leak alleging corrupt involvement in Namibia’s fisheries. Using a theoretical framework that combines constructivism and poststructuralism with trust theory, small state studies, and media theories of agenda setting and framing, the study applies mixed methods—content analysis and discourse analysis—across three outlets (Stundin, Fréttablaðið, and Morgunblaðið). Rather than adjudicating the facts of an ongoing case, it maps how discourse constructs a “regime of truth” and identifies the ideological standpoints that shape public understanding. The analysis finds four dominant themes in the coverage: corruption within and around Iceland, exploitation of Namibian resources, Iceland’s international reputation, and mistrust and disputes within government. Across these themes, corruption appears as a societal problem whose consequences include undermining democracy, damaging reputation, and fostering mistrust that feeds political instability. The findings also suggest that media played a role in maintaining and shaping this discourse, consistent with agenda-setting theory that positions media as key actors in placing issues on the public agenda.
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Keywords
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