| This study compared how The Local, an English language news website based in Sweden and The New York Times news website framed the 2009 H1N1crisis in their online articles. Through random sampling, forty articles from each news source were selected to be analyzed using qualitative analysis. The results show that both news sources created the salience of H1N1 in their news articles by framing H1N1 as a serious public health risk. The Local focused on the treatment of H1N1, mostly within its geographic location, while The New York Times focused on the impact of H1N1on the public and public institutions. Furthermore, this study also found that The Locals articles framed negative aspects of H1N1 more often than The New York Times. This cross-national research explores the possible factors that contribute to the differences in the framing of H1N1. The goal of this study is to contribute to existing research on and extend the understanding of how media shapes frames in the public sphere. |
