TY - JOUR

T1 - The uses of the term polarisation in Swedish newspapers, 2010–2021

AU - Farjam, Mike

AU - Bruhn, Tommy

AU - Gustafsson, Nils

AU - Dutceac Segesten, Anamaria

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - In this article, we investigate the rhetorical uses and media frames associated with the term polarisation in Swedish print media from 2010 to 2021. We first produce a qualitative and detailed assessment of a sample of 240 articles and then proceed to a computational (word2vec) analysis of all major Swedish newspaper articles including the term (N = 32,805). We find that the term has changed its rhetorical function over time. Initially used to describe, – that is, used as a technical descriptor of events and issues in society – this use later became increasingly vague and general. Instead, it has been rhetorically used to amplify, implying a sense of urgency, conflict, or threat. Over time, the term has been used increasingly frequently, but has been applied less to Sweden and, instead, most often associated with political actors and events in the US. Moreover, we find that, for Sweden, the term polarisation was mostly related to social and political issues, whereas for the US, it carried affective associations.

AB - In this article, we investigate the rhetorical uses and media frames associated with the term polarisation in Swedish print media from 2010 to 2021. We first produce a qualitative and detailed assessment of a sample of 240 articles and then proceed to a computational (word2vec) analysis of all major Swedish newspaper articles including the term (N = 32,805). We find that the term has changed its rhetorical function over time. Initially used to describe, – that is, used as a technical descriptor of events and issues in society – this use later became increasingly vague and general. Instead, it has been rhetorically used to amplify, implying a sense of urgency, conflict, or threat. Over time, the term has been used increasingly frequently, but has been applied less to Sweden and, instead, most often associated with political actors and events in the US. Moreover, we find that, for Sweden, the term polarisation was mostly related to social and political issues, whereas for the US, it carried affective associations.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - polarisering

KW - Svenske aviser

KW - retorik

KW - word2vec

KW - nyhedsframing

U2 - 10.2478/nor-2024-0002

DO - 10.2478/nor-2024-0002

M3 - Journal article

VL - 45

SP - 1

EP - 34

JO - N O R D I C O M Review

JF - N O R D I C O M Review

SN - 1403-1108

IS - 1

ER -