Page 70 - Tallinn University

Tallinna Ülikooli üliõpilaste 2015/2016. õppeaasta PARIMAD TEADUSTÖÖD / Artiklite kogumik HARIDUSTEADUSED
that the e ectiveness of frames lies in their resonance and in increasing the signi cance of recur- rences, and the greater these aspects are, the more likely the frames elicit overlapping thoughts and emotions in a wider audience. For example, the online article of Postimees selected for the content analysis incorporated positive framing and utilized „historical outlook” frame. Respondents judgment on this article concurred with this evaluation as they determined that the opinion of the spokesperson was presented in the context of historical events and demonstrated positive attitude towards refugees.
In relation to the incluence of media, Stocchetti and Kukkonen (2010; 23) argue that while people become more dependent on media and receive more information, mediatization helps to broaden their view of the world, but at the same time a ects their knowledge. For instance, a few informants automatically envisioned dark-skinned men when asked who an average refugee was. Further discus- sion also implied that online media had portrayed refugees as young men who were coming to Europe illegally and only wished to receive bene ts of welfare states. is means that the direct experience of the world is replaced by the knowledge received from media channels, which alters human perception (Van Dijk, 1999; 189).
In addition, the social realities of readers were also a ected by the interaction with other people, and respondents implied that their understanding of the refugee crisis had developed due to their environ- ment or interests. us, Berger and Luckmann’s (1981; 15-16) sociology of knowledge theory could be applied as it is concerned with how the knowledge di ers between communities but also how their knowledges become a reality; thus, the sociology of knowledge looks at the relations between mental activities and the social context from which it originates. Several respondents said that their everyday environment at school or neighborhood is already diverse, others referred to family and friends as their main in uencers.
Another result demonstrates that all risks associated with refugees have stemmed from human factors, and in fact most of these are evoked by the behavior of Estonians themselves. erefore, it could be implied that the „con ict” and „societal polarization” frames have shaped the realities of respondents the most. It was stated that potential hazard scenarios would be created by the locals rather than the asylum seekers. According to Renn (2008; 95), the more e ortlessly and quickly a risk is identi ed, the more aware individuals are of those risks and the more likely is the probability of overemphasis. In the case of the refugee crisis, readers have witnessed the arson attack against a refugee center, the hostility of Estonians, and formation of anti-refugee groupings, although this information was mostly mediated by media.
cOncluSiOn
e research demonstrated how the European refugee crisis and refugees are framed by journalists in online news media and whether framing has a role in shaping the perception of readers as an in- strument of social construction. In the core of the theoretical framework is Berger and Luckmann’s (1981) fundamental idea that the way humans understand the social world is the result of commu- nication and mental processes. erefore, framing is an approach of social constructionism as news frames help humans to make sense of the world a airs (Reese, 2010). is research demonstrates that journalists use various news frames in online news media to interpret the information regarding the European refugee crisis and that there is a correlation between the most salient frames and the social
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