News media and the democratic public sphere: A frame analysis of the EU policy discourse on “Tackling Online Disinformation”

Abstract

The issue of online disinformation, also commonly referred to as “fake news”, has continuously become more topical on the EU policy agenda. Any attempt to find adequate solutions to this perceived problem is reflective of the tension between ensuring an informed citizenry, based on truthful information, and potentially jeopardising freedom of expression. To address this delicacy, the European Commission launched a public consultation in 2017/18, inviting stakeholders to share their assessment of the problem as well as to indicate policy preference. The main goal of this thesis is to provide for a comprehensive overview of relevant stakeholders, mapped and grouped into coalitions according to the Advocacy Coalition Framework, which are shaped by ideas and belief systems implicit to their position. The role ascribed to news media within democratic societies is of particular importance when analysing these belief systems.