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Across time and space: Explaining variation in news coverage of the E uropean U nion
Author(s) -
Boomgaarden Hajo G.,
De Vreese Claes H.,
Schuck Andreas R.T.,
Azrout Rachid,
Elenbaas Matthijs,
Van Spanje Joost H.P.,
Vliegenthart Rens
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
european journal of political research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.267
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1475-6765
pISSN - 0304-4130
DOI - 10.1111/1475-6765.12009
Subject(s) - parliament , elite , newspaper , political science , variation (astronomy) , politics , news media , law , physics , astrophysics
Abstract News about the E uropean U nion ( EU ) looks different in different countries at different points in time. This study investigates explanations for cross‐national and over‐time variation in news media coverage of EU affairs drawing on large‐scale media content analyses of newspapers and television news in the EU ‐15 (1999), EU ‐25 (2004) and EU ‐27 (2009) in relation to European Parliament ( EP ) elections. The analyses focus in particular on explanatory factors pertaining to media characteristics and the political elites. Results show that national elites play an important role for the coverage of EU matters during EP election campaigns. The more strongly national parties are divided about the EU in combination with overall more negative positions towards the EU , the more visible the news. Also, increases in EU news visibility from one election to the next and the Europeanness of the news are determined by a country's elite positions. The findings are discussed in light of the EU 's alleged communication deficit.