SHARING THE PAIN OR SHOULDERING THE BURDEN?

Abstract

This article draws on the concept of framing to analyse Irish print-media coverage of the public and private sectors in the first two years of Ireland's economic crisis, 2008–2010. It examines the underlying framing contest among institutional sources (Government, Opposition, trade unions, employers’ groups, and financial services) to win favourable coverage for their sectional interests and ideological arguments about the size, role and obligations of the State. The research is based on a content and cluster analysis of a substantial sample of articles from quality and mid-market Irish daily and Sunday newspapers. The article offers concluding comments on the explanatory robustness of the dominant news-model in Ireland in the face of a process on the scale of the economic crisis.

Keywords:

• framing
• media
• private sector
• public sector