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Discourses on Public Library Cuts: an Analysis of Media Representations of Public Library Campaigns

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Discourses on Public Library Cuts: an Analysis of Media Representations of Public Library Campaigns WHAT DO WE STAND TO LOSE? DISCOURSES ON PUBLIC LIBRARY CUTS: AN ANALYSIS OF MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS OF PUBLIC LIBRARY CAMPAIGNS. A study submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Librarianship at THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD by KATHRYN FLETCHER September 2011 ii Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people for their involvement in this project: Barbara Sen, for her guidance and support. My family, for their encouragement. iii Abstract Background. The campaigns against library cuts formed the background to this dissertation. Library professionals have expressed concern over the helpfulness of some of the media coverage of the campaigns to the public library cause, and the researcher was interested in exploring whether this concern was legitimate. Aims. The aim of this dissertation was to analyse national newspaper coverage of public libraries generated by the campaigns. An initial objective was to determine the extent and scope of coverage of the campaigns over a sample period. The second (and primary) objective was to identify key discourses in the library debate, and to determine the key actors involved in constructing these discourses. A final objective was to consider the implications of the findings of the study for public library services of the future. Methods. Data was collected from a search of national newspapers on the Lexis Library News database. A sample of 68 articles was collected, 55 of which were deemed suitable for in-depth analysis. A mixed methods approach to analysis was taken, with the researcher employing reciprocal content analysis (quantitative) and situational analysis (qualitative). Results. The findings indicated that the national press did cover the recent library campaigns, although there was variation across the newspapers. The events of Save Our Libraries Day in February generated publicity for the library service. Six key groups of actors involved in the construction of discourses regarding public libraries were identified. It was determined that discourses concerning nostalgia and symbolism were central to informing representations of the library service, while perceptions of loss underpinned these discourses. Conclusions. It is concluded that, although the campaigns were successful in generating national newspaper coverage, the coverage was not always positive towards the public library service. While this was not usually intentional, it raises questions about the choice of spokespeople for the campaigns and what the library service can do to ensure it is more positively portrayed. Further research on the topic might include the exploration of online news coverage of the campaigns. iv Table of contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................. ii Abstract ................................................................................................. iii Table of contents .................................................................................... iv Chapter 1. Introduction ...................................................................... 1 1.1 Rationale for research ....................................................................... 1 1.2 Aims and objectives .......................................................................... 2 1.3 Terms and abbreviations used ............................................................ 2 Chapter 2. Literature review ............................................................. 3 2.1 The relationship between the media and public opinion ........................ 3 2.1.1 Mass communication theories ...................................................... 3 2.1.2 Perspectives on media influence.............................................. ... 4 2.1.3 Newspapers in decline? .............................................................. 5 2.2 Media coverage as a measure of campaign success ............................. 5 2.3 The media and the public library ........................................................ 6 2.3.1 Negative narratives .................................................................... 6 2.3.2 Media depictions of the public library ........................................... 8 2.4 Current concerns ............................................................................... 9 2.5 Summary.......................................................................................... 10 Chapter 3. Methodology ..................................................................... 11 3.1 Background to research topic ............................................................. 11 3.2 Research approach ............................................................................ 11 3.3 Research design ................................................................................ 12 3.3.1 Content analysis ......................................................................... 13 3.3.2 Grounded theory ........................................................................ 14 3.3.3 Situational analysis ..................................................................... 14 3.3.4 Literature review ........................................................................ 15 3.4 Methods ........................................................................................... 16 3.4.1 Data Collection .......................................................................... 16 3.4.1.1 Verification of search ........................................................... 17 3.4.2 Categorising .............................................................................. 18 3.4.3 Sampling ................................................................................... 19 3.5 Grounded theory techniques .............................................................. 20 3.5.1 Coding ...................................................................................... 20 3.5.1.1 Reliability of coding ............................................................. 22 3.5.2 Memos ...................................................................................... 22 3.6 Mapping ........................................................................................... 23 3.6.1 Situational maps ........................................................................ 24 3.6.2 Social worlds/arenas maps .......................................................... 25 3.6.3 Positional maps .......................................................................... 25 3.7 Limitations of methodology ................................................................ 26 3.8 Summary.......................................................................................... 26 v Chapter 4. Coverage of campaigns .................................................... 27 4.1 Clarification of newspaper classifications ............................................. 27 4.2 Key findings ...................................................................................... 28 4.2.1 Scope of coverage ...................................................................... 28 4.2.2 Type of coverage ....................................................................... 30 4.2.3 Source of article ......................................................................... 32 4.2.4 Save Our Libraries Day ............................................................... 33 4.3 Discussion ........................................................................................ 33 4.3.1 Scope of coverage ...................................................................... 33 4.3.2 Type of coverage ....................................................................... 34 4.3.3 Source of article ......................................................................... 35 4.3.4 Save Our Libraries Day ............................................................... 36 4.4 Summary.......................................................................................... 36 Chapter 5: Key groups of actors ......................................................... 38 5.1 Six key groups of actors .................................................................... 38 5.1.1 Campaigners ............................................................................. 38 5.1.2 Celebrities ................................................................................. 39 5.1.3 Journalists ................................................................................. 42 5.1.4 Library professionals................................................................... 42 5.1.5 Library users .............................................................................. 43 5.1.6 Politicians .................................................................................. 43 5.2 Celebrities: help or hindrance? ........................................................... 44 5.2.1 Positive impact ........................................................................... 44 5.2.2 Negative impact ......................................................................... 46 5.2.3 Choice of celebrity ...................................................................... 47 5.3 Summary.......................................................................................... 48 Chapter 6: Discourses ......................................................................... 49 6.1 Discourse 1: Nostalgia ....................................................................... 50 6.1.1 Evidence
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