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A Comparative Analysis of British Media Coverage of 1989 Hillsborough Disaster (1989 to 1990 and 2012 to 2013)

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A Comparative Analysis of British Media Coverage of 1989 Hillsborough Disaster (1989 to 1990 and 2012 to 2013) View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by CSUN ScholarWorks CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE SOCIAL CONTROL OF MEDIA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BRITISH MEDIA COVERAGE OF 1989 HILLSBOROUGH DISASTER (1989 TO 1990 AND 2012 TO 2013) A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Masters of Arts in Mass Communication By Nathalia Hentze Nielsen May 2015 The thesis of Nathalia Hentze Nielsen is approved: ___________________________________________ ____________ Dr. Melissa A. Wall Date ___________________________________________ ____________ Dr. Stephanie Bluestein Date ___________________________________________ ____________ Dr. Elizabeth E. Blakey, Chair Date California State University, Northridge ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to the people I have been fortunate enough to meet through the Mass Communication graduate program at CSUN. First and foremost, a sincere thanks to my committee. My chair, Dr. Elizabeth E. Blakey, has not only guided me in the process of writing the thesis but has also been a big source of encouragement during some of my more trying times. This thesis would not have been completed without her mentorship. Dr. Melissa A. Wall has been my graduate advisor and professor during the last two years but her influence stretches far beyond that. She has not only looked out for me but been a constant source of inspiration. Thanks to her, I have a much clearer sense of the type of journalist I want to be. I would also like to thank Dr. Stephanie Bluestein for agreeing to be part of my committee and for her valuable feedback. A big thanks also goes out to my former professor, Dr. José Luis Benavides, who taught me to be critical of the media and in whose class I have had many insightful discussions with my classmates. I must also acknowledge the Research and Graduate Studies department for supporting my thesis through their award. I feel incredibly fortunate to have shared my graduate experience with a group of wonderful people. Since we first met in 2013, my classmates have not only been learning partners but also friends outside of the classroom. My stay in the United States would not have been the same without them. Also, thank you to my friends, both in Denmark and in the United States, for backing me and cheering me on. To my family, tak. Tak for jeres kærlighed. Jeg ville ikke være, den jeg er i dag, uden jeres tro på mig. To my love, Taylor. You are my rock. Without your support, this thesis would not have been finished. iii DEDICATION To the families and activists, who have fought relentlessly for justice for the 96: You’ll Never Walk Alone iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page .................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................... viii List of Charts...................................................................................................................... ix Abstract ............................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Contribution ............................................................................................................ 2 Epistemological Position ........................................................................................ 4 The Hillsborough Disaster ...................................................................................... 6 Hooliganism: The English “Disease” ..................................................................... 8 Setting the Historical Context ............................................................................... 10 Hillsborough Independent Panel Findings ............................................................ 12 Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 16 The Political Economy of the Media .................................................................... 16 Media Frames and Power...................................................................................... 24 British Newspapers ............................................................................................... 27 Hooliganism as Portrayed in British Mass Media ................................................ 29 Hillsborough Independent Panel’s First Report .................................................... 33 Myths of Crowd Behavior .................................................................................... 37 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 38 Expected Finding .................................................................................................. 39 Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................... 41 Qualitative Content Analysis ................................................................................ 41 v Sampling and Data Collection .............................................................................. 43 Key Theoretical Concepts ..................................................................................... 50 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................ 53 Chapter 4: Analysis ........................................................................................................... 55 Hierarchy of Newspaper Content.......................................................................... 55 Elite Sourcing........................................................................................................ 56 Characterization and Representation of Supporters/Victims ................................ 59 Reason for Disaster ............................................................................................... 62 Police Performance ............................................................................................... 65 Theme 1. Routinization ......................................................................................... 87 Theme 2. Elimination of Actors............................................................................ 93 Theme 3. The Sacrifice of the “Great Person” ..................................................... 99 Theme 4. Hooliganism, in Other Words ............................................................. 103 Chapter 5: Findings ......................................................................................................... 119 Finding 1: The Ideological Struggle is Won by the Elites .................................. 119 Finding 2: The Myths of Crowds are Entrenched in the Media ......................... 120 Finding 3: The Media is Not Self-Aware of Its Responsibility .......................... 121 Finding 4: Despite Differences in Form and Style, the Daily Express and The Guardian Report Similarly ............................................................... 122 Finding 5: Routinization is Deeply Engrained in British Journalism ................. 123 Chapter 6: Conclusion..................................................................................................... 125 Discussion ........................................................................................................... 126 Future Research .................................................................................................. 127 Limitations .......................................................................................................... 128 Academic References...................................................................................................... 130 Data References .............................................................................................................. 135 Appendix A ..................................................................................................................... 140 vi Appendix B ..................................................................................................................... 142 Appendix C ..................................................................................................................... 148 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Type of article ..................................................................................................... 56 Table 2. First source quoted .............................................................................................. 56 Table 3. Second source quoted ......................................................................................... 56 Table 4. Instances where the word hooligan is used. ....................................................... 60 Table 5. Negative characterization of supporters and victims. ......................................... 61 Table 6. Suggested reason for the disaster .......................................................................
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