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Representations of Human Trafficking in Polish Media

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Representations of Human Trafficking in Polish Media Of Embryos and Criminals: (Mis)Representations of Human Trafficking in Polish Media THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Karolina Chimchenko Graduate Program in Slavic and East European Studies The Ohio State University 2016 Thesis Committee: Yana Hashamova (Advisor) Denise Bronson Daniel Pratt Copyrighted by Karolina Chimchenko 2016 Abstract The development of the human trafficking phenomenon in Poland has repercussions that span throughout the European Union (EU). Because of Poland’s geographic location as the second largest country of the EU’s eastern border, the country plays a critical role in curbing human trafficking throughout the region. As migration and labor policies supported by the media and political actors affect trends in trafficking, the ways in which the media represents trafficking is imperative to society’s understanding of and reaction to trafficking. By performing a research and content analysis on articles available through three news publications’ online websites, I argue that the manner in which Polish media sources report on human trafficking not only affects the public’s understanding but also how society and the government react to it. This study addresses how Gazeta Wyborcza, Rzeczpospolita, and Gazeta Polska Codziennie formulate human trafficking discourse by the use of agenda setting, framing, bandwagoning, and omission techniques. The media uses these techniques to present trafficking in a way that conforms to fit the ideological and political agendas of agencies and actors, constructing a particular (mis)representation the phenomenon. The “criminalization” frame is used by publications in order to convey trafficked persons are helpless and vulnerable, while the “immigration” poses the trafficking issue as merely a matter of border control. This analysis also demonstrates how the issue of human trafficking has become entrenched within a political battleground for influence and has ii become associated with, or “bandwagoned to”, other contested issues in Poland, in particular, in-vitro fertilization and immigration, in order to support right-leaning parties’ conceptions of a true Polish-Catholic identity. The omission of information mitigates the complex socio-economic conditions such as violent conflict and poverty that push many trafficked persons to seek a chance for safety and stability abroad. iii Dedicated to my mother and father, who taught me the value of education and lifelong learning. iv Acknowledgments I wish to thank the Center for Slavic and East European Studies at The Ohio State University for awarding me the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship. Without the financial support provided by the Center, this project would not have been possible. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Dr. Joseph Brandesky, Dr. Yana Hashamova, Eileen Kunkler and Maryann Walther-Kiesel for their personal guidance and dedication to the Center and throughout my years at Ohio State. As my advisor, Dr. Hashamova openly shared her time and extensive knowledge of human trafficking with me and has greatly shaped the contents of this work. Dr. Denise Bronson and Dr. Daniel Pratt have also challenged me in formulating this project proposal, helping to expand my thoughts regarding social services and Polish politics, respectively. I wish to thank the entire committee for their time, insights, and encouragement during all stages of this project. Finally, without the support and love of my family and friends, I would have not have reached this point in my academic career. v Vita 2008................................................................Padua Franciscan High School 2013................................................................B.A. Linguistics, B.A. Russian, The Ohio State University 2016................................................................M.A. Slavic and East European Studies, The Ohio State University Fields of Study Major Field: Slavic and East European Studies vi Table of Contents Abstract.............................................................................................................................. ii Dedication.......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments............................................................................................................. v Vita................................................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents............................................................................................................. vii List of Acronyms and Abbreviations................................................................................ ix Introduction: Instruments that Carve Human Trafficking: Migration, Labor and Catholic Policies.............................................................................................................................. 1 Defining Human Trafficking............................................................................................ 5 Regional and State Anti-Trafficking Initiatives............................................................... 11 Changing Boundaries, Changing Trends.......................................................................... 20 The (Catholic) State Family Policies................................................................................ 29 The Political Side of Media and the Efficacy of Agenda Setting..................................... 34 Human Trafficking: Framed............................................................................................. 39 Media (Mis)representations and Politicization of Human Trafficking............................. 47 Methodology..................................................................................................................... 48 Website and Search Engine Layout.................................................................................. 51 In-vitro Fertilization, Surrogacy, and Human Trafficking............................................... 54 Immigration and the “Criminalization” of Trafficked Persons........................................ 59 Conclusion....................................................................................................................... 62 vii References....................................................................................................................... 65 Appendix: List of Surveyed Articles............................................................................... 72 viii List of Acronyms and Abbreviations BGH: Border Guard Headquarters CECATHB: Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings EEA: European Economic Area EU: European Union IOM: International Organization for Migration MI: Ministry of Interior MFA: Ministry of Foreign Affairs MLSP: Ministry of Labor and Social Policy NAP: National Action Plan Against Trafficking in Human Beings NCICVT: National Consulting and Intervention Center for Victims of Trafficking NGO: Non-governmental organization NLI: National Labor Inspectorate OSCE: The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe PGO: Prosecutor’s General Office PiS: Prawo i Sprawiedliwość PO: Platforma Obywatelska PoMOC: PoMOC Mary Immaculate Association PUWP: Polish United Workers Party SLD: Sojusz Lewicy Democratycznej UN: United Nations UNCTOC: United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization List of Newspaper Abbreviations GP: Gazeta Polska GPC: Gazeta Polska Codziennie GW: Gazeta Wyborcza RP: Rzeczpospolita ix Introduction: Instruments that Carve Human Trafficking: Migration, Labor, and Catholic Policies Political ideologies, media representations, and migration and labor policies have critical implications for the development of human trafficking in Poland and for the European Union (EU) itself. The complex nature of human trafficking and its intricate relationship with regional political, economic and social factors ensures that the phenomenon is not perceived or treated the same in every part of the globe. In recent years, Poland has been labeled as a poster child for post-Communist countries “in transition” to capitalism, an anomaly for its highly religious population, and, more recently, a democracy in crisis. In 2015, western governments and international organizations reprimanded the newly elected Polish government for its restrictive policies on press freedom. As the media plays a crucial role in disseminating information regarding human rights violations, the political orientation of media sources affects how the human trafficking phenomenon is portrayed, understood, and dealt with. Techniques such as agenda setting, framing, bandwagoning, and omission are employed by news publications to (mis)represent human rights issues in a way that conforms to favor the ideological and political agendas of agencies and actors. By performing a research and content analysis on trafficking reports available through electronic versions of newspaper publications, I argue that Poland’s geographic and political positions make the country a critical place for combating human trafficking 1 in Europe, and that political policies and ideologies contribute to a (mis)representation of the phenomenon that affects the way
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