<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This study examines the media coverage of the #metoo movement in neighbouring countries Denmark and Sweden. A comparative content analysis shows differences in genres, sources and themes across the two samples. Further, the analysis shows that the coverage predominantly positioned #metoo within an individual action frame portraying sexual assault as a personal rather than societal problem in both countries. However, the individual action frame and a delegitimising frame focused on critique of #metoo were more prevalent in the Danish coverage. A framing analysis revealed four different news frames in the coverage: #metoo as (1) an online campaign connecting networked individuals, (2) part of a broader and long-standing social movement for gender justice, (3) an unnecessary campaign fuelled by cultures of political correctness and, finally, (4) a witch hunt and “kangaroo court”. Finally, we discuss and relate these findings to the political and cultural contexts of the two countries and their different historical trajectories for the institutionalisation of feminism and implementation of gender equality policies.</p></abstract>

This study examines the media coverage of the #metoo movement in neighbouring countries Denmark and Sweden. A comparative content analysis shows differences in genres, sources and themes across the two samples. Further, the analysis shows that the coverage predominantly positioned #metoo within an individual action frame portraying sexual assault as a personal rather than societal problem in both countries. However, the individual action frame and a delegitimising frame focused on critique of #metoo were more prevalent in the Danish coverage. A framing analysis revealed four different news frames in the coverage: #metoo as (1) an online campaign connecting networked individuals, (2) part of a broader and long-standing social movement for gender justice, (3) an unnecessary campaign fuelled by cultures of political correctness and, finally, (4) a witch hunt and “kangaroo court”. Finally, we discuss and relate these findings to the political and cultural contexts of the two countries and their different historical trajectories for the institutionalisation of feminism and implementation of gender equality policies.

Framing Gender Justice

Nordicom Review

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

A comparative analysis of the media coverage of #metoo in Denmark and Sweden

This study examines the media coverage of the #metoo movement in neighbouring countries Denmark and Sweden. A comparative content analysis shows differences in...

	Denmark	Sweden	Total
News articles	61	72	68
Opinion	18	19	19
Letters to editor	18	6	10
Editorial	3	3	3
Total	100	100	100

	Denmark	Sweden	Total
Individual	71	67	68
Society	29	33	32
Total	100	100	100

Framing Gender Justice

Published Online: Sep 06, 2019

Page range: 19 - 36

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/nor-2019-0022

Keywords
#metoo, gender justice, framing, Denmark, Sweden

© 2019 Askanius, T., Møller Hartley, J., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Distribution of genres in Danish and Swedish newspapers (per cent)

#metoo as individual or societal problem (per cent)

Framing Gender Justice

Published Online: Sep 06, 2019

Page range: 19 - 36

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/nor-2019-0022

Keywords#metoo, gender justice, framing, Denmark, Sweden

© 2019 Askanius, T., Møller Hartley, J., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Distribution of genres in Danish and Swedish newspapers (per cent)

#metoo as individual or societal problem (per cent)

Keywords
#metoo, gender justice, framing, Denmark, Sweden