Second-level agenda-setting in German and Spanish news media. Germanwings's flight 9525 press conference with Lufthansa

Table of Contents

Introduction

Theoretical background

Agenda-setting

Framing Success

Visibility

Methods

Sample

Codebook Development

Coding Procedure

Data Analysis

Results

Comparing Frame Occurrence in Countries and Media Formats

Individual Framing Differences in Countries and Media Formats

Comparing Actors in German and Spanish News Media

Conclusion & Discussion

Discussion

Limitations

Future Research

Practical Implications

Conclusion

Research Objectives and Themes

This thesis examines the influence of corporate press conference frames on second-level agenda-setting in German and Spanish news media following the Germanwings flight 9525 crash, with a specific focus on comparing traditional media formats like newspapers and newscasts.

• Comparison of framing effects in German and Spanish news outlets.
• Evaluation of differences between newspapers and newscasts regarding frame adoption.
• Analysis of actor salience and prominence within the mediated crisis debate.
• Assessment of corporate sensemaking success through media coverage.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

Introduction: Provides the context of the Germanwings flight 9525 tragedy and establishes the foundation for studying crisis communication and media framing.

Theoretical background: Discusses the concepts of agenda-setting, framing, and media visibility to ground the empirical investigation into corporate crisis communication.

Methods: Details the sampling of German and Spanish news media, codebook development, and the statistical approaches used to analyze frame occurrence and actor salience.

Results: Presents the findings regarding how German and Spanish news media, as well as different media formats, adopted specific frames and which actors emerged as salient.

Conclusion & Discussion: Synthesizes findings, addresses theoretical implications, notes study limitations, and suggests avenues for future research and practical applications for corporations in crisis.

Conclusion: Offers a final assessment of the framing success and the double-edged nature of visibility for both Lufthansa and Germanwings.

Keywords

plane crash, press conference, news media, crisis communication, content analysis, agenda-setting, second-level agenda-setting, framing, corporate reputation, media systems, Germany, Spain, newscasts, newspapers, visibility

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this research?

The research investigates how frames used by Lufthansa and Germanwings in a press conference following the flight 9525 accident influenced the subsequent reporting in German and Spanish news media.

What are the primary thematic fields covered?

The work centers on crisis communication, media sociology, second-level agenda-setting, corporate reputation management, and the comparative analysis of international and cross-format (print vs. broadcast) media coverage.

What is the main research objective?

The primary goal is to determine the success of specific corporate frames in influencing the news agenda, specifically examining whether these frames resonate differently based on cultural (German vs. Spanish) and format-based (newspaper vs. newscast) contexts.

Which scientific methodology is employed?

The study utilizes a mixed-method combination of qualitative content analysis to identify frames and quantitative content analysis (using statistical tools like t-tests and Fischer’s exact tests) to measure frame frequency and actor salience.

What does the main body of the work address?

It provides a robust theoretical framework, details the methodical process of analyzing media materials from multiple countries, presents statistical results regarding framing and actor prominence, and discusses these findings in the context of crisis communication theories.

Which keywords categorize this study?

Key terms include plane crash, press conference, news media, crisis communication, content analysis, agenda-setting, and framing strategies.

How do the findings differentiate between the analyzed countries?

The findings conclude that German media tended to adopt frames with more salience than Spanish media, suggesting that media systems categorized as "democratic-corporatist" and "polarized-pluralist" impact how corporate messaging is received and transmitted.

What is the conclusion regarding media formats?

The study finds that broadcast media (newscasts) often showed a higher and more dynamic adoption of corporate frames compared to newspapers, which provided more sustained, albeit differently focused, coverage.

How does this study contribute to visibility theory?

It highlights that high corporate visibility acts as a double-edged sword; while it demonstrates successful engagement in the issue arena, it also increases the company's association with the crisis, potentially risking its legitimacy.

Are individual actors analyzed in the study?

Yes, the study maps the activities and prominence of various stakeholders, finding that experts, politicians, and the airlines themselves were notably salient, whereas direct citations revealed the relative power and positioning of these actors within the crisis discourse.