Lindgren (2012)
Contents
Source Details
Lindgren (2012) | |
Title: | Pirate Panics: Comparing news and blog discourse on
illegal file sharing in Sweden |
Author(s): | Simon Lindgren |
Year: | 2012 |
Citation: | Lindgren, Simon. Pirate panics: comparing news and blog discourse on illegal file sharing in Sweden. Information, communication & society 16.8 (2013): 1242-1265. |
Link(s): | Definitive , Open Access |
Key Related Studies: | |
Discipline: | |
Linked by: |
About the Data | |
Data Description: | Discursive text analysis of news articles and blogs |
Data Type: | Secondary data |
Secondary Data Sources: | |
Data Collection Methods: | |
Data Analysis Methods: | |
Industry(ies): | |
Country(ies): | |
Cross Country Study?: | No |
Comparative Study?: | Yes |
Literature review?: | No |
Government or policy study?: | No |
Time Period(s) of Collection: |
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Funder(s): |
Abstract
This article aims to map discourses and counter-discourses through which online piracy has been framed and constructed in Swedish blogs and online news. It has been common in previous analyses of moral public debates about new forms of media consumption to focus on conservative top-down hegemonic processes of reinstating order. The classic moral panic literature overemphasizes control, power and hegemony while overlooking counter-discourses. This study, on the other hand, takes such forms of symbolic resistance into account. It relies on a comparative discursive network analysis of texts produced by corporate news organizations and of blogs representing pro-piracy perspectives. It is concluded that with the blurring of the boundaries between producers and consumers of content, more and more localized moral panics that are not necessarily hegemonic are likely to be seen. Panic reactions can run not only from the top down but also from the bottom up as niche and micro media instigate their own moral panics.
Main Results of the Study
- Mainstream discourse in Sweden on the subject of piracy during the first half of 2009 can be likened to a moral panic
- Both the news articles (anti-piracy) and blog posts (pro-piracy) use the linguistic markers of a moral panic, from opposing sides
- The existence of a moral panic on both sides of the debate points to a lack of hegemony on either side - today's culture is fragmented and audiences are segmented
- Future studies must examine the counter-constructions of the subcultures in addition to the identified prevailing dominant culture
Policy Implications as Stated By Author
- There is no hegemony in the debate on file sharing
- Both sides cast each other as folk devils
- Moral panics happen when cultural or social events outrun the legislation of the day
- For legislation to accurately and fairly reflect the views of society as a whole, these separate parts must all be examined
Coverage of Study
Datasets
Sample size: | 279 |
Level of aggregation: | Individual data |
Period of material under study: | January 2009 - June 2009 |
Sample size: | 294 |
Level of aggregation: | Individual data |
Period of material under study: | January 2009 to June 2009 |