English
Bad guy or good guy? The framing of an imam
In this paper, we investigate framing in the case of an imam in Switzerland. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of 175 articles from Swiss newspapers and public broadcasting websites in German and French to examine how Bekim Alimi, an imam in Wil, Switzerland, was portrayed in the news media from 2015–2019. Powerful and / or prominent actors who made an effort, journalists, as well as the object of the debate, Bekim Alimi, contribute to frame building. We identify two key events (the inauguration of the Gotthard Base Tunnel and Alimi’s naturalization process) as highly crucial for the framing of the debate because they stimulate some frame sponsors to become active. When they speak out, the debates become more intense and broader. In this way, key events hold the possibility to discuss a situation in depth, to create orientation, to offer solutions (prognostic framing), or to motivate people (motivational framing) to become active.
Dans cet article, nous étudions le cas d’un imam en Suisse. Nous avons effectué une analyse qualitative de 175 articles de journaux suisses et de sites Web de radiodiffusion publique en allemand et en français pour examiner comment Bekim Alimi, imam à Wil, en Suisse, a été présenté dans les médias de 2015 à 2019. Les acteurs influents ou éminents qui ont fait un effort, les journalistes, ainsi que le sujet du débat, Bekim Alimi, contribuent à ce tableau. Nous identifions deux événements clés, l’inauguration du tunnel du Saint-Gothard et le processus de naturalisation d’Alimi, comme cruciaux pour le cadrage du débat parce qu’ils incitent certains acteurs à devenir plus actifs. Lorsqu’ils s’expriment, les débats deviennent plus intenses et plus larges. Ainsi, les événements clés permettent de discuter d’une situation en profondeur, de créer une orientation, de proposer des solutions (cadrage pronostic) ou de motiver les gens (cadrage motivationnel) à devenir actifs.
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