Law enforcement framing on social media : A comparative frame analysis of the police forces in Sweden and China and their presence on social media services Facebook and Sina Weibo

Abstract: In less than a decade, social media has become one of the most important tools for interpersonal communication in the developed world. Social media also provide a platform for companies, organizations and government institutions to disseminate information and interact with users. This thesis examines the use of social media by law enforcement agencies in Sweden and China by looking at Facebook and Sina Weibo respectively. The study has used a qualitative content analysis as its method and frame analysis as its theoretical framework. The purpose of the thesis has been to examine how the police frame their content on social media, and whether the framing differs between the two countries’ law enforcement agencies. The findings suggest that the police in Sweden and China frame their content differently; the Swedish police frame their posts with emotions, and appeal to readers to be responsible citizens to a higher degree than their Chinese counterparts do. The Chinese police (Beijing Public Security Bureau) frame their posts with more authoritative language, although this is contrasted with their use of frames that are humorous as well. However, both agencies tend to frame their content in a neutral way most of the time. This suggests that both agencies put an emphasis on disseminating neutral information for a variety of different topics, rather than framing their content for a specific purpose.