Putting War on the Agenda - A Case Study of the Danish News Coverage of the Invasion of Iraq

Abstract: This thesis focuses on the media-state relationship in war. More specifically, the aim of the thesis is to gain a better understanding of the function of the media in war and conflict. Through a case-study of the Danish media coverage in the days before and during the first days of the invasion of Iraq, the thesis investigates whether major Danish newspapers reflected the agenda of the Danish Government, in order to determine whether the newspapers were culpable in driving a pro-war agenda forward. The case study consisted of two parts. First a qualitative content analysis of a speech held by Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen to evaluate the agenda of the Government was implemented. The analysis revealed a preponderance of pro-war arguments. Then, a quantitative content analysis guided by the findings of the speech was conducted on 215 news articles printed before and during the invasion in 2003. Both parts of the case-study were formed and analysed through the lens of Peace Journalism theory. The results of the analysis point to a paradox inherent in the news coverage. On the one hand, the media did not reflect the specific issues made salient in Fogh Rasmussen’s speech and moreover, the analysis points to an attempt to put the Government’s agenda into critical perspective. On the other hand, when the invasion was a reality, a preponderance of war-frames became evident in the news coverage of the invasion. The analysis concludes that despite its efforts, the Danish newspapers indirectly reflected the agenda of the Danish Government during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.