The Role of US Foreign Policy, 2013-2022, In the Construction of the Media Image of Sweden

Abstract: Reports of smear campaigns and manipulated narratives about Sweden unfolding online, following a few derogatory comments by US President Donald Trump (2017-21), provided this thesis with three research aims. (1) To investigate the framing of Sweden in some of the most influential US newspapers, (2) to examine the agenda-setting role and influence of the president through US foreign policy, (3) to construct a comprehensive US media image of Sweden. To be up-to-date and for comparative purposes, the period 2013-2022 was selected to accommodate the presidencies of Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. The chosen theories make sure a common thread is running through all parts of the thesis, and enhance our understanding of the environment in which this thesis takes place. Rooted in a positivist epistemology, a quantitative content analysis was conducted to systematically go through vast amounts of data. Although considering other external factors and explanations for the empirical data, this thesis successfully isolates US foreign policy as an independent variable. It finds that the interest in Sweden and tone more generally declined from Obama to Trump and then back to be more positive again during Biden. It seems that the way Sweden is framed – and that certain topics get politically activated – is indeed linked to how the US interacts with foreign nations. The thesis adds to a rather limited research field, and provides a platform for future studies. It, also, increases our knowledge of the role of US foreign policy in framing nations with which the US, for the most part, has a positive relationship. This study is relevant and of interest to people, not least scholars, that desire to learn more about determinants in US media, foreign policy, and international relations.