{"id":312,"date":"2020-03-24T14:23:10","date_gmt":"2020-03-24T13:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/stanzenjelsma\/?page_id=312"},"modified":"2025-06-09T16:19:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T14:19:53","slug":"onderzoek","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/stanzenjelsma\/afstuderen\/onderzoek\/","title":{"rendered":"Research paper: An investigation into how the language\u2014terminology, tone, and metaphors\u2014used to describe terrorist attacks involving perpetrators with a migration background evolved in Die Welt, FAZ, Bild, and Der Spiegel between 2015 and 2025."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In an era marked by political polarisation, rising populism, and recurring debates about migration, the role of media in shaping public perception has never been more consequential. Nowhere is this more evident than in the coverage of terrorism, especially when perpetrators are identified as having a migration background. In the decade following the 2015 refugee crisis, Germany has seen not only a surge in migration but also a parallel rise in public anxiety, political extremism, and media scrutiny. How terrorist attacks are reported\u2014what language is used, what context is offered, and what voices are prioritised\u2014has a direct impact on societal attitudes toward migrants, refugees, and the broader policy landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This research investigates how four major German newspapers\u2014Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), Die <\/strong>Welt, Der Spiegel, and Bild\u2014framed terrorist attacks involving perpetrators with a migration background between 2015 and 2025. Through a comparative framing analysis, the study explores how these newspapers employed narrative devices such as metaphor, tone, repetition, and blame attribution, and how such strategies evolved. It also examines how these frames intersect with broader ideological positions and contribute to the normalisation of securitised migration discourse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relevance of this research lies in its ability to connect media practices with public perception and political change. Germany, often considered a bellwether state in European migration policy, has witnessed the electoral rise of right-wing parties like the Alternative f\u00fcr Deutschland (AfD), whose anti-migration rhetoric echoes many of the frames found in tabloid and conservative press. By analysing these framing mechanisms, the study contributes to a broader understanding of how journalism, intentionally or not, can either challenge or reinforce xenophobic narratives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a time when journalists are under increasing pressure to balance urgency with accuracy, and when public trust in the media is declining, this research offers timely insight into the ethical and political responsibilities of newsrooms. It also serves as a foundation for reflective journalistic practice, offering future media makers tools to critically assess their own framing choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Framing of Greman newspapers<\/a>Downloaden<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n


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Two stops before the Attack: Reporting from the shadow of violence<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

By Stanzen Jelsma<\/em>
10-6-2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a Tuesday afternoon. Tram Line 5 glides quietly through W\u00fcrzburg\u2019s centre. Across from me sits a young man. He\u2019s still. Calm eyes. A gym bag was on his lap. Hoodie pulled low. Just another teenager, one might think. In just two stops, though, he will step off this tram, pull out an axe, and injure four innocent people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the chaos that follows, headlines will appear within hours. Panic will spread. Social media will boil with outrage and judgment. Politicians will demand action. But as I prepare to write about what happened, one question becomes urgent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do I tell this story without turning him into a symbol \u2014 or an excuse?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we know
<\/strong>The attacker is a 17-year-old Afghan national. He arrived in Germany alone in 2015, placed in a group home for unaccompanied minors. According to police, he acted alone. Hours after the attack, a claim of responsibility from ISIS surfaces. A hand-drawn flag and a letter of allegiance are found in his shelter room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, the story isn\u2019t just about ideology. It\u2019s about loneliness, neglect, and a failure to recognise<\/strong> warning signs. This isn\u2019t a theory. It\u2019s what unfolds when you dig past the headlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the media said \u2014 and didn\u2019t say<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my research across 200+ articles, four newspapers \u2014 Bild<\/em>, Die Welt<\/em>, FAZ<\/em>, and Der Spiegel<\/em> \u2014 presented four distinctly different frames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n