Debating the Euro

Abstract

Coverage of the introduction of the Euro currency was analyzed in the leading news publications in the UK and Germany. Specifically, it was examined whether (1) coverage of the same cross-national issue differed in level of support and (2) the two national media applied different news frames. The study showed that the British print media opposed the Euro even with pro-Euro sources, whereas the German print media maintained neutrality. The British press used an episodic, while the German press employed a thematic style. The difference in styles allowed for different covering of subissues. Overall, the findings point to the fruitfulness of including story frames (news style) and media position in the international agenda-setting process. There seems to be, in general, an interesting relationship between media position, sources' position, news frame styles, subissues and issue effect. Discernible differences in the journalistic product between national news print media appear ultimately to be a result of different worldviews and identity concepts, influencing the agenda-setting effect.