European identity and cultural borders
The framing of Turkey’s quest to EU membership in the British press
Agnes Inge Schneeberger, University of Leeds
This paper focuses on the formation of European identity by examining frames and constructions of otherness in news media coverage. Turkey - a big, poor and predominantly Muslim country - serves as a case to illustrate the understanding of European diversity and the construction of European identity in the national press of European member states when confronted with the EU’s political and cultural boundaries. This paper seeks to analyse these media discourses to see what arguments are being employed and to what degree Turkish EU membership is debated in an economic, political and or cultural context.
The agreement on accession negotiations with Turkey in November 2006 marked the official acknowledgement of the EU that the Copenhagen criteria have been met. Discussions about these criteria, which require stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities, and their fulfilment are ongoing. These discussions touch upon key issues of European identity and integration, and the future enlargement of Europe, testing the inclusiveness of European political and cultural diversity to make Turkey a part of it.
The empirical part of this research comprises a longitudinal comparative media content analysis of daily newspapers in the United Kingdom in the period from 2002 to 2008. Three types of newspapers, including two national quality (centre-right; centre left) and one tabloid newspaper, will be selected (The Times (London), The Guardian (London) and The Daily Mail). The newspaper content analysis will generate both qualitative argumentation lists as well as quantitative variables that provide the basis for a systematic comparison.
