Abstract

Under the premise that the use of alternative news frames is a key characteristic of alternative media, this study examines frame repertoires of alleged mainstream media and right-wing alternative media (RAM) in Germany. This endeavor is based on quantitative content analyses of eighteen news websites, including seven RAM, on two issues: immigration and the coalition talks following the German federal elections 2017. In multidimensional scaling models, we inspect how the media outlets relate to each other. The results show two types of RAM that deviate from the mainstream in different ways. The first type is clearly distinguishable by its interpretive style and heavy use of alternative frames. Media of this type openly oppose immigration, the German government and mainstream media. The second type, consisting of international news providers like RT, exhibits a more descriptive style and frame repertories that are similar to conservative mainstream media. We discuss this as a strategy to establish credibility and highlight perspectives for further research on RAM.

摘要

在替代新闻框架的使用是替代媒体的一个关键特征的前提下，本研究考察了德国所谓的主流媒体和右翼替代媒体（RAM）的框架曲目。这项工作基于对 18 个新闻网站（包括 7 个 RAM）在两个问题上的定量内容分析：移民和 2017 年德国联邦选举后的联盟会谈。在多维尺度模型中，我们检查媒体如何相互关联。结果显示了两种以不同方式偏离主流的 RAM。第一种类型因其解释风格和大量使用替代框架而明显不同。这类媒体公开反对移民、德国政府和主流媒体。第二种类型，由国际新闻提供者组成，如RT，呈现出与保守主流媒体相似的更具描述性的风格和框架剧目。我们将其作为建立可信度的策略来讨论，并强调对 RAM 的进一步研究的前景。