Ensam är stark, två är en riskgrupp
Representationer av homosexuella i svenska tryckta nyhetsmedier1987, 1997 och 2007
HomosexualitySwedish newspapersRepresentationHivGenderDiscourseHomosexualitetSvenska tryckta medierRepresentationHivGenusDiskurs
In our study we examined recurrent patterns and changes in the representation ofhomosexual persons in Swedish daily newspapers 1987, 1997 and 2007.We analysed articles about HIV-infected persons and articles with a view to portray thelife conditions of gay and lesbian persons from the three different years. We chose toonly analyze news articles that intend to represent real human beings, which mean thatwe did not analyze reports that only reproduce abstract knowledge from authorities.With analytical tools from semiotics and discourse analysis we identified some recurrentpatterns in the representation of homosexual people. We found that a recurrent pattern inthat when homosexual people are seen as groups, they are described as deviant,discriminated and some times as a threat. When portrayed as individuals the nonanonymouspersons appear in articles and pictures as normal, strong and healthy. Lesbianwomen are not represented in the articles from 1987, but in articles from 1997 and 2007they appear as unhappy when single and happy in a relationship.The results also showed some interesting differences in news representation ofhomosexual persons between the three investigated years. One example of this is that themedia stopped referring to homosexual men as a ?hazard group? in terms of HIV at somepoint after the year 1987. We recognize this as an important change in the news mediasperspective on both HIV and love between men.