Eurobarometer shared recently that 41% of the EU citizens get their main information on European topics from daily newspapers. This is also the case for those citizens who decided on the adaption of the Lisbon treaty in the two nationwide referendums, in Ireland. But, as many media researchers showed, news coverage is biased. However, it has to be biased for it is simply not possible to report the entire reality in one article. One aspect of news bias is known under the term framing. Framing leads readers to think in a certain direction for journalists underline certain aspects in a news story, and usually, cover a story only from one angle. Therefore, the journalist's angle can have a high influence on the reader's opinion. The study follows these hints and examines the news coverage before the two Irish referendums on the Lisbon treaty took place. Applying a content and framing analysis of the two most selling Irish newspapers, namely 'the Irish Times' and 'the Irish Independent', it aims to make statements about the framing of the treaty in the news, and gives evidence to the informative value of the title.

This accessible study explores the impact of political language and campaigning upon public opinion towards European integration.

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2010 in the subject Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: 2,0, University of Constance (Politik- und Verwaltungswissenschaft), language: English, abstract: The Eurobarometer recently showed that for 41% of EU citizen daily newspapers are the main source of information about European topics. Also for those citizens, who decided on the adaption of the Lisbon treaty in the two nationwide referendums in Ireland. But as many media researchers showed, news coverage is biased (Entman 1993, Scheufele 2003). It has to be biased, because it is simply not possible to report the whole reality in one article (Downs 1957). One aspect of news bias is known under the term framing. Entman (1993: 52) defines to frame as follows “to select some aspects of a perceived reality and make them more salient in a communicating text, in such a way as to promote a particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and/or treatment recommendation.” A different framing of the same ballot can induce individuals to make different choices. Such effects are known as framing effects (Scheufele 2003, de Vreese 2005a. This paper follows these hints and examines the news coverage before the two Irish referendums on the Lisbon treaty. Applying a content analysis of the two most selling Irish newspapers, The Irish Times and the Irish Independent, it aims to make statements about the framing of the treaty in the news and to give evidence if the question in the title just sounds good or contains some truth.

Electoral behaviour is one of the most dynamic areas of study in the field of comparative politics today. A strongly emerging theme in recent years has been the need to set the study of voting behaviour in its wider context, that is to understand how the behaviour of the individual (non)voter is conditioned by the environment in which the election is occurring. The main motivation for this book is to respond to this need. The Act of Voting examines voting – both the question of whether to vote (ie. electoral turnout) and who to vote for – in context from a range of interdisciplinary perspectives. In addition to other topics and themes, chapters explore the national or social identities of individuals and how these contribute to complex social dynamics, discuss the institutions that determine who is able to vote and over what, and analyse the impact of the locale on the voting act. Offering chapters by up-and-coming scholars in the field of electoral behaviour, as well as reflections on how the act of voting should be viewed in the broadest context – normatively, institutionally and socially, this book will be of interest to students and scholars researching political behaviour, public opinion and politics more generally.

This book makes a major contribution to understanding European politics and identity. It examines how politicians, cultural elites, and other actors fight over Europe’s future with words and stories, telling narratives about European integration in different political, social, and cultural contexts. The chapters explore how actors formulate stories to make sense of Europe’s past and contemporary challenges and to legitimise their own positions and preferences. The contributors explore themes ranging from divisive stories about the European Union (EU), mobilised in institutional reform referendums, to the top-down deployment of legitimising narratives by EU institutions, religiously inspired apocalyptic narratives of European unity, and stories about nations and Europe told by museums and academics. Combined, the chapters of this book are essential reading for everyone interested in Europe’s common past and contemporary challenges, and the EU’s highly contested nature in times of apparently increasing disintegration.

Evidence from the Minister for Europe on the June European Council : 28th report of session 2007-08, report with Evidence

Indexes the Times, Sunday times and magazine, Times literary supplement, Times educational supplement, Times educational supplement Scotland, and the Times higher education supplement.