Author: Nareen Shammo

Title: The Representation of Yazidis in Swedish Press – a quantitative analysis of four Swedish Newspapers’ Coverage of Yazidis, 2014–2025 (Yazidier i svensk press – en kvantitativ analys av fyra svenska tidningars rapportering om yazidier under perioden 2014–2025)

Location: Linnaeus University 

Language: Swedish 

Number of pages: 43

This thesis examines how Yazidis have been represented in Swedish national morning and evening newspapers during the period 2014–2025. The study is conducted as a quantitative content analysis of 191 editor-produced news articles published in Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet, Aftonbladet and Expressen. The aim is to analyse the extent of the coverage over time, the dominant thematic frames, which actors and voices are granted visibility, and how Yazidi individuals are portrayed in the reporting. The analysis focuses on article focus (primary or secondary focus on Yazidis), thematic framing, sources and interpretative authority, as well as recurring portrayals of Yazidi individuals. The study is limited to editorial news material and excludes opinion pieces, news agency content and audience reception. The analysis is based exclusively on textual content and does not include visual elements. The theoretical framework draws on representation theory, framing theory, and theories of sources and interpretative authority in news journalism. These perspectives are operationalised through clearly defined variables, enabling a systematic and comparable analysis of the media material. The results show that media coverage of Yazidis is heavily concentrated in the years 2014–2015, in direct connection with the Islamic State’s (ISIS) attacks in Sinjar, after which coverage declines sharply. The dominant theme throughout the period is genocide and violence, followed by humanitarian crisis. Yazidi individuals are primarily portrayed as victims, slaves or captives, while representations emphasising agency, survival and long-term recovery occur to a limited extent. The study therefore demonstrates that Swedish news reporting largely reproduces a victim-centred representation of Yazidis, while alternative positionings receive limited attention over time.