The EU’s Single Face or Many Faces? Europeanized Media Coverage from a Network Perspective

Over the years, the EU has become an active player in the European political arena by deepening as well as broadening its political competences for its member states (Martens, 2010), raising the question whether the EU’s embedment in the multifaceted aspects of political life is reflected in national Europeanized public spheres, in which actors deliberate about EU politics (e.g., Koopmans & Pfetsch, 2006). To which extent do the mass-mediated portrayals of the EU mirror the Union’s interrelations with national players as well as depict the Union’s commitments in a variety of political issues? The study offers empirical evidence on the extent to which national media support, challenge or even ignore political representatives in EU affairs and thus legitimise, respectively delegitimise, EU governance. To that end, this research maps networks of actors and issues being covered in news stories mentioning the EU. Methodologically, the study draws on content analysis data of national media coverage on the EU in the period leading up to as well as following the 2014 European Parliament (EP) election in Austria. Results of semantic network analyses indicate that national media coverage focuses on the legislative body of the EU and the implications of the EU’s governance on the nation state. While the media support well-established EU member countries, political representatives of new member states are ignored. Media coverage on the EU centres upon economic and financial issues and in doing so legitimises the EU’s governance in these fields while other aspects of European governance are mostly ignored.