Citizen activists or pandemic deniers?: Alternative voices in the Finnish journalistic media during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Alternative perspectives of citizens have been a target of critical discussion during the COVID-19 pandemic, when diverging views on authority recommendations have often been classified as disinformation. At the same time, it has been argued that too little attention is paid to the differing opinions of citizens. This article examines whether the Finnish mainstream media during an exceptional period showed a tendency to exclude critical views of citizens and possibly strengthen polarisation. The research asks: how have people with different views from those of authorities been portrayed, and what kind of images of alternative views have been constructed? The topic was explored by analysing a documentary programme and article material about citizen activists presenting alternative perspectives. The role of media was examined from the perspective of polarisation of communication while applying framework theory, which reveals rhetorically constructed frames of interpretation from media material. The study argues that the interpretation of the alternative views of citizens in the mainstream media has often been simplistic and polarising. The study suggests that journalistic interpretative frameworks should be better recognised and acknowledged, and their expansion should be encouraged. This would help to develop media production that respects multiple voices even on controversial topics.