Threats and opportunities in a contested field of integration – EU forest policy as framed in forest owner media

Abstract

This thesis discusses the framing of EU forest policy in Swedish forest owner media, in the years 2006, 2013 and 2021. While Swedish forest owners have historically been influential in shaping EU forest policy, no research has previously been made on how the EU is framed in forest owner media. As media is crucial for forming of opinion, this thesis contributes to the understanding of a contested field of integration. In recent years, the forest has been in the spotlight due to the heightened attention to climate change. The analysis shows that the conflicting perspectives on the role for the forest in the green transition can explain why the EU is, over the years, increasingly framed as a threat to Swedish sovereignty. The thesis furthermore adds a new perspective to the research on media coverage of the EU, which has previously focused on mass media.