THE CONTENT IS THE THING: Using Content Analysis to Study Economic Journalism

Content analysis is one of the most frequently applied approaches to media analysis. It aims to unpack how meaning is constructed in a range of sources such as texts, graphic and audio-visual material through identifying recurring themes and patterns. Its resources enable us to recognise the devices and techniques used to include and exclude social actors and events from the version of reality presented in the media. This chapter traces how its analytical emphasis evolved from a quantitative to an increasingly qualitative focus in seeking to uncover, for example, how commentaries on economic issues and contexts are presented. Acknowledging that content analysis is an umbrella term encompassing various theories and methods, we present a toolkit with a number of analytical resources for application to different media. Illustrative examples of these are presented throughout.