Delegitimizing or Supportive Agenda Framings? Media Coverage of the Extinction Rebellion’s Agenda in Finland

Abstract

Thematic news coverage of social movement protests can help legitimize a movement’s agenda, whereas a focus on negative aspects, such as protest violence, can have delegitimizing effects. Especially movements that use more disruptive or radical protest tactics, such as the new climate movement, are at risk of getting delegitimizing coverage. This article analyzes the agenda that journalists attribute to the Extinction Rebellion (XR) movement in Finland (XRF). Using news material from 2021 from 2 news outlets (Helsingin Sanomat and Yle; n = 100), the inductive frame analysis suggests that the XRF has been successful in getting its own framings into the agenda coverage, most notably its two biggest goals: “tell the truth” and “act now.” However, a deeper context of the climate crisis is lacking in the news coverage. Since the XR, despite its global outreach, acts locally, these types of local examinations can advance our understanding of how media coverage affects the movement.