Media studies, Vol. 12 No. 23, 2021.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.20901/ms.12.23.6
Social representation of new psychoactive substances on Croatian news websites
Nikša Dubreta
orcid.org/0000-0002-6202-197X
; Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb
Karlo Lugarić
Abstract
This paper deals with media representation of new psychoactive substances in the light of the theory of social representation. Since new psychoactive substances represent a relatively unknown phenomenon in the Croatian social context, the article explains the analytical usefulness of communicative mechanisms of social representation that can be used in media research. The research was conducted by means of content analysis of articles addressing the issue of new psychoactive substances, posted on the selected news websites in a period of seven years. The results suggest that naming, emotional anchoring and emotional objectification are key communicative mechanisms in generating social representation of new psychoactive substances in the analysed media. The analysis of implied basic values, embodied in the published articles suggests that the emphasis on health risks and weaknesses in the activities of social control of new psychoactive substances are conventionalized through the theme of society without drugs.
Keywords
new psychoactive substances; social representation; anchoring; objectification; drug use
Hrčak ID:
260896
URI
Publication date:
23.7.2021.
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