Vem är en mördare? : En jämförande studie av Aftonbladets porträttering av mördande föräldrar

With a qualitative text analysis, we have studied how media portrays a mother and a father who have murdered their child and if, and how, this portraiture differs. This is a study based on 32 articles from the biggest newspaper in Sweden, Aftonbladet. With journalistic processes in mind, we also intended to identify potential reasons for the portraiture. The analysis is based on agenda-setting theory, to find in what way Aftonbladet has the power to portray the perpetrators. With gender studies as a complement, we have examined how social norms affects the portraiture in different ways. The results show that the mother and father is portrayed in unequal ways. The mother is always connected to her motherhood who despite her crime, becomes a victim. The father is portrayed as a former soldier and his role as a father is omitted. In summary, the motherhood gets glorified and the fatherhood discriminated. In the context of the Swedish media landscape, this study has enabled a discussion concerning how the public perceive a murdering mother and father depending on the portraiture. In turn, the portraiture could be seen reflecting on social norms and confirms how media possess the power to influence the agenda, intentionally or not.