Unemployed and Without a Clue - On the Framing of Stereotypical Evaluations of Unemployed in the Regional Newspapers Nordkurier and Volksstimme

Abstract

In German print media unemployed are commonly stereotyped and devalued as slackers or parasites. Based on a theoretical and empirical conjunction of the social-psychological Stereotype Content Model with the communication-scientific concept of Framing, this study shows that the coverage of the East German regional newspapers Nordkurier and Volksstimme is in contrast dominated by the stereotype of the incompetent unemployed. Incompetence-attributions are often components of a frame, which problematizes unemployment as a result of lack of skills. Within the »qualification-frame« the unemployed is rarely made explicitly responsible for his position. However, he is committed to continue his education in the course of an absolute qualification-optimism by means of state aid to overcome his unemployment. Both within the »slacker-frame« and within the »qualification-frame«, recognition is mediated solely through efforts to overcome unemployment. As a few articles about socially engaged unemployed show, activities of unemployed can also be appreciated and acknowledged independently of paid employment. Especially the context of local reporting is an opportunity for regional newspapers to report more extensively on civic engagement of unemployed.