The media both reflect society and shape its reflection. Through agenda-setting and priming, they direct the audience on what to think about, while through source selection and framing they provide guidelines on how to think about social issues. The master's thesis focuses on the framing of nuclear energy – a topic that polarizes the public globally and represents a complex area of interest. Due to a lack of personal experience and knowledge, citizens are highly dependent on the media to form their opinions on nuclear energy and are particularly susceptible to organizational ideas conveyed through media frames. The aim of the thesis was to examine the interpretations of nuclear energy presented to the audience of the online media outlet MMC RTV Slovenija in the lead-up to the referendum on the construction of the second unit of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant (JEK2) in November 2024, as well as to identify the actors who paved them the way into the media discourse. A qualitative analysis of MMC RTV Slovenija’s journalistic articles revealed both pro-nuclear and anti-nuclear frames, with an emphasis on stability, development, and public responsibility. While journalists primarily echoed political frames before the official announcement of the referendum, they began to take on a more active role in shaping the discourse once the formal decision to hold the referendum in 2024 was made. Political party representatives dominated as sources of information, showcasing their guaranteed access to the most defining parts of the articles and their privileged role in defining public issues.
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