Media-generated characteristics of Homeland War–related commemorations in Croatia

Abstract

This study contributes to literature concerning memory and dark tourism by providing empirical evidence about the link between commemorations and the news media in a post-conflict and tourism-dependent Croatia, as well as the specific media-constructed social reality. The main focus lies on the types and media-based descriptions of commemorations. A total of 371 news articles were collected and then reviewed using a set of items grounded in theory. In addition to content, a chi-square automatic interaction detection analysis was also employed. Four commemoration types with significant peculiarities (site category, young and senior generation of visitors, and mass visits) are observed in a two-branch model. Other general characteristics of commemorations were also identified. The dominant commemoration type in Croatia are ‘memorial services’, (massively) visited by seniors. Young people rarely attend commemorations. If so, they mostly attend ‘parades, marches, processions’ taking place at authentic sites. The findings provide theoretical and practical implications for stakeholders.