Less Oedipus, more Telemachus: the framing of fatherhood in international press

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present an analysis of the image of the father of the family in four newspapers: The New York Times, Corriere della Sera, Gazeta Wyborcza and Rzeczpospolita. The study is not limited to examining what is explicitly presented in a journalistic text (what is ‘said’), but focuses also on what is implied or mentioned in it (what is left ‘unsaid’). This methodological approach includes three key concepts for our qualitative analysis: the frames, the common places (tòpoi) and the anthropological roots of social relations (the social virtues). The research objective is not only descriptive but also operational, therefore it tries to deliver a series of data which can be useful for people or institutions who promote the family in the public space, in order to put into place possible communication strategies in a professional and efficient way.