DOI: https://doi.org/10.26758/15.1.5
(1) Faculty of Sociology and Social Work – University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania; e-mail: vmarinescu9@yahoo.com
(2) Municipal Centre of Resources and Educational Assistance Bucharest; e-mail: a_rodideal@yahoo.com
(3) (4) “Francisc I. Rainer” Institute of Anthropology, Romanian Academy;
e-mails: (3) corneliarada@yahoo.com (4) alexandra_elena.neagu@yahoo.com
(5) Argeș County Centre for Educational Resources and Assistance, Pitești; e-mail: maylla_lungu@yahoo.com
Address correspondence to: Valentina Marinescu, University of Bucharest, Bvd. Schitu Măgureanu nr. 9, Cp 010181, Bucharest, Romania. Ph.: +40720024813. E-mail: vmarinescu9@yahoo.com
Abstract
Objectives. The objectives of this research paper are to identify the frames used by online journalists in covering the acts of violence done by teenagers involving alcohol and/or drug consumption, study realised during the two publicized events with the aim to analyze the similarities and the differences during the media coverage of these incidents across in both cases.
Material and methods. The research used the narrative analysis in order to examine how online media presented violent acts by teenagers under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The analysis focused on identifying key narrative structures, such as characters, conflicts, and themes, in 60 online news articles. The sample included the coverage of two widely publicized events in Romania: the “Medusa operation” (20 articles) and the 2 Mai commune accident (40 articles), published between January 2023 and September 2024. The selection was based on media attention and relevance to drug or alcohol consumption.
Results. The analysis partially confirmed the first hypothesis, with episodic frames prevailing only in the 2 Mai commune accident, while the “Medusa Operation” was framed thematically, focusing on institutional actions. The second hypothesis was not confirmed, as both cases shared common themes around the criminalization of drug use without case-specific narratives.
Conclusion. The media’s tendency to oversimplify narratives by focusing on general themes and stereotypical portrayals limits public understanding of the complexities of drug use among adolescents, missing opportunities to discuss prevention and rehabilitation.
Keywords: narrative analysis, episodic frames, thematic frames, public perception, youth drug use
Suggested citation (APA)
Marinescu, V., Rodideal, A. A., Rada, C., Neagu, A. E., & Lungu, M. (2025). Media frames and narratives about drugs and alcohol: How media shapes public perception. Anthropological Researches and Studies, 15, 78-91. https://doi.org/10.26758/15.1.5
Introduction
After several specific researches, we can speak about the annual increase in the data reporting drug use in Romania, particularly among the young people. One in three school students in Bucharest says that drug use is a problem in their school. Moreover, 60.2% of senior high school students who answered to a drug use survey conducted by the Bucharest Prefecture in October 2023 agreed with drug testing in schools (Cârlugea, 2024). The annual reports from the National Anti-Drug Agency show significant increases in drug use in recent years, highlighting the seriousness of this issue. At the regional level, regardless of the type of drug consumed, the highest prevalence of drug use is recorded in the Bucharest/Ilfov region, as reported by the 2023 National Report on the Drug Situation. Romania: New Developments and Trends (Agenția Națională Antidrog, 2023). Thus, the 2023 report of the National Anti-Drug Agency records the fact that young people in Romania between the ages of 15 and 34 consumed amphetamines (0.1%), cocaine (0.7%), ecstasy (0.8%), and cannabis (6%) (Agenția Națională Antidrog, 2023).
According to the existing studies (Nath, Choudhari et al., 2022; Oettinger, Dominguez, 2024), the drug use among young people has a significant negative impact on both brain development and also on general health. Due to the fact that in the case of teenagers, the brain, especially the frontal lobe, is still developing, young people are a particularly vulnerable category to substance abuse. Because drug use can seriously disrupt decision-making, impulse regulation, and emotional control—these being controlled by the frontal lobe—the result of drug use is the appearance of long-term cognitive (memory, attention, emotional regulation) and behavioral disorders (Nath, Choudhari et al., 2022; Oettinger, Dominguez, 2024). Increased impulsivity, problems related to decision-making, and risky behaviors are also a result of drug consumption, with negative impacts, such as accidents in roads traffic, the involvement in acts of violence and conflicts with the law (Oettinger, Dominguez, 2024).
If we take into consideration the excessive media consumption among young people, the question arises of how mass media may influence this phenomenon. Popular media, including music and social networks, often glorifies drug use. Popular culture and celebrities, in particular, contribute to the idea of the normalization of the drug use. For example, Mackay (2020) showed that rock, punk, and rave music were often associated with certain drugs, and many famous artists (even the members of The Beatles) openly admitted the fact that they were using drugs, in that way influencing generations of young people. In recent years, some studies (Hilliard, 2019; Rutherford et al., 2022) have shown that social networks amplify this influence, with young people constantly being exposed to content that glorifies drug use, mainly through the exposure to posts written by celebrities. So, a series of studies have thus shown that teenagers who spend a lot of time on social networks are more likely to use drugs (Hilliard, 2019; Rutherford et al., 2022).
Many researchers and theorists have contributed to the understanding of the complexity of how the mass media influences the public perceptions and behaviors, including in sensitive areas such as drug use among young people. One of the most useful theories in this regard is the “Cultivation theory”, developed by George Gerbner in the 1960s, which argues that prolonged and repeated exposure to the media messages may cause individuals to assimilate the patterns presented by the media and, in that way, they may change their perception of reality (Morgan & Shanahan, 1999; Mariș, 2020). Thus, the “Media Framing” theory (Entman, 1993) explains that the ways in which the public interprets certain problems or events are influenced by the characteristics of the selection, structuring, and presentation of information done/exposed/distributed by the mass media. According to this theory, the journalists and the media institutions they are not mere channels for the transmission of information because, by the way they choose and frame the certain aspects of a story, media professionals may create a “frame” that shapes the way in which the subject is perceived by the public (Entman, 1993). From the perspective of the topic of drug use and violence, the theory of “framing” has been widely used to analyze the way in which the news influences the political and social perceptions related to violence, drug and alcohol use. As Matthes and Kohring (2008) showed, drug use can be framed either as a health problem (with an emphasis on treatment and prevention) or as a security problem (with an emphasis on fighting crime). Depending on the type of framing, the public can support various public policies; for example, it can be in favor of legalizing the consumption of certain substances or in favor of criminalizing this consumption (Matthes & Kohring, 2008).
Starting from these practical elements and theoretical aspects, the present study analyzes the way in which the Romanian mass media portrays drug use among young Romanians and its consequences. The intention of the study is to highlight the existence of a dominant narrative that can directly influence the public opinion regarding the problem of drug use among young people.
Material and methods.
The research method – narrative analysis
The terms “narration” and “narrative” have entered in everyday language, being recently promoted in the public space, especially by journalists and opinion leaders, thus surpassing the field of literature or linguistic studies. In recent years, these terms have been frequently used in the media space, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, or the energy crisis, major events that the contemporary society went through.
Because there are areas of social sciences where the narrative analysis has been used by researchers more frequently (for example, in psychology or media studies), in this paper we propose to apply this method to certain social events that have benefited from a wide media coverage.
As an approach that focuses on the story that develops in a text and how information is organized and presented, the narrative analysis is useful in better understanding the subject matter and the point of view behind news texts. Thus, starting from some models that have become classics, such as the “syntagmatic model of the fairy tale” elaborated by Vladimir Propp (Rovenţa-Frumuşani, 1999), the “logic of the story” of Bremond and Cancalon (1970), the “actancy model” proposed by A.J. Greimas (1971), or T. Todorov’s “grammatical model” (1990), the main narrative structures, such as characters, conflicts, action, key events, themes, and turning points, were identified. The way in which these elements were presented was also examined. In addition, the general message conveyed by the analyzed news texts was deconstructed.
The sample analyzed
In the analysis, materials from the online press that were published between January 1, 2023, and September 1, 2024, were included. The selection criterion of the articles was that they presented violent acts carried out by teenagers under the influence of drugs and/or as a result of alcohol consumption. Thus, the events that benefited from wide media coverage during this period, being covered over several days, even several times a day, by journalists, have been identified.
Two events that received an increased attention from online journalists for narrative analysis have been selected. In chronological order, the events were as it follows:
- The ”Medusa operation” – 20 articles published in online media from Romania.
- The road accident that happened in the 2 Mai comune – 40 articles published in Romanian online media.
Thus, for the narrative analysis, a total number of 60 articles published during the period January 1, 2023, and September 1, 2024, in Romanian online media was taken into account. Both sets of articles had narratives that were centered on the actions of some students who consumed drugs—this being the main selection criterion in the case of press materials. In the case of the first event, the selection of the analyzed sample was made starting from a total of 114 articles published in the selected time interval, while for the second event (which enjoyed of an increased attention), the selection was made from over 59,200 articles published in Romanian online media between August 19, 2023, and September 1, 2024.
The main question at the basis of this study was: “How were the violent acts of the teenagers that also involved the consumption of drugs and/or alcohol in the online environment for the case of the two events?”.
The following secondary questions arose from this:
- Were there certain patterns (frames) that the online environment has promoted regarding acts of violence associated with alcohol and/or drug use for teenagers in the case of the 3 events?
- Are these patterns (frames) different in the context of each analyzed event, or were they the same?
To answer these questions, the following specific objectives were stated:
- To identify the frames about the two events that benefited from wide exposure and that were used by journalists in the online environment regarding acts of violence done by adolescents that also involved the consumption of drugs and/or alcohol in the online environment.
- To analyze the similarities and the differences regarding the media coverage of acts of violence comitted by adolescents that also involved the consumption of drugs and/or alcohol in the online environment in the context of the two highly publicized events.
As research hypotheses, the study used the following statements:
- In the media coverage of acts of violence comitted by teenagers that also involved the consumption of drugs and/or alcohol in the two cases by online journalists, the episodic frames will prevail.
- In order to portray the acts of violence comitted by teenagers which also involved the consumption of drugs and/or alcohol in the environment in the presentation of the two events that benefited from media coverage, the journalists used both common patterns (themes), which were maintained throughout the entire analyzed period, as well as patterns specific to each individual event.
In order to identify the structural elements of the “story”, a narrative analysis scheme was devised. This analysis scheme was applied to all two events, which contains the following main elements: the presentation of the subject and the general context (space and time), the presentation of the events in chronological order highlighting the main moments – the starting point (or the initial balance that has been altered), the conflict (or the cause-effect relationship, the plot), the culminating point (climax), the denouement (or the end, the new balance established following the unfolding of events ); presentation of the characters involved and their motivations; analysis of the themes addressed and the messages transmitted, as well as the identified media frames and reflections on the impact of the events and the way they were presented in the media (conclusions).
Table 1
Scheme for the narrative analysis of the two cases (to see Table 1, please click here)
The accident that occured in 2 Mai comune
The subject discussed and the general context
In Romania, the Criminal Code punishes the driving of vehicles by drivers under the influence of psychoactive substances (drugs) with imprisonment from 1 to 5 years or a fine (Dobrinoiu et al., 2014). According to the legal provisions in force, the detection of drivers under the influence of drugs in traffic is carried out by testing them—DRUGTEST—and later by taking a blood sample and an urine sample at the INML or the County Forensic Medicine Services (Dobrinoiu et al., 2014). It is important to remember that psychoactive substances can be detected in the body even a few days after consumption, and the act of driving under the influence of drugs exists regardless of the amount of substance detected. After collecting the biological samples, the driver will be charged with the offense of driving a vehicle under the influence of psychoactive substances, and his driver’s license will be suspended for the duration of the criminal trial (Dobrinoiu et al., 2014).
In the recent years, due to the increasing number of crimes associated with the drug use, the mass media has begun to cover this type of facts. A turning point was represented by the Saga Festival in Bucharest, June 23-25, 2023, where a young man died from drug use, and almost a hundred ended up in the hospital. In response to this situation, from August 2023, the Ministry of the Interior started a public campaign through which the Police seek to identify drivers under the influence of illegal substances.
Events in chronological order
On August 19 2023, a driver was stopped by the Constanța police during a routine check and was tested with a breathalyzer. The result was negative, and the young man was let to go. Later, after midnight, the police in Constanța were notified by a call at 112 that a driver was driving erratically on the road connecting the Vama Veche and 2 Mai resorts. Around 2:40 a.m., a car was detected by a mixed patrol, consisting of a policeman and a gendarme, traveling on DN 39 from Vama Veche. On this occasion, the driver and the two passengers who were accompanying him were identified, and following the checks carried out inside the car, in a pack of cigarettes, an artisanal joint-type cigarette, and a foil-marked bromazepam containing four pills, which were forwarded to the Constanța Crime Fighting Brigade to continue the investigations. The young driver was later taken to the police headquarters in Vama Veche – 2 Mai, where he was tested with the breathalyzer, which showed a value of 0. He stayed in the police station until around 04:30. The young man was allowed to leave the police headquarters in his personal car. Later, around 5:25 a.m., the traffic police were alerted that a road accident occurred on DN 39, near the town of Vama Veche. The 19-year-old driver fatally drove his car into a group of pedestrians, and a 20-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man died on the spot.
The young man was arrested by the police after the accident. He is still incarcerated, and a culpable homicide trial was opened in his name.
Scheme of action in the case of the accident from 2 Mai comune (to see Figure 1, please click here)
The characters and the scheme of the characters involved
In the case of the accident that occurred in 2 Mai comune, some main characters and a lot of secondary ones have been identified.
Vlad Pascu, the 19-year-old who caused the accident that killed two young people, is presented as coming from a family with a high material status. His parents were divorced, and he lately lived more alone in a villa in the north of the Capital, in his house organizing parties where drugs were also consumed. At only 13 years old, Vlad Pascu was caught on the street by the gendarmes with 0.39 grams of cannabis. He did not respond criminally, and the file opened by DIICOT (The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism) was closed. At 18, he was searched in a mall in Baneasa. He had on him 0.68 grams of cannabis. DIICOT also opened a criminal case then, but it was also closed because the amount found was small compared to the costs that a criminal trial would involve, prosecutors said. At the same time, there were many tensions between his parents. In 2019, the mother reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office that the father did not comply with the child custody measures, but the complaint was withdrawn. In 2021, Bucharest prosecutors ex officio opened a criminal investigation into suspicions of domestic violence. Amid heated discussions in the family, his father allegedly became extremely violent and assaulted his own child. In the end, however, the investigation would have been dismissed on the grounds that the fact did not exist. An extremely important element brought into discussion by the mass media related to Vlad Pascu is the image he projected externally through social networks, where he boasted of the opulent lifestyle provided by his parents. Videos posted by him or his relatives in the public space reveal a reality that includes the consumption of several types of drugs. In the circle of Vlad Pascu and his friends, humiliations or threats were filmed as a result of drug use.
Roberta Marina Dragomir and Sebastian Andrei Olariu were the two young people who died following the accident caused by Vlad Pascu, both were students at the Faculty of Geography of the University of Bucharest. They were presented as excellent students, integrated in society, with age-specific aspirations and without reprehensible behavior.
The parents of the accident victims (Roberta Dragomir and Sebastian Olariu) were presented by the mass media after the accident. The emphasis, in this case, was put by the journalists on the happy family life before the accident and on the need for moral reparation that they claim in the lawsuit filed against Vlad Pascu. There are also mentions related to the distrust of the parents, especially Roberta’s father (Catalin Dragomir) and Sebastian’s (Valentin Olariu), in the legal procedure, as well as their statements related to the possibility of emigrating if the trial does not proceed according to the standard requirements. The journalists also paid a special attention to the opinion expressed by the parents of the victims, according to which if the mass media had not covered this case from the beginning, then the file would have been “buried” and the perpetrator would not have even been detained.
Vlad Pascu’s parents (Miruna and Mihai Pascu) were presented by the media as having an impressive fortune. Thus, the journalists reported that they have registered and managed, together and separately, in recent years, 10 commercial companies and one PFA. Moreover, their activities were presented at the limit of legality, the mass media emphasizing the connections they had with the underworld, being mentioned in this case data from the criminal files that reached the court. Their influence on the son was presented negatively, from the perspective of the relations with the parents, Vlad Pascu being labeled as “a boy with ready money”, because his mother sold and rented land in Pipera and other expensive areas of Bucharest, while his father was involved in the organization of off-road competitions.
Among the characters involved in this case, the media coverage of Judge Ancuța Popoviciu from Mangalia Court, who presided over the first public hearings of Vlad Pascu’s trial, stood out. She was accused of “exercising the position in bad faith or gross negligence” by the Judicial Inspectorate and later transferred to another court.
Figure 2
The scheme of the characters involved in the accident of 2 Mai comune (to see Figure 2, please click here)
The conflict
The factor that altered the initial balance was, obviously, the accident caused by Vlad Pascu in the town of 2 Mai in August 2023, resulting in the killing of two young people and the wounding of three others. Along with this initial conflict, several types of conflicts presented in the news texts could be identified.
First of all, there is a conflict (even if latent) between lawyers, judges, and prosecutors. Thus, requests by Vlad Pascu to change the measure of preventive arrest with the measure of house arrest were rejected by the judges and the files with evidence collected by the prosecutors in the case of his parents were canceled by the court.
A conflict implicitly presented is that between the different layers of society, more precisely between those who are positioned at the top of the wealth hierarchy compared to those of average condition or modest social condition. The emphasis placed on the self-exposure on social networks of his home, objects, and goods by Vlad Pascu was often accompanied, at the pictorial and textual level, by details related to his nickname, drugs, the frequenting of unsuitable entourages and the existence of excesses within the family. In contrast, the victims (Roberta Dragomir and Sebastian Olariu) and their families were presented with a note of normality.
Topics addressed
Regarding the themes, the news texts mainly discuss the issue of drug use, that of driving some vehicles after consuming prohibited substances and, sometimes, alcohol, and the impact at the community and the micro-group level. Another important topic discussed is the fact that the authorities must act to combat drug use among young people and teenagers, as well as the role of family and groups of friends in shaping the behavior of young people. Criminality is also discussed, but also about the application of the newly enacted legislation, Law no. 213/2023 for completing art. 91 of Law no. 286/2009 regarding the Criminal Code (Parlamentul Romaniei, 2023).
Media frames
According to the media framing theory, frames are cognitive schemas that help interpret events and information (Entman, 1993). In the case of the media coverage of the accident in the 2 Mai commune, several main figures can be identified. The journalists framed the mediatic event both episodically, to outline the specific aspects of the event, and thematically, thus offering to the public a broad perspective on the impact on society.
The episodic frames were used in the description of the accident on August 19, 2023. In this case, the identity of the young man who caused the accident and the identity of the deceased victims and the injured were discussed. The police response to criticism and accusations was also presented, mentioning the measures taken to correct the situation. Later, the episodic frames were found in the media coverage during the presentation of Vlad Pascu’s trial, especially at the time of the hearings presided over by Judge Ancuța Popoviciu from Mangalia Court, this time focusing on the behavior of the judge and the response of the justice system to correct the situation.
On the other hand, the thematic frameworks aim at aspects of the wider context in which these events took place, in the foreground being drug use, with an emphasis on the act of driving vehicles after consuming illegal substances and the responses of various institutions, groups, organizations, or public opinion to this situation.
The framework of inefficiency targets the police institution and the judicial system. In this case, the issue is related to the journalists’ emphasis on the inability of the police to prevent actions from taking place and the contradictory decisions of the judicial system.
The police and the judicial system corruption framework emphasizes the corruption within the police and the judges. Journalists thus discuss integrity problems specific to the two systems, thus suggesting, on the one hand, that these two systems do not benefit of trust at the level of public opinion. It is thus suggested that both the police and the courts cannot be allowed to act without supervision, the supposed relationship between the police, judges, and people who have relations both in political circles and in the underworld groups being brought into discussion.
The ”Medusa operation”
The subject discussed and the general context
The phenomenon of drugs in schools has reached at an unprecedented scale, with the mass media covering several cases at the beginning of 2023. More and more cases of drug trafficking networks in schools and high schools have been discovered, especially in Bucharest.
Among the most publicized cases is Operation “Laleaua”, in which one of the most important dealers who distributed drugs to students was arrested after providing them with prohibited substances containing anesthetic for horses.
Another prominent case from 2023 was the “Drugs in High Schools” file, in which students with parents in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Anti-Corruption Directorate were involved, through suspects of an organized criminal group, focused on drug trafficking in high schools in Sector 1 of the capital. DIICOT prosecutors discovered, following the searches, various amounts of cannabis, cocaine, ketamine, and Xanax tablets.
Events in chronological order
On March 20, 2023, DIICOT prosecutors announced searches in no less than 23 houses in Bucharest, whose purpose it was to find evidence for the uncovering of a large-scale drug trafficking operation. Information that emerged later showed how serious the situation then was, due to the fact that it was a traffic network entirely working with pupils and students.
According to DIICOT, there was a substantial file that included the crimes of establishing an organized criminal group and high-risk drug trafficking. Over 20 young people arrived for hearings at DIICOT headquarters, each of them suspected of being involved in risk and high-risk drugs trafficking; the sale of dangerous products was taking place within educational institutions in Bucharest, and these reached students. The story allegedly began in the year 2022, when the members of the group set in motion “Operation Medusa” by starting to sell drugs in and outside schools. Students were even responsible for placing drugs outside of schools. During the search of the homes, prosecutors found significant quantities of marijuana, cocaine, and ketamine, as well as several Xanax tablets, a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety-depressive disorders. The transactions made by the students sometimes took place even at their homes, sometimes with their parents nearby. The youngest member of the group is 17 years old, while the oldest is 26 years old. Among the suspects are also the children of important people in Romania. Among those involved was the son of Traian Hristea, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the son of Felicia Crăciun, adviser at the Department for Romanians Everywhere. The buyers, including students, come from various social backgrounds but usually belong to a category of consumers who can afford to pay 100 euros for a gram of cocaine.
Eight defendants in the “Medusa case” have been ordered to be prosecuted by DIICOT prosecutors for the offenses of forming an organized criminal group, engaging in risk and high-risk drug trafficking, and possessing dangerous drugs for personal use. Three plea agreements are in the file, and one defendant is under preventive arrest, two are under house arrest, four are under judicial control, and one is at liberty.
Figure 3
Scheme of action in the case of the”Medusa operation” (to see Figure 3, please click here)
The characters and the scheme of the characters involved
In this case, there was no presentation in the online mass media of the individual characters because the journalists did not nominate any person involved in “Operation Medusa”. The level of generality is extremely high; the journalists were not talking about the individual X or the person Y involved in the trafficking and sale of drugs in high schools but about an “organized criminal group profiled on risk and high-risk drug trafficking”. Along with this group, the following institutions were mentioned: the Ministry of the Interior, police officers, DIICOT, and prosecutors. There were no references to the family, educational, and social background of those included in the criminal group, with the exception of mentioning the fact that one of them is the son of Traian Hristea, secretary of state at the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs, and another is the son of Felicia Crăciun, adviser at the Department for Romanians from Everywhere. Thus, it was not possible to identify the existence of a scheme of characters but of some organizations, institutions, and groups involved in the event.
Figure 4
Scheme of the groups, organizations and institutions involved in the “Operation Medusa” case (to see Figure 4, please click here)
The conflict
Being given the particular narrative structure of the online media coverage of this event — namely, the lack of individualization of the people involved in the case — the existence of a conflict —being it mainly or secondary — it could not have been identified by the analysis. By forcing the interpretation, the only existing conflict is the one between the organized criminal group profiled on high-risk and high-risk drug trafficking and the representatives of the police and the prosecutor’s office, in other words, a classic confrontation between “good” and “bad”.
Topics addressed
The main themes identified in the analyzed articles are the professionalism of the police, the organization of the criminal group and the ramifications of its action, the fact that the authorities must act to combat drug use among young people and teenagers, and the prosecution of the criminal group.
Media frames
Taking into account the previously used typology in which the distinction between the thematic frames and the episodic frames was made, in this case the journalists used exclusively the thematic framing.
In the recognized thematic frames was discussed the extent of the drug consumption phenomenon in Bucharest’s high schools, the planning of the operation that led to the identification of the trafficking network and the arrest of its members, and the instrumentalization of the case by the prosecutors. No situation in which the journalists would appeal to the episodic framing was encountered in the analyzed articles.
Discussion
Concerning the similarities and the differences in coverage of the events, the first similarity comes from the very way in which the articles were selected, since both analyzed cases presented violent acts carried out by teenagers under the influence of drugs. Another similarity between the two analyzed cases consisted of the use of common themes, namely the one related to the role of the authorities (police and prosecutor’s office) to combat drug use among young people and teenagers, the use of drugs by young people and teenagers, and the theme of the punishment applied to those who use drugs.
We need ton otice that the differences in the presentation of the cases, they were numerous. Thus, speaking about the case of the accident in the 2 Mai commune where there was involved the death of some people, we must admit that in the case of “Operation Medusa” this aspect was not covered by the media.
The selection of the press materials included in the studied sample was made starting from different initial samples, the mass media covering the two selected cases differently. Thus, in the case of the accident from the 2 Mai commune, the selection was made from a total of 59,200 articles published in online media in Romania between August 19, 2023, and September 1, 2024. For the second case, the initial number of articles was much more smaller (only 114 articles published in the selected time frame).
Following the systematic review of the articles, a third difference between the media coverage of the cases can also be mentioned, namely the fact that the accident in 2 Mai comune had the appearance of an ongoing trial, while the “Operation Medusa” was treated as an isolated and specific incident.
This difference referred to the following situation: in the case of the 2 Mai accident, the scheme of characters is very extensive, in addition to the perpetrator of the murder and the victims there were involved and mentioned in the mass media police officers and managers from different levels of the police, family members and friends of the author of the murder and of the victims, lawyers, judges, and some members of the public (what I previously designated in Figura 2 with the label “Public opinion”). In the second case, there were no individual cases, but only a collective one. These collective cases were built on the basis of a binary opposition between, – on the one hand, – prosecutors and police officers, and, on the other hand, members of the organized criminal group involved in drug trafficking.
In what it concernes the way in which the mass media framed the two cases, it was found that, in the case of the 2 Mai accident, a mix of thematic and episodic frames was used. In contrast, for the presentation of “Operation Medusa”, the journalists appealed to the thematic frames, in which case the emphasis was placed on the law, on the efforts of its enforcement, and the personal stories of the protagonists were completely absent. This distinction highlights the fact that media can frame similar issues in different ways for the same time period and within the same society.
Conclusions
In this analysis, two research hypotheses were used. In what it concerns the first research hypothesis that stipulates that episodic frames will prevail in the media coverage of cases of violence committed by teenagers and young people who consume alcohol and drugs, this was only partially confirmed. The episodic frames were prevalent only in the case of the accident in the 2 Mai commune, where two young people lost their lives, which may explain the more significant media coverage and the combination of episodic and thematic frames. On the other hand, the “Medusa Operation” was framed almost exclusively in thematic terms, focusing on drug use and the successful intervention of the Romanian Police, without delving into episodic, character-driven details.
Related to the second research hypothesis, the analysis did not confirm it. In both cases, the central theme of the media materials was the criminalization of drug use and the institutional response to this situation.
The main limitation of the present research is represented by the small size of the sample used in the analysis (only two cases). To this, another secondary limitation could be added, namely the narrow period of time that was analyzed (from January 1, 2023, to September 1, 2024). However, the method of the narrative analysis has proven its relevance through its ability to allow the deconstruction of the way in which media messages are constructed. In the case of this analysis, the absence of episodic frames and case-specific themes confirms Entman’s (1993) assertion that simplified narratives have a negative impact on public perception, as media portrayals tend to be limited and stereotypical. The results of the study converge with the thesis supported by Matthes and Kohring (2008), according to which, by framing young drug users either as delinquents or as victims, the media reinforces a reductionist view of the phenomenon, often neglecting important discussions prevention and rehabilitation (Matthes & Kohring, 2008).
The data analysis also indicated the existence of a dominant trend in Romanian mass media, namely the avoidance of the presentation of more complex problems related to drug use among young people. Instead of offering diverse perspectives or investigating the deeper causes that led to the manifestation of the presented phenomena, journalists and media institutions tend to recycle a series of general themes. By neglecting the complex and contextualized presentation, the journalists portray teenagers who use and consume drugs in a schematic way, as they are presented either as vulnerable victims or as dangerous criminals. This oversimplified approach not only it distorts the reality of drug use but also strengthens the public stereotypes.
Moreover, media narratives frequently fail to highlight the structural and psychological factors that lead to the drug use, such as the social pressures, the marginalization or the mental health issues. Being given the almost exclusive focus of the journalistic discourse on the aspects related to either crime or victimization, the current study shows that the mass media in Romania minimizes critical topics such as prevention, education, and support programs, the latter having the potential power in order to significantly influence the public policies and social attitudes regarding the drug issue. The analyzed data thus indicated that although in both cases enclosed in the study young people were involved in educational structures (the ”Medusa” network operating in schools and high schools, and the victims of Vlad Pascu were students), the journalists did not highlight in their articles the crucial role that education and the family could play in addressing this phenomenon of drug consumption.
The current analysis emphasizes the need for additional research related to the issue of violence and drugs among the adolescents and the young people. Such studies and analyses can provide a deeper understanding of the ways in which media reconstructions of reality could influence public perception. They can provide a more precise, complex, and undistorted view on the topics of interest for a society, as is the case of drug use and violence among the population.
Acknowledgements
This study is part of Protective and risk factors concerning youth violence. A psycho-educational and community approach for sustainable development and transformation, Project code 54. Research grant carried out with financial support from the Donors’ Recurrent Fund, at the disposal of the Romanian Academy and managed by the “PATRIMONIU” Foundation GAR2023. Contract: “PATRIMONIU” Foundation – No. 764, “Francisc I. Rainer” Institute of Anthropology – No. 1328, dated 23-11-2023. Project manager, C. RADA.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
References
- Bremond, C., & Cancalon, E. D. (1980). The logic of narrative possibilities. New Literary History, 11(3), 387-411. https://www.jstor.org/stable/468934
- Dobrinoiu, V., Hotca, M. A., Gorunescu, M., Dobrinoiu, M., Pascu, I., Chiş, I., & Sinescu, M. C. (2014). Noul Cod Penal Comentat. Partea Specială [The new Criminal Code commented: The special part]. Bucureşti: Universul Juridic.
- Cârlugea, S. (2024). Drogurile, problemă de securitate națională. [Drugs as a national security issue]. Europa Liberă România. Retrieved August 11, 2024 from https://romania.europalibera.org/a/droguri-problema-csat/32912628.html
- Entman, R. M. (1993). Framing: Toward clarification of a fractured paradigm. The Journal of Communication, 43, 51-58. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1993.tb01304.x
- Greimas, A. J. (1971). Narrative grammar: Units and levels. MLN, 86(6), 793-806. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2907443
- Hilliard, J. (2029). The influence of social media on teen drug use. Addiction Center Blog. Retrieved August 24, 2024 from https://www.addictioncenter.com/community/social-media-teen-drug-use/
- Mackay, O. (2020). Drug use in relation to popular culture, media and identity. University of Hull, Department of Criminology and Sociology. Retrieved September 2, 2024 from https://crimsoc.hull.ac.uk/2020/06/20/drug-use-popular-culture/
- Mariș, A. T. (2020). The evolution of influence: From cultivation theory to selective targeting. Bulletin of the “Carol I” National Defense University. https://doi.org/10.12753/2065-8281-20-42
- Matthes, J., & Kohring, M. (2008). The content analysis of media frames: Toward improving reliability and validity. Journal of Communication, 58. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2008.00384.x
- Morgan, M., & Shanahan, J. (1999). Television and its viewers: Cultivation theory and research. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511488924
- Nath, A., Choudhari, S. G., Dakhode, S. U., et al. (2022). Substance abuse amongst adolescents: An issue of public health significance. Cureus, 14(11), e31193. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.31193
- Oettinger, G. P., & Dominguez, J. M. (2024). The impact of drugs on the teenage brain. Psychology Today. Retrieved September 11, 2024 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/motivated-behaviors/202409/the-impact-of-drugs-on-the-teenage-brain
- Rovența-Frumușani, D. (1999). Semiotică, societate, cultură [Semiotics, society, culture]. Iași: Editura Institutul European.
- Rutherford, B. N., Lim, C. W., Johnson, B., et al. (2022). #TurntTrending: A systematic review of substance use portrayals on social media platforms. Addiction, Wiley Online Library. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16020
- Todorov, T. (1990). Genres in discourse. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- *** Agenția Națională Antidrog (ANA). (2023). Raport Național privind situația drogurilor în 2023. Noi evoluții și tendințe. [National report on the drug situation in 2023: New developments and trends in Romania]. Retrieved August 21, 2024 from https://ana.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/RAPORT-NATIONAL-PRIVIND-SITUATIA-DROGURILOR_2023.pdf
- ***Parlamentul României. (2023). Lege nr. 213 din 7 iulie 2023 pentru completarea art. 91 din Legea nr. 286/2009 privind Codul penal. [Law no. 213/2023 for completing art. 91 of Law no. 286/2009 regarding the Criminal Code]. Monitorul Oficial no. 629, 10 July 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2024 from https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocumentAfis/271991