Framing the Hacker: Media Representations and Public Discourse in Germany

TL;DR

This study analyzes how German mainstream media portray hackers, revealing a predominantly negative framing that influences public perceptions and societal narratives about digital threats and security.

Contribution

It provides a detailed longitudinal analysis of media framing of hackers in Germany, highlighting the impact on public discourse and perceptions of digital risks.

Findings

Hackers are mostly portrayed negatively in German media.

Media framing links hackers to criminality and national security threats.

Media representations influence public perceptions of IT risks.

Abstract

This paper examines how the figure of the hacker is portrayed in German mainstream media and explores the impact of media framing on public discourse. Through a longitudinal content analysis of 301 articles from four of the most widely circulated German newspapers (Die Zeit, S\"uddeutsche Zeitung, Bild, and Der Spiegel), the study covers reporting between January 2017 and January 2020. The results reveal a strong predominance of negative connotations and dramatizing frames that link hackers to criminality, national security threats, and digital warfare. Drawing on media effects theory, scandalization mechanisms, and constructivist media theory, the article shows how media representations co-construct public perceptions of IT-related risks. The analysis emphasizes the role of agenda setting, framing, and media reality in shaping societal narratives around hackers. The study concludes by reflecting on the broader implications for IT security education and the sociopolitical challenges posed by distorted representations of digital actors.