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The aim of the essay is to discuss notions of a European public sphere, partly against the findings in previous empirical studies, partly against the results from an analyses of how the bombings in Madrid 2004 were framed & discussed in four different newspapers, based in different countries. The discussion shows that there is no single answer to the question if a European public sphere exists or not. There are some empirical findings which indicate that, at least the conditions for, a public sphere in Europe exist, while other findings points in the opposite direction. One conclusion that can be drawn from this, it is argued, is that the answer will depend on the theoretical point of departure for the study, as well as how the public sphere is measured. Another conclusion in the essay is that we need more empirical studies, where a comparative approach is used. Tables, References. Adapted from the source document.

Media debates after the invasion of Iraq suggested that there was a growing anti-Americanism in Europe and that this contributed to an increasing sense of European identity as representing values that differed from that of the USA. But what if this anti-Americanism was really anti-Bushism, and how shared are the shared values on the European side when it comes to representation of the USA as Other? The articles in this Special Issue focus on the discursive image of the USA in the elite media of five European countries at points in time from a particularly frosty Cold War period under President Reagan until six months after the installation of President Obama. Taken together, there are broad similarities in the paradigms and characteristics used to depict the USA from the post-Cold War period, especially in French, Finnish, Swedish and German media. Below the surface, however, the narratives reveal that each country's commentators are mainly interested in the USA in relation to domestic concerns or as a prism for its relationships with other countries on the world stage. There is a stark focus on the US presidents as symbols through which the USA as a whole is seen. Both Democratic and Republican presidents are likened to Rambo, the 'space cowboy', the 'trade and cultural warrior', or Hollywood 'stars', which could be interpreted as a measure of cultural disdain towards American popular culture and militarism. ; authorCount :2