Media Coverage of the European Union in Bulgaria and Ireland

This dissertation compares the media representations of the European Union (EU) in two of the small member states – Ireland and Bulgaria. Ireland is part of the ‘old’ member states, which joined the EU with the first wave of enlargement in 1973. Bulgaria is among the newest entrants who became part of the EU in 2007, thus completing the last and biggest so far Eastern enlargement of the Union. Given the recent financial, political and democratic deficit crises in the EU, this manuscript provides a valuable insight into the media portrayals of the EU in two very different member states, thus giving an indication about some of the challenges policy makers might experience when attempting to address diverse media markets, editions and audiences. The study is based on a content analysis of newspaper publications shortly after Bulgaria entered the European Union and before the major economic crisis in Europe took place, thus providing a glimpse of routine coverage of the EU.