Analyzing Media Coverage of a Famous Prison Escape Case

Every summer, numerous university students engage in innovation projects under the supervision of academics at the University of Iceland across diverse fields of study. The Student Innovation Fund supports these projects. These projects do not only produce original and tangible solutions of various kinds, but also shed light on aspects of Icelandic society that need improvement.

Egill Karlsson, a master's student at Roskilde University and a former sociology student at the University of Iceland, worked on a project this summer under the supervision of Margrét Valdimarsdóttir, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Iceland. In his project he analysed media coverage of a memorable case that left a lasting impression. The research was conducted from the perspective of narrative criminology, which argues that to understand crime, especially responses to it, we need to examine the stories about crime. "For social sciences in Iceland, particularly criminology, narrative criminology offers an interesting angle on how media and narratives can influence public attitudes and behaviour," says Egill.

Egill's research is a case study of a famous incident from 2022. "I focus on news coverage of a case where an individual escaped police custody while being transported to the Reykjavik District Court. The case was all over the Icelandic media for the three days the man was on the run, and a lot of attention was given to his long criminal history," says Egill.

While the fugitive was on the loose, the police twice stopped young individuals who had no connection to the case. "Both individuals had dark skin, which led the police to close the comments section on their official Facebook page. The case attracted a great deal of attention, and the police was heavily criticised and accused of racial profiling," Egill recalls.

Police communicated with the fugitive and the public through the media

According to Egill, the inspiration for the project came from two sources. "In my previous master's studies at Lund University, I became interested in narrative criminology and also in theories inspired by Michel Foucault, particularly governmentality and control, both formal and social. I followed the news on this specific case as it unfolded, and I found it interesting how much the police appealed to the public for assistance, even whilst being heavily criticised for their treatment of an innocent teenager. I was also intrigued by how the police communicated with both the fugitive and the public through the media and how quickly the authorities dismissed all criticism and distanced themselves from responsibility," he explains.

In his research, Egill analysed both the discourse and themes in the media coverage during the days the manhunt was ongoing, as well as the subsequent news reports on the National Commissioner of Police’s report, presented at an open meeting of the Parliament’s General and Education Committee. 

The public partly made responsible for the search

"The results of the thematic analysis suggest that to make the public partly responsible for the search for the fugitive, he was portrayed as a dangerous criminal with a long record, posing a threat to the public.  The public’s responsibility was to inform the police of his whereabouts, and this information got a big response.  When police actions went astray and they arrested the wrong person, they could claim they were following public tips, thus absolving themselves of responsibility, at least partially," Egill says on his findings. 

Regarding the claim that the police engaged in racial profiling during the search, Egill points out that this accusation came from members of the public, which often has little influence on public opinion or social change.  This claim was met with resistance from prominent figures such as scholars, the Minister of Justice and his assistant, and the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police, who firmly denied it," says Egill.

When discussing the significance of his findings, Egill points out that Iceland is a small and relatively homogeneous country, though it is gradually becoming more diverse.  "However, individuals from minority groups should not have to fear being apprehended by mistake in police operations due to their appearance or race.  The project suggests that police communication with the public through the media could be improved if a similar case arises in the future," says Egill.

Margrét highlights that she greatly values the opportunity to mentor students in interesting research projects.  "By participating in research and innovation during the summer, students contribute to the academic field while gaining valuable experience," she says.