Human trafficking as a social phenomenon and media event: contextualization and speech [Articol]

Abstract

By publicizing cases of human trafficking, media outlets carry out several essential functions: informing the public about the existence, specifics and forms of this phenomenon, raising the population’s awareness about the victims of human trafficking, as well as the social prevention function. The phenomenon of human trafficking is publicized sporadically on informational platforms, predominantly via news. Most of the materials published during the monitoring period are based on press releases disseminated by various state bodies regarding convictions related to human trafficking. In terms of contextualization of media discourse, it should be mentioned that online platforms treat the human trafficking phenomenon along the following dimensions: prevention of the phenomenon, presentation of the trafficking scenario and outcome of trafficking cases. At the level of the discourse, we have identified the following peculiarities: informative and inciting headlines, at times ironic attitude towards the victims of sex trafficking, unconcealed accounts of victims, and presentation by sensationalizing