The Institutional Image of Femininities in an International Scandal: Analyzing the image of MEP Eva Kaili, in Francophone Press

Abstract

This study is grounded in the proposition that the organization of news, such as an international scandal, is based on criteria designed to make the content as attractive as possible to the reader. In the case of “Qatargate”, MEP Eva Kaili played a central role in the scandal narration by the Press. The study explores whether MEP Eva Kaili became the face synonymous with the “Qatargate” scandal and how her gender characteristics made her the key figure for the attractiveness of the topic. To this end, quantitative content analysis is applied to Francophone newspapers from December 2022 to February 2023. The subsequent analysis involves both quantitative findings and qualitative characteristics of selected rhetorical narratives concerning the portrayal of gender stereotypes in an issue of extended international interest. To sum up, this research ponders whether and how MEP Eva Kaili's characteristics as a "44-year-old woman, former TV presenter" are presented to enhance the attractiveness of the issue of “Qatargate”.