The document analyzes media coverage of modern day slavery by The Economist. It finds that across 20 articles on human trafficking published between 2013-2015: [1] The Economist consistently uses negative framing and language to portray human trafficking as a serious global problem and "modern day slavery". [2] The articles aim to persuade readers to join advocacy against human trafficking by using personal victim stories and first-hand sources. [3] The Economist concludes human trafficking is a disturbing crime that governments need to prioritize ending.

1. Modern Day Slavery: It Does Exist 1
Lindsay Bebout
May 5, 2015
Journalism 312
Heloiza Herscovitz
Modern Day Slavery: It Does Exist
According to article 3 of the “Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in
Persons” found on the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) website, human
trafficking is the act of recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or selling of persons, by
means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of
deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of
payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for
the purpose of exploitation (2015). The global media coverage from The Economist on human
trafficking can best be described as negative. Based on a preliminary analysis of 20 stories
published by The Economist between the years 2013-2015, it can be concluded that that specific
news outlet believes human trafficking is a serious problem that needs to be stopped. Every
story published is not just a reported overview of a simple story that happened. Throughout each
story, The Economist uses different elements to make their position known and obvious. The
Economist makes it clear that human trafficking is a disgusting act happening in the world today
and that there needs to be an end to it.
Topic Background

2. Modern Day Slavery: It Does Exist 2
Human trafficking is a serious crime and a deep violation of human rights. Globally, it is
the 3rd ranked crime. Every year, thousands of men, women and children are abducted by
traffickers, in their own countries as well as abroad. Every country in the world is affected by
trafficking; a country of could be the emergence center, the center of transportation, or a
destination for victims. Trafficking victims include child all the way to older adults, both
women and men, and both legal and illegal citizens. Traffickers exploit their victims sexually,
for labor, or for their organs. According to Do Something’s website, 80% of victims are
exploited sexually, 19% for labor. The average pay for these victims is only $90 (2015). The
American media outlet CNN has started a campaign to end human trafficking titled “The CNN
Freedom Project: Ending Modern Day Slavery”; this can be found on the media’s website on its
own page. CNN says their goal is to “amplify the voices of the victims of modern-day slavery,
highlight success stories and help unravel the tangle of criminal enterprises trading in human
life.” According to the website, the human trafficking industry currently rakes in $150 billion a
year and right now there are 36 million people that are being trafficked. These numbers continue
to grow yearly; because of this it is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. (2015).
Theory and Methodology
The media dramatically shapes the way current issues are viewed. According to an
article posted by the University of Oregon’s journalism department, the framing theory is the
process by which an issue is portrayed in the news media. Media frames provide boundaries
around a news story and determine what is. Media outlets rely on media frames to decide what to
include in a story and what to leave out. Media frames are used to organize ideas for a media
outlet’s news content; it supplies a context and persuades the audience of what the issue is. This
is a process that can be conscious, instinctive or culture-bound. A media frame may draw a

3. Modern Day Slavery: It Does Exist 3
viewer's attention to specific parts of a media outlet’s news story, de-emphasize other parts, and
leave out some aspects completely. How issues are framed impacts how the public will be
affected by the news. This is significant because how people think about issues influences policy
outcomes (2015).
All 20 sources that came from The Economist comes from an American media outlet.
Despite the fact that many of the stories are about human trafficking situations happening in
other parts of the world, The Economist use many first hand sources to write the articles. These
sources include victims of human trafficking, volunteers that have helped the cause, experts, and
journalists who have covered the topic in depth. Using these sources brings a different tone and
perspective to the articles than would be brought if someone merely reported news from a second
hand source. This information can be found in the material that is written and posted by them.
Findings
Framing Elements
Tone Negative
Sources American, International, victims, experts, volunteers
Imagery/Adjectives The Economist makes their negative opinion known about the
human trafficking industry. It refers to human trafficking as
“modern day slavery.” When talking about the situation in
Thailand, they describe it as “not good.” In another story they
call the human trafficking industry a “global enemy.”
Overall Perception Human trafficking is a disturbing industry that the
government needs to make a push for to end.
The tone The Economist’s has embedded in its stories about human trafficking is heavily
negative. In the article headlined “Still trapped”, they state, “Modern-day slavery persists

4. Modern Day Slavery: It Does Exist 4
widely.” By comparing human trafficking to “modern-day slavery” The Economist is choosing
to boldly state its stance. The article continues, “Fortunately there is some evidence that the
airing of it [human trafficking] nudges governments to respond to the bad publicity by taking
some remedial legislative action.” This statement demonstrates The Economist’s desire for there
to be an end to the human trafficking industry. Instead of simply reporting the global stories, it
has decided to make its stance on human trafficking known. This is also an illustration of their
desire for the world’s governments to step in on and make an impact for the cause. Another
inclination of their negative feelings would be the way Thailand was described in the story
headlined “Half a peg downward”; “The news for Thailand was not good. It was downgraded to
Tier 3, the lowest rank among countries evaluated by the State Department.” The phrase “not
good” is a highly biased phrase no matter what it is referring to. By using that phrase, it cannot
be argued that The Economist has a negative stance on human trafficking. An Economist article
headlined “Here be monsters”, Maung Toe’s slaved past is talked about; it reports that he had
been forced aboard a boat by an unfamiliar man at gunpoint and sold by a broker to the captain
for $900. The Economist chooses to use personal stories and first hand stories that make the
article more emotional. By using heart wrenching the stories, The Economist is hoping that their
readers will become advocates for wanting to end human trafficking as well. Even the articles
posted by this media that only touch on the subject still refer to human trafficking negatively. In
an article headlined “Freedom for the captives”, the human trafficking industry is referred to by
it as “a global enemy.” Through a combination of different elements found in its articles, The
Economist has made their position on human trafficking very clear.
Conclusion

5. Modern Day Slavery: It Does Exist 5
After analyzing 20 of The Economist’s articles on human trafficking, the conclusion can
be made that The Economist is an advocate against it. The articles stray away from just reporting
the news; instead, they consistently frame human trafficking in a negative light and push for the
government to put a stop to it. They use a high amount of first hand sources for their stories
which makes the articles more emotional for their readers. By manipulating their reader’s
emotions, they are attempting to try and persuade them to join in on the advocacy. Human
trafficking is a topic that the entire global population should be biased about; because of this, it
does not make The Economist any less credible.

6. Modern Day Slavery: It Does Exist 6
References
1. 11 Facts About Human Trafficking. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2015, from
https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-human-trafficking
2. The Facts. (2015, January 1). Retrieved May 1, 2015, from
http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/category/the-facts/
3. Frame. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2015, from
http://journalism.uoregon.edu/~tbivins/stratcomweb/readings/Framing_comp_new.pdf
4. UNODC on human trafficking and migrant smuggling. (2015, January 1). Retrieved May
1, 2015, from http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/

7. Modern Day Slavery: It Does Exist 7
The Economist Sources
1. Everywhere in (supply) chains
http://www.economist.com/news/international/21646199-how-reduce-bonded-labour-
and-human-trafficking-everywhere-supply-chains
2. Slavery: Still trapped
http://www.economist.com/news/international/21633585-governments-and-lobbies-still-
need-fight-end-modern-day-slavery-still-trapped
3. Ranking the rankings
http://www.economist.com/news/international/21631039-international-comparisons-are-
popular-influentialand-sometimes-flawed-ranking-rankings
4. Human trafficking: Half a peg downward
http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2014/06/human-trafficking
5. Prostitution in Germany: A giant Teutonic brothel
http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21589922-has-liberalisation-oldest-profession-
gone-too-far-giant-teutonic-brothel
6. Daily chart: The scourge of enslavement
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2013/10/daily-chart-13
7. Religion and human trafficking: Freedom for the captives
http://www.economist.com/blogs/erasmus/2013/04/religion-and-human-trafficking
8. Houses of torture
http://www.economist.com/blogs/pomegranate/2013/12/human-trafficking-sinai
9. Turning off the red light
http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21591220-new-law-will-make-paying-sex-
crime-turning-red-light
10. A deadly cocktail
http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21572800-long-standing-worker-abuses-get-some-
serious-attention-deadly-cocktail
11. Vulnerable to abuse
http://www.economist.com/blogs/pomegranate/2014/04/syrian-refugees
12. Here be monsters
http://www.economist.com/news/international/21646200-thailands-fishing-industry-rife-
trafficking-and-abuse-here-be-monsters
13. Lawless roads
http://www.economist.com/node/14506444
14. Modern slavery
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2014/05/daily-chart-12
15. Carefully watched
http://www.economist.com/blogs/pomegranate/2014/06/syrian-refugees-jordan
16. The world of human trafficking
http://www.economist.com/node/21558468/mobile-frameless
17. Over the top
http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21588362-perhaps-half-million-people-live-
illegally-britain-governments-draconian-new
18. In the land of cotton
http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2013/10/forced-labour-uzbekistan

8. Modern Day Slavery: It Does Exist 8
19. Illegal markets
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2013/04/daily-chart-19
20. Big brother comes wooing
http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan?page=5