The Media Image of Montenegrin Litije (2019-2020): A Comparative Analysis of Narrative Frames in Vijesti and CdM

This bachelor's thesis examines the narrative framing of the Montenegrin litije movement in the two most widely read digital media in the country, the portals Vijesti and Cafe del Montenegro (CdM). Using a qualitative narrative-discursive method, 255 news and 21 opinion texts were analyzed. The news texts of the portal Vijesti framed litije as a legitimate, non-violent and civic-religious protest, and this image was created mainly through frequent quotes from SPC clergy. In contrast, the portal CdM reported on litije briefly and indirectly referred to their negative impacts, such as the threat to public health during the Covid epidemic. In the opinion texts of the portal Vijesti, litije were interpreted as a potential tool for mitigating the identity dispute between Serbs and Montenegrins, while the portal CdM portrayed them as an ideological tool of Greater Serbian nationalism, threatening the statehood and civic character of Montenegro. The comparison results in the identification of a significant media polarization, which reflects deep social tensions in Montenegrin society. The analyzed period, from December 2019 to August 2020, resulted in parliamentary elections that ended the DPS's monopoly on power and marked a major political turning point for Montenegro.