A Comparative Approach to a Transatlantic Scandal: Le Monde and the New York Times’ Coverage of Roman Polanski’s 2009 Arrest

Abstract

Since internationally renowned film director Roman Polanski was arrested on six charges of misconduct directed at a minor in 1977, his legal case has drawn strong reactions in connection to a range of political, social, and moral issues. Responses to the scandal have differed sharply across French and American national lines and as such, prestige press coverage of the director’s 2009 arrest in France and the U.S. reflects differences in dominant national ideologies. This paper applies a critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach to analyze two specific sets of national ideologies connected to the case – those connected to that of the artist’s worth and those relevant to perceptions of sexual misconduct.