Hacked: a qualitative analysis of media coverage of the Sony breach

Abstract

With the increase of cyber-attacks, online news media has focused on reporting the immediate consequences after each attack to its audience. While the attention may be on one particular hacking event, media sources tend to analyze and discuss events differently. Focusing on one of the most recent data breaches, the Sony hack, this research describes the findings on the portrayal of the Sony hack by three different online news sources during the first ten days following the breach. A qualitative analysis of data shows each source discussed the hack in a way that appeals to its respective target audience. This research demonstrates that news sources report on the same subject differently in order to adhere to the interest and expectations of their respective audiences.