Human trafficking is a crime today widespread which has attracted media attention, during the consolidation of anti-trafficking policies at international and national level. The academic debate on the role of the media within the context of trafficking in human beings (THB) is scant, and one of the issues concerns the impact of public policies on media contents. This is the context in which the contribution has been framed, its aim being to investigate whether the national anti-trafficking measures may shape the coverage and the representation of THB by the two major broadsheets in Italy. Three hypotheses are formulated, and they are later verified by the quali-quantitative content analysis of the human trafficking-related news published from 2000 to 2010 by Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica. As regards the data analysis, the relationship between the political agenda and the press agenda appears to have been close during the ten reference years. Notwithstanding its limitations, this study can be read as the first stage in understanding how journalists approach the issue of trafficking and what factors may influence their choices.

Trafficking in human beings Italian press Media research National anti-trafficking legislation Content analysis

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