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‘Infosuasion’ in European Newspapers: A Case Study on the War in Kosovo 215

this case it is possible to find contrary opinions, which believe that intervention is
avoidable (4.5 percent).
It is important to underline that the group is characterized by being in
favour of intervention. It is considered legitimate even without UN author-
ization (weight of the modality, 15.37 percent), necessary, unavoidable and
indispensable in order to guarantee international security, which is being
threatened by the Balkans crisis (13.85 percent), and because Serbia has not
accepted the conditions of Rambouillet (7.9 percent). Furthermore, it is deemed
necessary to stop armed aggression on those who cannot defend themselves
(5.9 percent).
Intervention is considered as likely to succeed due to the superiority of
NATO’s military equipment (3.69 percent). Where, on the contrary, intervention
is considered as not indispensable, unnecessary or avoidable, it is because the
Serbs are the victims of Albanian separatists (the Democratic League of Kosovo,
or LCK, and the Kosovo Liberation Army, or KLA) and other ethnic groups
(5.65 percent).
The data show that international organizations (17.73 percent), armed forces
(16.65 percent) – Spanish forces in particular (2.76 percent) or from other NATO
countries (2.84 percent) – civilians (15.68 percent) and representatives or politicians
from NATO countries (2.70 percent) appear most frequently in the headlines.
The language used is generally assertive (5.45 percent) and full-page headline
weight is 3.56 percent on the identification of the group.

Il Corriere della Sera

This Italian daily distinguishes itself from all the other newspapers examined in
several specific ways. From a statistical point of view it constitutes a group unto
itself.
The newspaper distinguishes itself because it does not resemble the others
either in terms of narrative structure, persuasive techniques or figures of speech.
Unlike the other papers, it dedicates little space to opinions for or against inter-
vention in Kosovo.
Where the issue is discussed, arguments against intervention have a higher
modality weight than arguments for. Many of those expressing an opinion are
afraid that the action is being inflicted on an unarmed population and feel that
the blame lies equally with both sides and that the people from Kosovo are not
being threatened. For the majority of the authors of these articles the bombings
are neither legitimate nor effective. The opinions of various different journalists
tend to even out. The articles are not in general characterized by the figures of
hero or anti-hero as they are in the Spanish press.
In the headlines the UN, the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in
Europe, the refugees, the armed forces, the politicians and the Serbian civilians
are mentioned most often.
The Italian newspaper reappears in another group together with The Guardian.