Framing the Dark Web: A study in portrayal of the Dark Web in documentary films

Abstract

Through its name, the Dark Web is often associated with activities that are generally illegal and unethical, but why is this? Through the different services that make up the Dark Web, it stands as a technology that inherently exists to protect people's privacy and free speech. This thesis aims to examine how media portrays the Dark Web and how its association is so negatively loaded through the lens of documentary film. This thesis applies a theoretical framework of rhetoric and documentary film from Bill Nichols and Carl Plantinga in a comparative study of the two films "Inside the Dark Web" by BBC and "Down the Deep, Dark Web" by Zygote Films and Upian. The comparative study explores how these documentaries apply various techniques and thematic focuses to portray the Dark Web. It is shown that there is a commonality in what they communicate. However, how they apply techniques to communicate; reveal a distinctive difference. The thesis argues that both documentaries give more explicit and detailed depictions of negative aspects and focus on the negatives from the Dark Web, thus reinforcing the association and narrative that the Dark Web is not a place for everyone.