In most cases, the first task of a journalist writing about ICANN was to explain what ICANN is and does. This is of special interest as it conveys implicit assumptions about ICANN's importance and future role. ICANN's self-description on its Web site is "a technical coordination body for the Internet". Former ICANN Chairman Esther Dyson has emphasized that ICANN in effect "governs the plumbing, not the people" (Dyson 1999). Critics like David Post have countered that control over the DNS is "quite literally a kind of life-or-death power" (Post 1999).

To gauge the perception of ICANN's role, the main description used in each article was classified into eight categories: 1. management/ administration/ authority, 2. government, 3. "government" (i.e. some form of relativisation), 4. government authority/office/agency, 5. Internet organisation, 6. standards-setting body, 7. company, 8. non-profit, 9. other. In a number of shorter articles, ICANN's role was not explained at all, instead the abbreviation was used or the organisation's name was simply written in full.

Of these classifications, "government" was the one most frequently used (11.6% of all cases). This classification was applied if the term government was used with some form of relativisation, e.g. "inoffiziell 'Internetregierung' genannt" ("inoffically dubbed 'Internet government'"; Der Standard, 12 October). In another 5.5% of the cases, the term was used without relativisation, e.g. "il governo della Rete" ("the government of the Net"; L'Espresso, 19 July). Interestingly, these descriptions have not been used mainly for brief reports; on the contrary. In almost all the cases, journalists using one of the two terms have written medium or long articles.

But also the terms implying a more subordinate role have been used quite often. Especially in the German language newspapers, the term government authority/office ("Behörde") has been used in 11.0% of the cases. The classification with slightly less emphasis on government, management/administration, is used in 9.4% of the articles. Even the very general descriptions as "Internet organisation" or "non-profit" are used in 10.3% and 11.3% respectively. ICANN is seldom described as standards-setting body (3 cases) or as company (7 cases).

The European media are evidently varying in their perception and description of ICANN's role. The self-description -- "technical coordination body" -- is almost not present in the media coverage. Some of the articles turn to the discrepancy between the self-description and attributions by others and consequently emphasise the political, economical and social consequences of ICANN's decisions. Quotes like the above-mentioned by David Post (quoted e.g. in Der Spiegel, 31 July), but also statements by Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) representatives such as Alan Davidson (Le Monde, 28 June) and Jerry Berman (Libération, 7 July) are used as a counterbalance. The technical self-description is even seen as veiling by some: "Wer so zungenfertig die eigene Macht kleinredet, der fürchtet fremde Ansprüche." („Someone who plays down his own power so eloquently is afraid of the demands of others"; Frankfurter Allgemeine, 17 June). In its review of the elections, The Economist presents both the view of ICANN as technical and administrative body and of ICANN as a virtual world government in the making and decides: "The truth, as so often, lies somewhere in between." (30 September).