Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1998

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Communication

Major Professor

M. Mark Miller

Committee Members

Candance White, Jeff Wilkinson

Abstract

This thesis addressed the issue of framing and its potential implications for the public opinion process. It has been suggested by various researchers that the media serve as the central link in the public opinion process, hence the issue frames generated by the media have a great potential to impact the audience, public opinion and policy. Through a content analysis employing the Frame Mapping process, issue frames regarding the topic of "Sexgate" were analyzed as presented in media and public generated texts. The Frame Mapping process identified key terms and clusters of terms frequently used by both parties. In total 199 newspaper articles, representing the media, and 783 Usenet posting, representing the public, produced multidimensional data that was visually mapped to show the frequency and co-occurrence of the key terms. The findings provided evidence of the use of divergent frames by the issue stakeholders. Media frames consisted of legal principles involved in the scandal while the public's issue frame was one of morality and character. The medium of the Internet as a representative of the public, as opposed to polling results, allowed for a truer examination of the public's opinion/frame of this complex issue. With the growth of the Internet and the potential political power of framing, this study contributes to understanding and advancing the public's role in policy formation and strengthening of democracy.

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