Degree Name

MA (Master of Arts)

Program

Communication, Professional

Date of Award

5-2006

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

John M. King

Committee Members

Kenneth J. Mijeski, James J. Mooney

Abstract

This study analyzes the framing of the war in Iraq (2003) during the week before and the week after the conflict started according to the media coverage of nine leading newspapers from United States, Europe, and Latin America. Through quantitative content analysis, the researcher answered seven research questions and analyzed the framing, sources, and approaches used by the newspapers in the news coverage of the conflict. The researcher compared the news coverage of each region and found that there were significant differences in the content of the war reporting according to the geographical area of the media. European and Latin American newspapers framed a "bigger and more balanced picture" in covering more sides of the war and quoting diverse sources while American media covered a narrower range of war perspectives and quoted coalition sources in almost all of their news stories and editorials.

Document Type

Thesis - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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