Media framing biases and political power

Explaining slant in news of Campaign 2008

Bibliographic Data

ID7478342
AuthorsRobert M Entman (George Washington University, corresponding author)
Year2010
Volume11
Issue4
Pages389-408
Publication date2010-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournalism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1464-8849 • E-ISSN: 1741-3001
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1464884910367587
OpenAlexW2148589516
LanguageEN
Citations received127
References cited30

Although many scholars dismiss allegations of bias in the mainstream US media, careful research on bias can illuminate media effects on political power and public policy. This article refines framing theory to provide a theoretical foundation for systematic studies of bias. It suggests that scholars distinguish framing from other communication by its diachronic nature and its cultural resonance. Despite journalists’ best efforts, framing often favors one side over another in political disputes. Slanted framing results from the interaction of real world developments, cultural norms, and journalistic decision rules with the sometimes proficient and other times maladroit efforts of competing elites to manage the news. A case study of 2008 presidential campaign coverage focusing on Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin illustrates how slanted framing can shift over time with changes in these interactions. The findings imply that, contrary to many critics’ contentions, unbalanced news does not arise from the presumably stable personal ideologies of journalists

Framing (construction · Framing effect · Health communication · Ideology · Mainstream · Media studies · News media · Political science · Politics · Presidential election · Presidential system · Public relations · Sociology · Media Influence and Politics · Media Studies and Communication · Social Media and Politics · History · Law

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