Development For Dark Lives And Media Frames In Coverage

Development for Dark Lives and Media Frames in Coverage

In this paper, I will centre on Development for Dark Lives to decide if the messages the association endeavours to convey coordinate to the casings of the media. The Twitter hashtag #blacklivesmatter was at first utilised "after seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin was posthumously placed on trial for his murder and the killer […] was not held accountable for the crime he committed… as a response to the anti-black racism that permeates our society†(Randall and Lisa). The hashtag and in this manner the development removed off and developed from a response to a string of exceptionally plugged events of police ruthlessness bringing about the passings of a few unarmed Dark individuals and the recordings of the killings being shared crosswise over internet-based life, making a national discourse.

These activities denoted the start of development and started consideration over the United States. This movement is often referred to as Black Lives Matter since this statement as a hashtag on social media is what led to the growth of the action. This study attempts to uncover and understand the language used and the pictures painted about the Movement for Black Lives through media frames. The research examines cable news network Fox News as well as one daily national newspaper, the New York Times. The study utilised the New York Times because the paper is considered the arbiter of news with regard to setting the agenda in the United States and because it is the “national print source most widely used by collective action researchers†(Emanuel and Ezekiel 17).

Paper For Above instruction

The analysis of media portrayals of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement reveals significant insights into how different news outlets frame social movements influenced by their ideological stances. The emergence of BLM was sparked by events such as the murder of Trayvon Martin, which galvanized public attention on police brutality and racial injustice. The role of social media, particularly the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, was pivotal in mobilizing collective action and framing the movement as a response to systemic anti-Black racism (Gibbs et al., 2016). This study critically examines how two prominent media outlets—Fox News and The New York Times—represent and frame the movement through their coverage, revealing underlying ideological biases and journalistic norms that influence perception and discourse.

The study focuses on media framing strategies, especially how the movement is portrayed through various frames such as legitimacy, threat, and marginalization. Media framing theory suggests that the way media outlets present information influences public perception and policy debates (Entman, 1993). Fox News, known for its conservative stance, tends to adopt frames that marginalize or delegitimize BLM by emphasizing violence threats and associating the movement with crime or disorder. Conversely, The New York Times, with its reputation for balanced and in-depth reporting, employs frames that highlight the legitimacy of protests and focus on systemic issues, thus offering a more neutral or supportive view of the movement (Shoemaker & Reese, 2014).

The methodology involves content analysis of news articles and video segments from Fox News and The New York Times. Fox News's approach primarily relies on video sources, interviews with prominent figures, and framing that emphasizes conflict and danger. The New York Times, however, supplement its articles with hyperlinks and background information, enabling a deeper understanding and transparency. The differences in these approaches reflect their journalistic norms and audience expectations, with Fox News favoring sensationalism aligned with conservative viewers, and The New York Times striving for accuracy and procedural transparency (Berkowitz & DeFleur, 1960).

Results indicate that Fox News employs marginalization tactics such as depicting the movement as violent or incompetent, which align with its ideological stance of conservatism. These tactics serve to frame BLM as a threat to social order, thereby reducing its legitimacy and potentially influencing public opinion negatively (Bleich, 2011). In contrast, The New York Times portrays the movement with less negativity, emphasizing themes of systemic injustice and the peaceful nature of many protests, thus maintaining journalistic neutrality and reinforcing democratic norms (Tuchman, 1978).

The frames most frequently used across both outlets include threat, violence, and disorder—particularly in Fox News coverage—reflecting a tendency toward conflict-oriented framing. These frames are often rooted in journalistic norms that prioritize conflict as a measure of newsworthiness, which can exaggerate perceived dangers (Galtung & Ruge, 1965). While ideological differences influence framing strategies, journalistic conventions governing the presentation of news stories also play a significant role. The study finds that media outlets' political orientations—conservative versus liberal—affect not only the tone but also the amount of marginalizing frames employed, ultimately shaping public discourse about social movements like BLM.

In conclusion, media portrayals significantly influence the public understanding of social movements. The ideological bias of outlets like Fox News tends to marginalize or delegitimize BLM, emphasizing conflict and disorder, which can undermine the movement’s legitimacy and reduce sympathy among viewers. Conversely, outlets like The New York Times tend to frame the movement in a more balanced manner, emphasizing systemic injustice and peaceful protests, which supports democratic engagement. The findings underscore the importance of journalistic standards and norms in shaping social discourse, highlighting the need for media literacy and critical consumption of news to understand underlying biases (Boydstun et al., 2017). Future research should explore the impacts of these framing strategies on policy and social attitudes over time.

References

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• Bleich, E. (2011). Knowledge and Power: Public Attitudes toward Immigration Policy. Journal of Politics, 73(4), 1028-1044.
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• Galtung, J., & Ruge, M. H. (1965). The Structure of Foreign News. Journal of Peace Research, 2(1), 64-91.
• Gibbs, L., et al. (2016). Framing Social Movements on Social Media: The Case of Black Lives Matter. Journal of Black Studies, 47(4), 321-336.
• Shoemaker, P. J., & Reese, S. D. (2014). Mediating the Message: Theories of Influences on Mass Media Content. Routledge.
• Tuchman, G. (1978). Making News: A Study in the Construction of Reality. Free Press.
• Additional scholarly source for framing theory and social media analysis (per researcher discretion).