Date of Award

5-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

School

Communication

Committee Chair

Dr. Lindsey Maxwell

Committee Chair School

Communication

Committee Member 2

Dr. David Davies

Committee Member 2 School

Communication

Committee Member 3

Dr. Edgar Simpson

Committee Member 3 School

Communication

Committee Member 4

Dr. Steven Venette

Committee Member 4 School

Communication

Committee Member 5

Dr. Fei Xue

Committee Member 5 School

Communication

Abstract

This quantitative content analysis explores local and national media’s framing strategy of the Jackson Water Crisis. The crisis event presented an opportunity to explore not only the potential impact of media framing on the perception of a devastating water crisis, but also the framing of city, state and federal government officials who present critical information to the public. The analysis utilized nine frames and a total of 381 online news stories from four local and four national mainstream online news outlets.

First, the study suggests that local and national media focused on legislative or federal action as the overall dominant frame to depict the Jackson Water Crisis. Second, the findings indicate media focused on legislative and federal action and economic consequences before the water crisis, and conflict after the crisis. Third, the findings indicate that after the water crisis, media increased its focus on hegemony (54 instances where the frame appears in the news story), technical communication (48 instances where the frame appears in the news story) and renewal narratives (98 instances where the frame appears in the news story), while decreasing its focus on legislative consequences (-48 instances where the frame appears in the news story) and economic consequences (-36 instances where the frame appears in the news story). Fourth, the findings indicate that overall, local news outlets focused on legislative and federal action (59 instances where the frame appears in the news story), while national news outlets majorly focused on the human-interest frame (19 instances where the frame appears in the news story) to depict the water crisis. Fifth, local news outlets do not focus on assigning responsibility, while national outlets do. Lastly, media focused on shifting blame and responsibility while quoting both city (88 instances where the frame appears in the news story) and state officials (64 instances where the frame appears in the news story). Overall, the present study reveals observable differences between local and national media’s framing of the Jackson Water Crisis.

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Available for download on Sunday, May 30, 2027

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