How and Why Do Journalists Frame the Story?
The editors point out the journalists regularly employ news “frames” that simplify, prioritize and structure the narrative sequence of events when reporting on terrorism. News frames, says the study, “bundle key concepts, stock phrases and iconic images to reinforce certain common ways of interpreting developments… Without knowing much, if anything, about the particular people, groups, issues or even places involved, the terrorist and the anti-terrorist frames allows us to quickly sort out, interpret, categorize and evaluate these conflicts.” (p. 13) The result, according to the study, is that the choice of a news frame has a direct influence on public opinion especially where there are competing perspectives from the terrorists and the anti-terrorists. Journalists attempt to get beyond these perspectives by trying to “balance” contrasting viewpoints while avoiding direct expressions of sympathy with one side or the other. (Some NPR listeners would disagree with this…) But accordin
