Michael Brown as a news icon

Michael Brown as a news icon

Event-driven news and its impact on protest paradigm

Rachel R MouraoDanielle KilgoGeorge SylvieThe University of Texas at Austin

What voices were heard?

The degree of conflict among official sources (such as elected and government officials, and police personnel) determines critical coverage of the issue

EVENT-DRIVEN NEWSNews thrives from developments of events themselves, instead of the daily routine of institutional organizations

Media routinely delegitimize and marginalize social movement organizations that challenge the status quo.

INDEXING + EVENT-DRIVEN + PROTEST PARADIGM

RQs and hypothesisRQ1: Which types of sources were used in the coverage of Ferguson by the mainstream press?

RQ2: Which type of coverage – episodic or thematic – is prevalent in the coverage of Ferguson?

RQ3: Are there any differences in the use of official/nonofficial sources between episodic and thematic content items?

RQ4: What protest frames did the mainstream press use in covering Ferguson protests?

H1: Episodic content items are more likely to adhere to protest paradigm frames (riot and confrontation) than thematic content items.

RQ5: How does the use of official/nonofficial sources relate to protest paradigm frames?

MethodsContent analysis of newspaper articles during the first cycle of protests (Aug. 8- Sep. 8)

The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, The Washington Post and St. Louis Post-Dispatch

MethodsGeneric Frames: episodic or thematic

Protest paradigm:riot, confrontation and debate

N= 623

Sources & episodic/thematic (RQ1, RQ2 and RQ3)

Protest frames (RQ4)

Riot

Frames of protest & sources (RQ5)

Confrontation

Frames of protest & episodic/thematic (H2)

Which voices were heard?Non-official sources, but not critical

Protest paradigm remains intact, especially for local newspapers

Future studies:– How does coverage expand to accommodate

dissent (e.g. DOJ report)?– Role of gender– Ethnography of sourcing practices

What does it mean?

Thank you!rachelmourao@gmail.com

www.rachelmourao.com