Framing the Press and the Publicity Process

Abstract

This study examines meta-coverage in Campaign 2000, defined as (a) coverage of the behaviors, products, and performance of the news media and (b) coverage of candidates’ use of paid media, communication personnel, and other forms of strategic communication. Using a new model of press framing, a content analysis was conducted on 284 stories aired from September 4 to November 6 on ABC and NBC evening news programs. Results show that 55 stories contained enough press designators and 75 stories contained enough publicity designators to qualify for framing analysis. A small percentage (12%) contained overlapping press and publicity designators, resulting in 116 stories that qualified for framing analysis. Results showed 11 script structures corresponding to three frames called conduit, strategy, and accountability, which contained different degrees of cynicism. A frame-by-topic matrix indicated that press and publicity frames occurred most frequently in stories about politics and processes.