Media framing research has examined how news stories are fashioned, and how audiences are affected by the shaping of news stories. Measuring for media frames, though, has varied in its definitions and measurement instruments.The present study applied attribution theory to the study of media framing in order to establish a reliable way to measure for frames of responsibility in The New York Times' coverage of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. A content analysis was conducted to determine what type of attributions the newspaper's sources used in the coverage.The findings suggest that The New York Times' coverage overwhelmingly blamed Iraq for the war and maintained a dominant frame of responsibility. Furthermore, support was found for the assertion that attribution theory applied to media framing research would create a meta-theory approach, thereby creating a consistent way to measure and identify frames of responsibility.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306
Master's Theses [5589] Master's theses submitted to the Graduate School by Ball State University master's degree candidates in partial fulfillment of degree requirements.