News Narratives and News Framing: Constructing Political Reality

by Karen S. Johnson-Cartee

Overview

News Narratives and News Framing is a revealing look at how the media's construction of news affects our political, economic, and social realities. In this introduction to the theory behind news framing, Karen Johnson-Cartee pulls together elements from communication, journalism, politics, and sociology to create a picture of how news forms these realities for the public. With its comprehensive reference section and suggestions on how to influence the news agenda, this is a beneficial resource for students in political communication, media criticism, and communication theory.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742536623
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	10/17/2004
Series:	Communication, Media, and Politics
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 9.26(h) x 1.06(d)

About the Author

Karen S. Johnson-Cartee is professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations and in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Alabama.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 1 The Social Construction of Reality Chapter 3 2 Public Opinion and Public Policy Chapter 4 3 Journalism at a Crossroads Chapter 5 4 Newsgathering Mythologies and Strategic Rituals Chapter 6 5 News as Narrative Chapter 7 6 Actors in the Social Construction of News Chapter 8 7 Standardization in Framing Chapter 9 8 Personalized and Confrontational News Framing Chapter 10 Appendix: The 1986 Drug War and Media Convergence Chapter 11 References

Editorial Reviews

Johnson-Cartee provides a well-researched and extensively documented summary of decades of research. Combining narrative theory with newsgathering techniques, she provides more theory than most practitioners generally read and more application than most theorists are likely to encounter—a useful mix that can serve as a model for other authors. The book's perspective—that news is a social construction of reality—is well illustrated.. .. Highly recommended.

Choice Reviews

News Narratives and News Framing provides an easily accessible and well-written introduction to the topic and benefits from Professor Johnson-Cartee's extensive experience as a political consultant.

Political Studies Review

A compelling introduction to the idea of news as a social construction. This book combines the classic works from communication and sociology with contemporary research showing how news is constructed and how those constructions matter in today's world. Valuable for both students and scholars.

W Lance Bennett

News Narratives and News Framing is a unique and timely contribution that brings a perfect balance between analysis, theory, methods, data, and wisely selected quotations, in a very clear text. It is quite clear that Karen Johnson-Cartee knows her field well. This excellent study would be an indispensable addendum to any undergraduate or graduate course in the study of narration, political communication, public opinion, social psychology, sociology of communication, or media studies. I recommend it to journalists and to any scholar working in these fields; in fact, I can not think of a better book in media studies so far in this decade.

Canadian Journal of Sociology

Johnson-Cartee provides a well-researched and extensively documented summary of decades of research. Combining narrative theory with newsgathering techniques, she provides more theory than most practitioners generally read and more application than most theorists are likely to encounter—a useful mix that can serve as a model for other authors. The book's perspective—that news is a social construction of reality—is well illustrated.. .. Highly recommended.

Choice

Johnson-Cartee provides a well-researched and extensively documented summary of decades of research. Combining narrative theory with newsgathering techniques, she provides more theory than most practitioners generally read and more application than most theorists are likely to encounter—a useful mix that can serve as a model for other authors. The book's perspective—that news is a social construction of reality—is well illustrated. . . . Highly recommended.

CHOICE

A compelling introduction to the idea of news as a social construction. This book combines the classic works from communication and sociology with contemporary research showing how news is constructed and how those constructions matter in today's world. Valuable for both students and scholars.--W Lance Bennett, University of Washington

Johnson-Cartee provides a well-researched and extensively documented summary of decades of research. Combining narrative theory with newsgathering techniques, she provides more theory than most practitioners generally read and more application than most theorists are likely to encounter--a useful mix that can serve as a model for other authors. The book's perspective--that news is a social construction of reality--is well illustrated. . . . Highly recommended.--CHOICE

News Narratives and News Framing is a unique and timely contribution that brings a perfect balance between analysis, theory, methods, data, and wisely selected quotations, in a very clear text. It is quite clear that Karen Johnson-Cartee knows her field well. This excellent study would be an indispensable addendum to any undergraduate or graduate course in the study of narration, political communication, public opinion, social psychology, sociology of communication, or media studies. I recommend it to journalists and to any scholar working in these fields; in fact, I can not think of a better book in media studies so far in this decade.--Canadian Journal of Sociology

From the Publisher