An Analysis of the Parallel Frames in the Media Used to Describe Communism in the Early Cold War and Terrorism in the Post-9/11 Era
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Date
2015-06
Authors
Carter, Savannah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
A persistent rhetorical pattern dominates both the early years of the Cold War and the years immediately following the 9/11 attacks leading up to the Iraq War Specifically, this pattern portrays the threat of Communism and the threat of Terrorism to the United States using dualistic terms of good and evil. This thesis examines the origins of this rhetoric, which can be found in Presidential speeches of each era, and its subsequent adoption by various media outlets. The result of this deep-rooted rhetoric is failure in the marketplace of ideas. This failure is not simply a result of one administration or institution, but rather the mutual reliance of the media and elites on one another for success within a marketplace that values financial and personal prosperity above all else. In conclusion, within the current economic and political systems, the media and elites will continue to benefit one another at the expense of a healthy, democratic marketplace of ideas.
Description
109 pages. A thesis presented to the School of Journalism and Communication and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Arts, Spring 2015.
Keywords
Journalism, Cold War, Iraq War, 9/11, Media Frames, American Journalism, History