Media framing and conflict : a content analysis of the South Korean hostage case

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This study aims to explore how the media frames conflicts by analyzing specific elements in the news coverage of the South Korean hostage case in Afghanistan in 2007. The elements include nature of conflict, sub-issues of conflict, involved parties in conflict, and attributes of the parties. Content analysis of two Korean newspapers showed that they used particular frames more than other frames within each element of the conflict. The two newspapers with distinct ideologies were also compared, and their different usage of frames under the four elements was detected. Stages according to the time development of the event were compared with each other, and the overall conflict attribute that determines the news stories' level of constructiveness and destructiveness was analyzed. Both stage and conflict attribute had a significant relationship with the four elements, although there was no difference between the two newspapers on their use of conflict attributes.