Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
The framing of Asheville in the New York Times and the Washington Post: A textual analysis
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This exploratory textual analysis seeks to answer the main research question: How is Asheville framed in two national newspapers from 1982 to 2018? Previous research has found that Appalachia is often framed negatively in popular media and in news media (Billings, Norman, & Ledford, 1999; Catte, 2018). This study will document the framing of Asheville in the 47 articles published in the New York Times and the Washington Post between January 1, 1982 to August 30, 2018. I will document the frames used in each of the 29 articles in the New York Times and the 18 articles in the Washington Post. Textual analysis will enable me to discuss the manifest and latent content in the articles. Themes include: urban (fast-growing cities), rural (quiet villages), farming, jobs, tourism, conventions, hillbillies, feuds, quilting, mining, the Biltmore, the Vanderbilts, Wolfe, education, innovation, inequality, drug use, and homelessness in addition to any other themes that emerge. I will also document who is quoted or given voice to talk about Asheville in the articles. Sources who are quoted reflect power in newspaper articles and often it is officials who are given voice, not members of marginalized groups. This research is important because it will contribute to the ongoing documentation of the framing of a specific area in Appalachia in two national newspapers over time.
References
Billings, D., Norman, G., & Ledford, K. (Eds.). (1999). Back talk from Appalachia: Confronting stereotypes. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky.
Catte, E. (2018). What you are getting wrong about Appalachia. Cleveland, OH: Belt Publishing.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Dr. Melissa Boehm is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Montana State University Billings. She teaches courses in media studies and public relations. Her areas of research include the framing of marginalized groups in news media and the emancipatory potential of alternative media.
The framing of Asheville in the New York Times and the Washington Post: A textual analysis
This exploratory textual analysis seeks to answer the main research question: How is Asheville framed in two national newspapers from 1982 to 2018? Previous research has found that Appalachia is often framed negatively in popular media and in news media (Billings, Norman, & Ledford, 1999; Catte, 2018). This study will document the framing of Asheville in the 47 articles published in the New York Times and the Washington Post between January 1, 1982 to August 30, 2018. I will document the frames used in each of the 29 articles in the New York Times and the 18 articles in the Washington Post. Textual analysis will enable me to discuss the manifest and latent content in the articles. Themes include: urban (fast-growing cities), rural (quiet villages), farming, jobs, tourism, conventions, hillbillies, feuds, quilting, mining, the Biltmore, the Vanderbilts, Wolfe, education, innovation, inequality, drug use, and homelessness in addition to any other themes that emerge. I will also document who is quoted or given voice to talk about Asheville in the articles. Sources who are quoted reflect power in newspaper articles and often it is officials who are given voice, not members of marginalized groups. This research is important because it will contribute to the ongoing documentation of the framing of a specific area in Appalachia in two national newspapers over time.
References
Billings, D., Norman, G., & Ledford, K. (Eds.). (1999). Back talk from Appalachia: Confronting stereotypes. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky.
Catte, E. (2018). What you are getting wrong about Appalachia. Cleveland, OH: Belt Publishing.
