Honors College Theses

Publication Date

4-12-2022

Major

Communication Studies (B.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Faculty Mentor

Professor Jeffrey Riley

Abstract

This study investigates Framing Theory as it pertains to Twitter as the modern social sphere for communication and acquisition of news. There isn’t much work examining how the news frames the cause of global climate change on Twitter. This paper aims to study how five notable news publishers of different media political biases communicate through Twitter about the Texas Snowstorm that occurred in February, 2021. Through a content analysis of 119 tweets regarding a climate change induced storm of record-breaking, freezing temperatures; this study reveals the news’s fixation on the effects of the issue instead of the causes.

Thesis Summary

Results from a content analysis of 119 tweets about the Texas Snowstorm from five major news publishers reveal the media's fixation on the effects of the event instead of the cause. Dramatic stories and topics that don't relate to solving the issue or mention climate change represent the majority of frames. A climate change induced event receives little reference to the cause or solutions from the five news publishers on what is now the modern social sphere of communication with a substantial facilitation of news.

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