Perceptions of police conduct : media coverage of the Ferguson conflict

Abstract

This thesis describes the framing and sequencing tendencies of the mass media and chronicles the implementation and usages of the framing and sequencing theories by the New York Times and the Washington Post at three key intervals throughout the Ferguson conflict; the death of Michael Brown, the Grand Jury’s decision, and the resignation of Police Chief Jackson. In the process of researching and writing this thesis, the author coded all of the articles published, by the two media sources, one week after each key event were coded in an effort to decipher a pattern of framing and sequencing tendencies.