Frame Shifts and Catastrophic Events: The Attacks of September 11, 2001, and New York Times's Portrayals of Arafat and Sharon

Abstract

Quantitative content analysis of 1 year of editorials and news coverage of the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian territories in The New York Times examines the hypothesis that following major global events, such as the September 11 attacks, media frames of distinct, yet thematically related coverage shift to rally around the government elite frame. Evidence partially supports frame shifting but indicates that frames also become more diverse rather than echo dominant views. Findings raise questions about some traits of the rally effect. The mechanisms and directions of frame shifting merit scholarly attention.