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Through the Lens

Through the Lens. Visual Framing of the Japan Tsunami in U.S., British, and Chinese Online Media Rosellen Downey, Erika Johnson, and Bailey Brewer University of Missouri. Literature. Framing—lack of visual framing research Textual elements studied more often ( Matthes , 2009)

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Through the Lens

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  1. Through the Lens Visual Framing of the Japan Tsunami in U.S., British, and Chinese Online Media Rosellen Downey, Erika Johnson, and Bailey Brewer University of Missouri

  2. Literature • Framing—lack of visual framing research • Textual elements studied more often (Matthes, 2009) • Visual framing and natural disasters • Most on visual framing in war and terrorism • Few on natural disasters (Fahmy et al., 2007) • Human interest and political power • Human interest frames are an emerging area of research (Peng, 2004; Schwalbe, 2008; Wojdynski, 2009) • Often, political figures studied more than common man (Grabe & Bucy, 2008)

  3. Hypotheses and RQs • RQ1: Does geographic location of the news outlet relate to the portrayal of natural disasters? • RQ2: Does geographic location of the disaster relate to the portrayal of the disaster? • RQa: Do roles of human beings in photos differ between NPR, BBC, and Xinhua online coverage and between Japan and other countries? • RQb: Does the nationality of human beings shown in photos differ between NPR, BBC, and Xinhua online coverage and between Japan and other countries? • RQc: Does absence or presence of human beings in photos of flooding differ between NPR, BBC, and Xinhua online coverage and between Japan and other countries? • RQd: Does the number of people shown in photos differ between NPR, BBC, and Xinhua online coverage and between Japan and other countries? • H1: Geographic proximity will be related to disaster portrayal.

  4. Variables • IVs: • IV1: Nation providing coverage • IV2: Nation being covered • DVs: • DV1: Role of people/person in the photo • DV2: Nationality of people/person in photo • DV3: Presence or absence of people in photos • DV4: Number of people in the photo.

  5. Sample • N = 242 photos • From NPR (n = 58), BBC (n = 52), and Xinhua (n = 132) websites • March 11-13, 2011 census sample • Search term: “Japan tsunami” • Images only coded once, no repeats • Videos, infographics, and maps not coded

  6. Results • Sample – Most frequent in China • China 54.5% • U.S. 24%, • Britain 21.5% • Japan most frequently covered • Most subjects were Japanese • People present in 66% of photos

  7. Significant Results • Nation of coverage and role • Nation covered and role • Nation of coverage and nationality • Nation covered and nationality • Nation covered and presence of people • Nation covered and number of people

  8. Role • 44.4% of civil servants were from other countries • 56.6% from Japan • Britain • Few government authorities appearing alone • China • Predominantly civilian coverage

  9. Nationality • Dominance of landscape photos • Japanese nationality occurred most in Chinese coverage

  10. Human Subjects • Human subjects outnumbered landscapes

  11. Number of People • Few photos featuring single individual • Mostly appeared in small and large groups

  12. Discussion • China had most visual coverage • Geographic proximity • Thus, China dominated coverage of civilians, photos of Japanese subjects, landscape photos • Xinhua’s practice of capturing frames from video news • Focus on coverage of humans, not landscape • But, 1/3 of photos were of landscapes overall

  13. References • Fahmy, S., Kelly, J. D., & Yung Soo, K. (2007). What Katrina revealed: A visual analysis of the hurricane coverage by news wires and U.S. newspapers. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 84(3), 546-561. • Grabe, M., & Bucy, E. (2008). The struggle for control: Visual framing, news coverage, and image handling of presidential candidates, 1992-2004. International Communication Association, 1-42. • Matthes, J. (2009). What’s in a frame? a content analysis of media framing studies in the world’s leading communication journals, 1990-2005. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 86(2), 349-367. • Peng, Z. (2004). Picturing china: A content analysis of photo coverage in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. International Communication Association, 1+. • Schwalbe, C. B., Silcock, B., & Keith, S. (2008). Visual framing of the early weeks of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq: Applying the master war narrative to electronic and print images. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 52(3), 448-465.        • Wojdynski, B. (2009). The interactive newspaper: Online multimedia and the framing of the Iraq War. Conference Papers -- International Communication Association, 1-37.

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