Date of Graduation

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MA

College

Reed College of Media

Department

Reed College of Media

Committee Chair

Diana Martinelli, Ph.D.

Committee Co-Chair

Steve Urbanski, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Lois Raimondo, M.A.

Committee Member

Amy Cyphert, J.D.

Abstract

Sex scandals have been a significant focus over the years in both academic research and media coverage. The Access Hollywood scandal of 2005 was not going to be an exception. Yet, it remains to be seen how the print media have reported these scandals related to high-profile politicians. In this study, the researcher investigates how the print media responded to the scandal in terms of amplifying or countering the narratives in the political discourse. To do so, 83 articles were reviewed during the first two weeks of the Access Hollywood scandal following the previous work of Larson (2016). Framing theory was employed to guide content analysis to examine the two major newspapers in the United States: The New York Times and The Washington Post. Results were further compared to assess how each newspaper built its narratives around the scandal. Findings indicate that both The New York Times and The Washington Post used frames identified in Larson’s (2016) work. Findings help extend knowledge of media coverage of a high-profile sex scandal and provide a better understanding of its possible role in shaping public perception during one of the largest sex scandals of a presidential campaign.

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