The Virginia Tech Shootings Media

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the hypothesis being tested in the paper is whether national coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings differed in the practices of journalism ethics when compared to international media coverage. The author describes the use of a statistical modeling analysis called content analysis to identify trends. The paper concludes that, from the content analysis of articles and media presentations on the Virginia Tech Shootings, the national coverage seemed to violate most of the journalism ethics principles; whereas, the international media was more consistent with ethical principles across the content. The paper concludes the content analysis is an appropriate method to analyze this case.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Using Content Analysis to Identify Trends
Journalism Ethics
Validity and Robustness of the Model - Is content analysis a suitable methodology for analyzing the VIRGINA TECH media coverage?

From the Paper:

"This is a social issue and has an audience across a wide cross-section of society. The general attitudes towards the Virginia Tech shootings differed across the world, since many argue that the focus on the national news was on the perpetrator Seung-Hui Cho and his personal responsibility for the massacre as an individual with a psychological disorder. However, the international media more so focused on the United States gun laws and how easy it was for a mentally unstable citizen to access weapons that later laid to the death of thirty-two individuals at the University campus."

Sample of Sources Used:

• American Psychiatric Association. "APA Urges Media to Stop Airing Graphic Cho Materials". APA Press Release. 20 Apr. 2007. 28 Aug. 2007 <http://www.psych.org/news_room/press_releases/07-25OpenLetteronChoMaterials.pdf>.
• Breed, Allen. "Va.Tech Gunman's Motives Still a Mystery".Washington Post. 28 Apr., 2007. 28 Aug. 2007 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/28/AR2007042800250.html>.
• Cardwell, Michael. "Measuring Media Bias". George Mason University. 28 Aug. 2007 <http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/stratmann/MediaBias%20Presentation%20Cardwell.ppt>.
• Dodds, Paisley. "U.S. Gun Laws Draw Heat After Massacre:Criticism of American Gun Control Laws Erupts Abroad After Virginia Campus Shootings". ABC News. 18 Apr. 2007. 28 Aug. 2007 <http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3050071&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312>.
• Gentzkow, M. and Shapiro, J. "What Drives Media Slant? Evidence from US Daily Newspapers". NBER. 13 Nov. 2006. <http://home.uchicago.edu/~jmshapir/biasmeas052507_formatted.pdf>.

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