A crisis without a context? The framing of economic inequality through the pandemic

Article

Knowles, S., Strauss, N. and Cinceoglu, V. 2024. A crisis without a context? The framing of economic inequality through the pandemic. Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies. 13 (2), pp. 177-197. https://doi.org/10.1386/ajms_00146_1
TypeArticle
TitleA crisis without a context? The framing of economic inequality through the pandemic
AuthorsKnowles, S., Strauss, N. and Cinceoglu, V.
Abstract

This article analyses how economic inequality was framed by UK news media during the pandemic and, drawing from framing theory, considers the implications of the coverage for news audiences. To do so, it uses a data set of 167 articles from the following UK news publications: The Guardian, The Telegraph, the Financial Times and The Sun. There are differences between the publications in terms of salience, tone and there is a wide range of causes and solutions attributed to inequality with no consensus emerging. The coverage is framed mainly by state sources, and there is very little discussion of the finance sector and corporations as causes and solutions to tackle inequality. There are some positive trends emerging, as sustainable finance, climate change and gender equality are highlighted alongside some alternative solutions, indicating a move away from historical trends in news coverage that demonize poverty and focus simply on the individual.
© 2024 Intellect Ltd

KeywordsUK news media; framing theory; economic news; poverty; wealth; content analysis; public discourse; austerity
Sustainable Development Goals10 Reduced inequalities
5 Gender equality
13 Climate action
Middlesex University ThemeCreativity, Culture & Enterprise
PublisherIntellect
JournalJournal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies
ISSN2001-0818
Electronic2049-9531
Publication dates
PrintJun 2024
Online31 Aug 2024
Publication process dates
Submitted19 Oct 2023
Accepted19 Apr 2024
Deposited13 Nov 2024
Output statusPublished
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1386/ajms_00146_1
Web of Science identifierWOS:001312920500003
LanguageEnglish
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