On Frames, Framing, and the Probability of Framing Effects: The Metacommunicative Role of the Omnipresent Terrorist Actor (original) (raw)

Author(s): Smith, Benjamin King | Advisor(s): Stohl, Michael | Abstract: In media depictions of terrorist actors and events, a select few organizations appear to be omnipresent. These dominant terrorist actors (i.e., al Qaeda and ISIS) are frequently used to provide a familiar frame of reference for understanding non-dominant actors (e.g., the New IRA and al Shabaab). In this dissertation, I attempt to answer the question “to what effect,” that is, what are the (potentially unintended) effects of the dominant actor framing device on beliefs about the framed organizations? In answering this question, I also seek to provide a framework for better understanding the framing phenomenon and framing effects writ large. I begin by providing a general overview of what is meant by frames and framing, outline the process wherein frames guide construction and interpretation of discourse products and provide evidence for the use of dominant actors as framing devices in media depictions of non-do...