No Cure for What Ails Us: The media-constructed disconnect between societal problems and possible solutions

Type of content
Journal Article
Publisher's DOI/URI
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Degree name
Publisher
University of Canterbury. Mass Communication and Journalism.
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Language
Date
2004
Authors
Kenix, L.J.
Abstract

This research examined the attributes of three social problems – pollution, poverty, and incarceration – in 300 news articles from 1995 to 2000. Content overwhelmingly indicated no specific cause, effect or responsible agent for the problem; rarely mentioned non-profit citizen organizations or the individual-level terms ‘environmentalist,’ ‘activist’ and ‘advocate’ in content. Media coverage also did not discuss any likelihood that these problems could be solved and did not report any calls for reader action. It is suggested that media content may have promoted political apathy due to a lack of connection between the social problem, non-profit citizen organization activities and individual behavior.

Description
I changed my surname from "Kensicki" to "Kenix." This article was published prior to my name change.
Citation
Kensicki, L.J. (2004) No Cure for What Ails Us: The media-constructed disconnect between societal problems and possible solutions. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 81(1), pp. 53-73.
Keywords
Media representation of social issues, apathy, non-profit organizations, media framing, social problems
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
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