1. Media Framing: Reporting on School Shootings in the United States
Monya Cohen

2. 97

3. 97 18

4. Peer Survey 44% 78% 89% 66% 56% 11% 22% 22% 11% Marshall County
Great Mills
Santa Fe
Marjory Stoneman

5. Does Race, Income, and Population impact national media coverage?
School Shootings per state, K-12

6. Model Article
Nine shootings,

7. Model Article Nine shootings, 1997-2001 Columbine High School
170 articles

8. Model Article Nine shootings, 1997-2001 Columbine High School
170 articles
Eight other shootings
120 articles combined

9. School Location Date Killed, Wounded CNN Transcripts
Columbine High
Littleton City, CO
‘99
15, 36
348
Red Lake Senior High
Red Lake, MN
‘05
10,17
100
West Nickel Mines
Nickel Mines, PA
‘06
6, 11 6
Sandy Hook Elementary
Newtown, CT
’12
28, 30
294
Marysville Pilchuck High
Marysville, WA
‘14
5, 6 73
Rancho Tehama Elementary
Rancho Tehama Reserve, CA
‘17
6, 24 15
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Parkland, FL
‘18
17, 34
424
Santa Fe High
Santa Fe, TX
10, 23
105

10. Data Collection Method
K-12, 1999—2018
5+ fatalities

11. Data Collection Method
K-12, 1999—2018
5+ fatalities
Quantitative research
CNN Transcripts

12. Data Collection Method
K-12, 1999—2018
5+ fatalities
Quantitative research
CNN Transcripts
Nexis Uni
“Name of school” + “shoot!” + “gunm!”
14-day period after the incident

13. Data Collection Method
K-12, 1999—2018
5+ fatalities
Quantitative research
CNN Transcripts
Nexis Uni
“Name of school” + “shoot!” + “gunm!”
14-day period after the incident
Demographics
Census Bureau

14. Variables
Independent
Fatalities
Demographic variables

15. Variables Independent Dependent Fatalities Demographic variables
CNN Transcripts

16. Variables Independent Dependent Validity Fatalities
Demographic variables
Dependent
CNN Transcripts
Validity
Model Article

21. Fatalities
500
375
Number of Transcripts
250
125

23. The Outliers
West Nickel Mines School

25. Fatalities
500
375
Number of Transcripts
250
125

26. West Nickel Mines School
The Outliers
West Nickel Mines School
Religion

27. West Nickel Mines School Santa Fe High School
The Outliers
West Nickel Mines School
Religion
Santa Fe High School

30. West Nickel Mines School Santa Fe High School
The Outliers
West Nickel Mines School
Religion
Santa Fe High School
MSD Publicity

31. West Nickel Mines School Santa Fe High School
The Outliers
West Nickel Mines School
Religion
Santa Fe High School
MSD Publicity
Marysville Pilchuck High School

34. West Nickel Mines School Santa Fe High School
The Outliers
West Nickel Mines School
Religion
Santa Fe High School
MSD Publicity
Marysville Pilchuck High School

36. Why is it important?
Implications
Normalize violence

37. Why is it important? Implications Normalize violence
Alienation of local communities

38. Why is it important? Implications Normalize violence
Alienation of local communities
Degrade quality of information

39. Why is it important? Implications Normalize violence
Alienation of local communities
Degrade quality of information
Policy issues

40. Questions?

41. Policy Implications Columbine High School
Produced 800 bills
Youth Gun Crime Enforcement Act (1999)
Only 10% of bills passed

42. Cable News Network (CNN)
25-43 year-old woman, leans to the left of political spectrum
40,000 unique viewers per month
Secondary audience
Most power users-18%
Heaviest users-17%

43. Further Improvements Qualitative research method More news outlets
Possible racial implications
More news outlets
Fox
MSNBC
Expanding the time frame
Larger sample

46. References Cited
Birkland, Thomas, and Regina Lawrence “Media Framing and Policy Change after Columbine.” American Behavioral Scientist 52 (10):
Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS). (2010, October 05). American Factfinder.
Muschert, G. W., & Carr, D. (2006). Media salience and frame changing across events: Coverage of nine school shootings, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 83(2),
Olmstead, K., Mitchell, A., & Rosenstiel, T. (2011). Navigating News Online: Where People Go, How They Get There and What Lures Them Away. Pew Research Center.
Peer Survey [Interview by M. Cohen]. (2019).
Schildkraut, J., & Cox Hernandez, T. (2013). Laws That Bit the Bullet: A Review of Legislative Responses to School Shootings. Southern Criminal Justice Association 2013,
School Shootings Graphs & Data. (2019).