a comparison of a local newspaper and television coverage
TRANSCRIPT
A Comparison of a Local
Newspaper and Television
Coverage of a Murder Investigation
Using Content Analysis
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This PDF has been generated from SAGE Research Methods Datasets.
A Comparison of a Local
Newspaper and Television
Coverage of a Murder Investigation
Using Content Analysis
Student Guide
Introduction
The original purpose of my research was to determine whether there was a
difference in crime reporting by different local media of the same event. The event
chosen was a murder committed in 1969. It was expected that differences may
provide insight into the way news stories are presented on the Internet. Although
various types of stories may be reported online (investigative, crime, political), the
users demand for quick information create a style of writing that presents only
basic information, supplemented with photos or links to videos. The newspaper
articles in this dataset are long and provide a detailed presentation of information,
while the television reports demonstrate a shorter style of writing supplements with
video. To determine differences in storytelling, my research began with an analysis
of the content presented in a local newspaper and on a local television station.
Local news is important to the community. Kramer (2015) reported on this
importance with a survey of local citizens. One interviewee commented on the
importance of local television news: “National correspondents swoop in and
provide two minutes of a story, whereas local reporters can revisit a story multiple
times to make sure that we, the listeners, fully understand it and its impact on
us, if there is one” (para. 5). Rosenstiel, Mitchel, Purcell and Raine (2011) noted
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that among all adults, newspapers were cited as the “most relied-upon source
or tied for most relied upon for crime, local government activities, schools, (and)
local politics …” (para. 5). Media history scholars have researched differences in
media coverage of news stories. However, more research is needed to highlight
instances in which local TV stations and newspapers do an especially good job of
covering certain kinds of stories which interest and have an impact on the public,
in this case a high-profile crime story.
This dataset is designed to teach how to determine possible differences between
the newspaper stories and television stories using content analysis. The data
are drawn from publicly available Cleveland Plain Dealer articles through the
Cleveland Public Library system and WEWS-TV television reports available
through the Northeast Ohio Broadcast Archives. The example focuses on how
content differences between print and television story coverage can be
qualitatively examined and demonstrate a difference in emphasis by media. These
differences may show possible impacts on audience understanding of an
important local news story. For example, in the newspaper interview of January
12, the reporter observes the judge is chain smoking and has twitching hands. The
TV interviewer does more than observe and adds personal comments; she states
he is trembling again and needs a tranquilizer. The newspaper reporter asks the
judge to tell what happened the night of the murder. The story is a based on many
quotes from the judge as he explains his actions that night. The TV reporter asks
the judge to explain how the experience has affected him personally. He explains
that it is tearing him apart and that he just wants to cry and cry. The newspaper
article focuses on the facts and reporter observation; the audience can make their
own conclusions. The TV story focuses on the judge’s and the reporter’s personal
reactions and leads the audience to an emotional or sympathetic reaction to the
judge. The researcher is Mary E. Beadle a professor from John Carroll University,
The Tim Russert Department of Communication and Theater in Cleveland, Ohio.
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Investigation Using Content Analysis
The Methodological Focus
This dataset illustrates the first steps in conducting a content analysis of
contextual elements of news storytelling, so comparisons of newspaper and TV
coverage can be completed. Contextual elements include words, direct quotes,
visuals (photos, video, non-verbal expressions, graphs, diagrams), and tone
(setting, tone of voice, detail). The focus of the story also may be objective or
subjective. An objective focus presents facts and information such as dates, time,
places, events, quotes (by officials or others) that explain the crime or status of
the crime investigation. A subjective focus tells about a component of the crime
or person rather that a fact that explains the crime or the crime investigation.
An example of a subjective element is a description of the emotional state of
a person. The contextual elements for comparison in this exemplar focus on
objective and subjective elements of news storytelling.
Data Source
The first step in historical research is to collect the data. For the original research
project, data were required from local newspapers and television. The newspaper
articles were available through the public library system, but only at one local
library. The old newspapers were on microfilm, so it took considerable time to go
through the reels to cover the complete story. There was also some cost involved
to make copies of the articles. Occasionally, the full page would not fit on the
screen for copying, so multiple copies were needed and then “pieced together”
for study of the material. Although there was an afternoon local newspaper and
another local (suburban) newspaper, the main coverage was by the morning
newspaper. Difficulties included the quality of the copies, so notes or written
transcriptions while at the library were needed. This was a time-consuming
process, but important, so repeat visits were not necessary.
The access to local TV coverage was a bit easier since the archives are located at
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the university where the researcher is employed. However, only one local station’s
material is available. Academic researchers are not charged a fee, but only the
archivist can access the files. Information provided for the search included the
name of those involved in the crime and the dates needed for the research. After
a few weeks, a slug sheet (a list of dates and titles) of all the film clips was
provided. Once the researcher selected the material, film clips were placed on a
CD. Difficulties included the quality of the audio and film and the dating of some
of the clips. Although all the clips clearly were within the time frame of the study,
exact dates were not always provided. The date of the clips could be estimated
within a week or so because the content could be compared to that reported in
the newspaper. This difficulty also demonstrates that often the judgment of the
researcher is needed in determine various aspects of the analysis.
The final dataset included 187 stories from local newspapers, The Cleveland
Plain Dealer (PD) and The Cleveland Press and 102 video clips from WEWS-TV
Channel Five in Cleveland. Because of the overwhelming amount of data, this
exemplar provides a subset of information from Cleveland The Plain Dealer and
WEWS-TV during the initial days of coverage. There are enough data during this
time period to explain the process and to give students some practice in content
analysis. All the television reports and all the front-page stories that appeared
between January 10 and January 18, 1969 are included. Three newspaper stories
that were not front-page are included to provide information to compare to the
television reports. These three stories are: two photo stories (with text) and a story
on the affair between Judge Steele and Mrs. Swartz.
Data Exemplar
Project Overview and Context
History reminds us where we have been and helps us understand where we
are. The media are changing quickly, and historic research contributes to our
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understanding of the development of journalism. There is significance in how facts
have been interpreted and preserved in the past by journalists. News influences
our perception of the human condition, so understanding changes in reporting
helps us see how journalism affects society. Crime reporting is significant because
the stories can change lives and remind us all of the need for compassion and
kindness to those affected by the events. Lipschultz and Hilt (2002) report that
although not the most common, crime is the most covered type of story.
Although considerable work has been devoted to discerning differences in
reporting across types of media, little research has investigated how the same
crime story “gets told” in one medium compared to another in the local market. In
addition, local news is in the midst of change with local newspapers disappearing,
investigative reporters being eliminated, and news moving to shortened online
formats. By looking at the coverage of an important local crime story, it may
help us to understand differences and similarities between local newspaper and
television coverage and inform us of the effective use of the different media.
This research studied news reports of the murder investigation of Marlene Steele,
the wife of a prominent local judge, Robert Steele. On the morning of January 9,
1969, someone entered the Euclid (Cleveland suburb) home of the Steele family
and shot her twice in the head while she was asleep in her bed. She was said to
be a popular local persona and teacher and sat on a local hospital board. Her two
sons, eight and four years old, were asleep in the home at the time of the murder.
Her husband was reported to have said he was checking on the children in their
bedroom at the time of the murder. For years, the case went unsolved. Finally, in
April 1977, Robert Steele was convicted of hiring hit men to kill his wife. Judge
Steele was sentenced to life in prison and died there in 1996. He maintained his
innocence until his death.
Content Analysis
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Content analysis is a research method for describing (interpreting and coding)
written, spoken, or visual communication. By systematically evaluating content,
labels or codes can be assigned to meaningful aspects of the content. Also,
qualitative data can be converted to quantitative data, since coded segments
can be counted and the counts studied and compared. A concern with content
analysis is reliability. Typically, it is recommended that two coders be used to
determine the amount of agreement between the assignment of a label. This is
referred to as intercoder reliability. For this research, the goal was to describe
and make inferences about the characteristics of news storytelling by two media
sources. This dataset provides students the opportunity to learn the first steps in
the process.
The process of content analysis is lengthy and requires the researcher to read
over or listen to material many times to determine whether they have completed
a thorough analysis. To begin, the researcher reads or listens to the material
and makes notes on the different types of information found. From the notes,
the researcher determines possible categories, themes, or labels. This process
is repeated for each article or news report. When all the information is labeled,
the researcher reads or views again and determines whether the information is
in the best category or whether some categories can be merged. This process
also relies on the judgment of the researcher. Once this analysis is complete, the
researcher can then develop an interpretation of the information.
Analysis
Stage 1: Collection of Data: CD TV Clips; PD Articles
This crime story can be told in two parts: the crime and the arrest. The arrest
happened almost eight years after the crime in December of 1976 when the
judge was arrested for the murder of his wife. The initial coverage of the crime
began on January 10, 1969 and continued until April of 1969 with most of the
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coverage in January and February. From an initial review of both the video
clips and the newspaper articles, it appeared that the newspaper was more
sensational and spent much more time on the story than the TV. This caught the
researchers interest since TV often gets accused of being sensational. So, the
general research question was: Were there differences between the newspaper
and TV coverage of the Marlene Steele murder? The researcher was also
interested to explore differences in coverage by different media in a local market
because of the focus today of online news reporting which use a shorter writing
style and thus may differ from traditional newspaper and television coverage.
Another aspect of content was the visual coverage. The PD had many photos, and
within a few days ran, an exclusive photo story from inside the Steele home which
included a photo of a bloody mattress with two policemen standing over it. Film
clips included the judge reenacting his activity prior to checking on the children
and scenes of the bedroom. The mattress was shown but was covered. The TV
coverage seemed more constrained than the newspaper coverage except for an
interview with Judge Steele.
The researcher discovered that both The Cleveland Plain Dealer and WEWS-
TV did interviews with Judge Steele during the first week after the murder. The
Cleveland Plain Dealer interview was by Doris O’Donnell, the TV interview by
Dorothy Fuldheim, both well-respected local reporters. This was an unanticipated
find that helped the researcher focus on the differences in the coverage by the two
media. On January 12, 1969, The Cleveland Plain Dealer headline on the front
page was “Judge Thinks Killer Knew Family and House.” The front-page article,
based on the interview of Judge Steele, continued to page 10A and 11A, and
above the fold, which indicates the importance of the story. Then, it continues to
a double-page photo essay including pictures of Judge Steel and the interview
with reporter O’Donnell. The photo essay is headlined as a Plain Dealer exclusive
and includes photos from inside the house. The content of the interview is mostly
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quoting the judge as he retells what happened the night of the murder. It is very
objective. Phrases such as “the Judge recalled” or “He described” or “Judge Steel
said” are used as introduction to the quotes. However, there are also words and
photos that have what I found to be “subjective” elements. Subjective elements
focus on elements of the crime or person rather than a fact (see Coding/Assigning
Labels section). For example, the reporter describes the judge as sobbing and
photos of the judge’s home include a photo of the mattress with a blood stain
clearly visible. The reader would understand the judge would be upset and that
there would be blood at the scene, but these features are not facts related to
the crime. Their inclusion in the story can create an emotional response by the
audience and would be considered subjective. Sometimes, reporters may be
accused of sensationalizing a story by inclusion of such elements. Do you need to
see a photo of a bloody mattress to understand a murder was committed? Facts
provide the audience information about the crime that results in understanding and
an objective point of view.
On Friday, January 17, a TV interview with Judge Steele was conducted as he
returned to his parent’s home after he completed a polygraph test. The interview
is eight and a half minutes long and aired during the 11:00 p.m. newscast. Sitting
at kitchen table, casually dressed, Judge Steele was interviewed by WEWS-TV
reporter and commentator, Dorothy Fuldheim. What is noticeable in this interview
is the reporter’s interest in the judge’s emotional state rather than in facts of the
murder. The reporter prompts the judge at the very beginning of the interview
that taking a polygraph test is a “terrible experience.” She also says it must be
“nerve wracking” and wonders “how can you act normally?” The reporter was
criticized at the time of the interview for this sympathetic perspective and the lack
of focus on facts. For this exemplar, the focus is on the interviews done by the
newspaper reporter and the television reporter, both completed within 10 days of
the commission of crime.
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Coding/Assigning Labels
Coding news stories for analysis requires an understanding of the contextual
elements used by reporters. These elements include words, direct quotes, visuals
(photos, video, non-verbal expressions, graphs, diagrams), and tone (setting, tone
of voice, detail). The labels used for this exemplar are subjective and objective
use of phrases/words and visuals. Phrases/words that are considered objective/
fact based include information about the crime such as dates, time, places,
events, quotes (by officials or others) that explain the crime or status of the crime
investigation. For example, the judge described his actions the night of the murder.
Visual examples include people or places necessary to understand the story; for
example, a photo of the Steele house or police searching for the gun.
Phrases/words that are considered subjective focus on an element of the crime
or person rather that a fact that explains the crime or the crime investigation.
For example, both reporters comment on the judge crying (one uses the word
sobbing) and that his hands are shaking. This provides the audience a subjective
element that may provoke an emotional response. Reporters may be accused of
sensationalism if too many of these elements are used in a story. Visual examples
also focus on elements of the crime or person, for example, a close-up of the
judge’s shaking hands or a photo of the children’s room with stuffed animals. While
interesting to the reader or viewer, these elements do not add information about
the crime or the crime investigation.
Stage 2: Looking for Themes—Similarities and Differences
The data exemplar centers on the use of words/phrases and visuals that give a
subjective/emotional focus to the story. One additional step is necessary before
coding the stories. Each story was divided into units of analysis. This is an
important step to organize information with a large dataset. Within each unit,
words and phrases were coded as subjective or objective, and each unit could
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have more than one word/phrase that could be coded. For the newspaper story,
each paragraph was a unit of analysis. This resulted in 86 units for the front-page
story and one photo with caption, and six units for the Section AA story and nine
photos with captions (total of 96 units). The visuals included photos of the judge
and the house where the murder occurred. Section AA follows the first section of
a paper and is usually used for Sunday editions and when the news is important.
For the TV interview, each question asked or a comment by the reporter was a
unit of analysis. The television story had 26 units of analysis. The visuals included
the setting (kitchen), the close-up of the judge’s hands, the non-verbal response
by the reporter, primarily holding his arm or hand.
It is possible that each unit of analysis could have both subjective and objective
elements. The researcher must look for these instances in the coding process;
the use of the units of analysis makes it easy to find and reference examples.
Once again, the judgment of the researchers is used to determine the codes or
labels. This is the reason why two coders are used in the process; labels can be
compared, and a determination of the most appropriate label can be made.
Subjective Examples From the Newspaper Story
On Sunday January 12, three days after the murder, the newspaper presented an
interview in two parts. The front-page story was an interview with three reporters
from difference news organizations (the other two were not identified). Also, an
exclusive interview by The Plain Dealer was done at Judge Steele’s home and
included a double-page photo story placed on the first page of Section AA. The
total length of the story (word count) is approximately 1,125 words. The following
example demonstrate the initial findings.
Paragraph 6: “Boyish looking” “shaken by sobs,”
Paragraph 13: “chain smoking with twitching hands”; “Judge Steele closed his eye
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in retelling a story.”
Paragraph 55: the judge’s voice was shattered with sobs. His eyes were closed
as he related the scene in the bedroom.”
Paragraph 70: “The judge’s mother, … said: “Bob was beside himself. He was
sobbing and sobbing. We tried to quiet him.”
Photo story: Paragraph 5: stuffed animals sat in solemn loneliness on beds.”
Paragraph 6: “A small artificial Christmas tree stood on a stand in the hallway, a
spot the killer of Mrs. Steele must have passed entering and leaving her bedroom.”
Photo captions: “emotionally torn up.” “Blood stained mattress examined by
detectives”
Subjective Examples From the TV Interview
On Friday, January 17, a TV interview with Judge Steele was conducted as he
returned to his parents’ home after the polygraph test. The interview is eight and
a half minutes long. The reporter prompts the judge at the very beginning of the
interview (Comment 1) that taking a polygraph test is a “terrible experience.” She
also says (Comment 2) it must be “nerve wracking” and wonders “how can you act
normally?” She also notes that the judge has been generous in giving interviews
(comment 3). She repeats “it is a terrible ordeal,” and the judge responds to
why he has given interviews. During the week, it was revealed that the judge
was having an affair and the reporter makes a vague remark about “the motel
business” (comment 4). He states he told his in laws about affair earlier in the
week, explained, and begged for forgiveness. She notes that that takes “a lot
of courage” (comment 5). As she asks about how he is doing she notes: “It’s
like a nightmare” (comment 8). The reporter comments: “Don’t be so nervous …
(you are) quivering and trembling all over” (comment 11). She would like to ask
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more questions, but it is difficult for her because “I’m touching into the heart of
a man” (comment 14). She asks whether the police have been fair. The judge
says that, yes, they have been, but that the news media have not. She states
that they are “making a sort of circus of it.” As the camera shows a close-up of
the judge’s hands, the reporter comments that he is trembling again and needs
tranquilizers (comment 18). She then asks: What mark does it leave on you?”
He responds it is “tearing me apart and he feels like he could “just cry and cry
and cry.” She notes that the “ability to cry is a wonderful characteristic in a man”
(Comment 20). The reporter asks about the results of the polygraph test, and he
states he was told they were satisfied. She states: “you mean that you were telling
the truth (Comment 25) and then reiterates (after he responds: “I was telling the
truth”) “That you are completely innocent” (Comment 26). The interview ends with
a thank-you and them holding hands. She also wonders whether the polygraph
test will be the last test he is “subjected to” (Comment 20). He responds the police
are satisfied with the results of the test.
There are similarities and differences in how the stories are told in the newspaper
and on television. The Plain Dealer told the story in about 1,125 words. This is
the equivalent of a ten-minute talk. The story also included photos of the judge
and the interior of the house. The overall emphasis of the story is objective. In
the 92 units of analysis (86 in the front-page story; 6 in the section AA story),
there were at least 86 objective words/phrases that were used throughout the
story. The reporter includes many quotes from the judge and statements regarding
the timeline of the crime, which are objective. Some units of analysis included
both subjective and objective words/phrases. For example, Paragraph 6 includes
a description of the judge as “boyish looking: and “shaken by sobs.” But also
includes the basic facts of the time and place of the discovery of the body.
There was one unit of analysis (Paragraph 13) in the front-page story that was
exclusively subjective; there were two units of analysis in the page AA story that
were exclusively subjective. In the 92 units of analysis, there were 11 subjective
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comments (including two comments listed as photo captions). These are words
chosen by the reporter to convey the emotion of the situation. In addition, one of
the interviews takes place in the house where the murder occurred and included
photos from inside the home. These words chosen by the reporter indicate the
emotional state of the judge and paints a sympathetic picture of the judge.
The television interview report presents very few facts and has more emotional
content. Of the 26 units of analysis, there are subjective comments in each
unit. The reporter is painting a very sympathetic view of the judge and does not
focus on facts but on his emotional state. For example, between the time of the
newspaper interview and the TV interview, it was revealed the judge was having
an affair. The TV reporter dismisses this fact as “the motel business” and makes a
comment that it takes courage to admit this to your family.
Although these interviews were early in the investigation of the murder, both
stories demonstrate how local news can present a different viewpoint to the
audience. Both reporters included subjective elements. The Plain Dealer printed
the interview with Judge Steele within three days of the murder (January 12). This
story was primarily the judge retelling the facts of the case and included some
subjective words and phrases but was overall objective in content. The television
interview aired January 17 after the affair with Mrs. Swartz was revealed and after
the judge took a lie test. The television reporter chose not to focus on facts but
on the emotional state of the judge and presented a story that was subjective in
content. Also, both reporters were highly respected in the local community and
were considered very credible sources. Since different media use the contextual
elements of news in different ways, consumers of news need to be aware of these
differences and to consider how news is delivered by different media. Traditional
newspapers can devote space for the development of the story. Television is
limited by time and in this case chose to focus on subjective information rather
than facts. Online news reporting is a newer form of delivery and needs to be
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carefully analyzed as to how stories are presented to their audiences.
Summary
Research that compares differences in media coverage of local news stories
is important to determine effective use of local media to inform the public of
stories that impact the community. This is important today since news is available
through newspapers, television, and online sources. Comparing storytelling from
different media is challenging. A method of analysis that is useful to compare
media is content analysis. Content analysis is a research method for describing
(interpreting and coding) written, spoken, or visual communication. The process
of content analysis is lengthy and requires the researcher to read over or listen to
material many times to determine whether the material is understood. To begin,
the researcher reads or listens to the material and makes notes on the different
types of information found. For data that are lengthy, like the material included for
this dataset, the use of units of analysis is helpful. In this example, each paragraph
in the newspaper article was a unit of analysis; for the television report, each
question or comment from the reporter was a unit of analysis. From the notes,
the researcher determines possible categories, themes, or labels. This process
is repeated for each article or news report. When all the information is labeled,
the researcher reads or views the news stories again and determines whether the
information is in the best category or whether some categories can be merged.
Once this analysis is complete, the researcher can then develop an interpretation
of the information.
This dataset presents a report of a local crime story by a newspaper and a
television station during the first days of the investigation. By reading the
newspaper articles and viewing the television reports, differences in coverage
were determined. Once the stories were understood, each story was broken into
a unit of analysis (paragraph or question/comment) and then labels/codes were
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assigned to the words or phrases used in each unit of analysis. The contextual
element that was the focus of the exemplar was words and phrases that could be
analyzed as objective or subjective.
After completing this exercise, students will understand the need to review
material several times to understand the meaning and context of stories, the
creation of labels, and assigning labels to the content of the stories, so
comparisons can be made. Finally, students will develop an ability to see
differences in objective and subjective news reporting. This ability is important to
complete research but is extremely necessary to understand that contemporary
news reports from different media sources may tell different stories about the
same event.
Reflective Questions
1. One of the more “sensational” aspects of this story was the affair
between Judge Steele and Mrs. Swartz. Review the coverage of this
story by the newspaper and the television station. Be sure to include
the TV interview. Do a content analysis that is based on subjective and
objective elements of the reports. What are the differences in
coverage? What effect might these differences have on audience
understanding of the facts? How do you think the media would report
this aspect of a story today?
2. How would you begin a research project if you wanted to compare a
story by a print newspaper and the same newspaper story online?
What would you look for in the initial search for data? What visual
differences might be involved? Does inclusion of video make a
difference in the meaning of the story? What impact does a personal
interview or the number of photos have on the story or perception by
the audience? Do headlines make a difference?
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3. Three aspects of this story were the initial report of the murder, the “Lie
test,” and the search for the gun. Choose the report of the “Lie test” or
the search for the gun and review the video and newspaper stories
provided. Develop a coding system to compare the differences in the
way the story is told. Once a coding system is developed, have two
people read the newspaper story and watch the video, determine units
of analysis and label the various elements of the story. Compare how
the stories were analyzed. Adjust the coding system as needed.
4. Research current examples of different news sources presentation of
the same story in different ways. This might include print, television,
and online stories. What contextual elements should be considered?
Develop a coding system to compare the different stories. What did
you discover about the differences among the various media? Are your
results important? Why? What other influences may determine what is
included in the content? Consider the role of an editor, legal issues,
competition from other news outlets.
Further Readings
Antunes, G. E., & Hurley, P. A. (1977). The representation of criminal events in
Houston’s two daily newspapers. Journalism Quarterly, 54(4), 756–760.
Benson, R., Blach-Ørsten, M., Powers, M., Willig, I., & Vera Zambrano, S.
(2012). Media systems online and off: Comparing the form of news in the United
States, Denmark, and France. Journal of Communication, 62, 21–38.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2011.01625.x
Dean, W., & Rosenstiel, T. (2018). What makes a good story? Retrieved from
https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/makes-good-story/
Kramer, M. (2015, June 23). Why does local matter? Let’s ask our audience.
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Investigation Using Content Analysis
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SAGE
2019 SAGE Publications, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
SAGE Research Methods Datasets Part
2
Page 18 of 18 A Comparison of a Local Newspaper and Television Coverage of a Murder
Investigation Using Content Analysis