Document Type
Article
Abstract
Because public opinion has been found to influence government policy (Page & Shapiro, 1983, p. 185) and because media are cultural products that “mirror society” and “contribute to the reconstruction of the culture” (Czarniawska, 2006, p. 250), I conducted a rhetorical analysis of the coverage of the 2008 US presidential campaign in the online edition of the English language newspaper, The Korea Times. Using Entman’s (2007) concept of framing bias in the media as a means to influence the distribution of power, I found that The Korea Times used the deictic expression ‘we’ to express and (re)construct nationalistic views of three salient issues: the Korean-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA), the economy, and North Korea/nuclear weapons/Kim JungIl. The results indicated that The Korea Times mitigated Barack Obama’s opposition to KORUS FTA and willingness to meet with Kim JungIl while also (re)constructing John McCain’s image as economically and militarily dangerous.
Disciplines
American Politics | Communication | International and Intercultural Communication | International Relations | Social Influence and Political Communication
Recommended Citation
Ter Molen, S. L. (2011). The 2008 US presidential campaign as represented in the online edition of The Korea Times. Media Asia, 38(2), 67-77.
Included in
American Politics Commons, International and Intercultural Communication Commons, International Relations Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons
Comments
This article was previously published by the Asian Media Information and Communication Center in Media Asia. At the time of publication, Sherri L. Ter Molen was a doctoral student in the Communication: Media & Arts program at Wayne State University.