Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
8-2022
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Political Science
Degree Program
Political Science, MA
Committee Chair
Merry, Melissa
Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)
Enders, Adam
Committee Member
Enders, Adam
Committee Member
Grossi, Elizabeth
Author's Keywords
social construction of target populations; content analysis; media framing
Abstract
Private prisons have existed in the United States since 1986, but research about prison privatization has been limited. To date, there have been two published studies examining how mainstream media sources frame prison privatization to their audiences. This thesis attempts to address this gap in the literature. Using content analysis, I evaluate how mainstream media frames prison privatization and inmates housed in private prisons. The analysis is conducted in two parts. The first tests if private prison reduction or expansion is the focus of the news story if framed using economic benefits, ethical concerns, or prisoner violence. The second tests if prisoners are portrayed as deserving or undeserving if private prisons are framed using economic benefits, ethical concerns, or prison wrongdoing. The results suggest that how private prisons and inmates are framed matters when considering how privatization and inmates are portrayed by media sources.
Recommended Citation
Adams, Ladye Anna L., "Media portrayal of private prisons and inmates." (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3944.
https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/3944
