Measuring Movement Outcomes in Media: Covering Occupy Wall Street in the New York Times

• In Event: 366 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session II
  In Refereed Roundtable: B. Table 25 Social Movement II

Abstract

A great deal of scholarly attention has been paid to the tactics social movement organizations (SMOs) use to gain media coverage. However, it is unclear what circumstances lead to coverage presenting social movement claims as legitimate social problems rather than coverage focusing on the actors or tactics that SMOs use. Using the Occupy Wall Street movement (OWS) as a case, we empirically test the conditions that lead to media coverage that presents OWS claims of widespread economic inequality, political corruption and increased rates of home foreclosures, as social problems. Through a content analysis of over 400 New York Times articles reporting on OWS and using logistic regression modeling, we examine relationships between depictions of movement participants and actions and the presentation of issues at the heart of the movement as social problems. We ask if the inclusion of quotes from experts, politicians, and police (among other variables) influences these outcomes. We hypothesize that generally favorable coverage of OWS predicts further discussion of issues highlighted by OWS activists, and the presentation of these issues as legitimate social problems. This paper contributes to the sociological literature examining social movement outcomes, media coverage of social movements and social problems, and the Occupy Wall Street movement in general.

Authors

• Steven Tuttle, Loyola University-Chicago

• Jordan T. Brown, Loyola University-Chicago