Focusing on the Courts: Media Constructions of California's Proposition 8

• In Event: Extra-Legal Influences on Judicial Decisions

Abstract

California's Proposition 8 was a landmark case in the struggle surrounding marriage equality, and provides a unique opportunity to explore constructions of this contested issue and the courts' role in resolving it. This paper examines the discourse surrounding California's Proposition 8 as it moved through the court process. Specifically, it analyzes text in 128 documents from three newspapers to identify dominant frames and how these frames evolve through the time period of interest. We find dominant frames of marriage as a civil rights issue, Proposition 8 as discrimination, issues of legal standing, the courts as exceeding their authority, and the role of voters in changing laws and the constitution.

Authors

• Samantha Cook, University of Cincinnati

• Deirdre Warren, Kent State University at Stark

• Kyla Campbell, Bowling Green State University