Constructing Victimhood: The Role of the Media in Framing the American Indian

• In Event: Examining Representations of Police Shootings in the Media

Abstract

Media coverage plays an important role in understanding the construction of victimhood and criminality. This qualitative study looks at the role of the media in constructing American Indian victimhood, particularly victims of police brutality. This analysis, grounded in framing theory (Reese, 2001) examines how news media can serve as a mechanism of cultural and social control (Miller & Ross, 2004; Reese, 2001). The first qualitative component in this study employs a content analysis of mainstream (non-social media), online news media coverage of three separate case studies of American Indian victimization at the hands of the criminal justice system. The second part of the analysis draws on qualitative interviews from journalists across the United States on coverage of American Indian victimization. Overall, this analysis further explores how society defines the “ideal victim” (Christie, 1986) and underscores the role of the media in constructing perceptions of victimhood and criminality.

Author

• Lena Campagna, University of Massachusetts Boston