Frame Contests in Real-Time: How Panelists Elaborate, Shift, and Challenge Frames in Political Talk Shows

• In Event: ICA Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Political Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

A content analysis study investigated how speakers in political talk shows on the Greece Crisis in 2015 used frames and how they reacted to frames used by other speakers. We distinguish four types of frame transitions in real-time frame contests: The follow-up speaker can engage in a discourse on the initial speaker’s frame and (a) elaborate on or (b) challenge that frame; or they can disrupt the framing and (c) shift to another frame or (d) clear the frame. As expected, speakers who favored austerity policy towards Greece preferred other frames than speakers who favored bailing out Greece. Disruptive frame transitions were much more frequent than discursive frame transitions. Challenging and shifting frames was associated with higher levels of conflict while elaborating on frames was associated with lower levels of conflict. Speakers argued most rationally when they shifted frames; when they cleared or challenged frames, rational reasoning was rare.

Authors

• Stefan Geiss, NTNU Trondheim

• Joerg Hassler, U of Mainz