Content Analysis
Content analysis is a research method for “analyzing the symbolic content of any communication” (Singleton, Straits, & McAllister, 1988, p. 347). Content analysis can, for example, help identify propaganda, describe attitudes and psychological states, and identify patterns. The main enterprise of content analysis is coding.
Instructions for the paper.
Paper MUST be double-spaced (throughout). Students are to use a 12-point Times New Roman Font, APA text citation and provide an APA reference page. Your paper should include a Title Page that has an informative title, your name, and university. Please use proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, and syntax in your paper.
Step 1: State your research question. In this case, I am providing the research question, which is: Do all newscasts follow the same pattern of accentuating violent crime?
Step 2: Select your sample. Choose one national television news reports (for example-ABC News); one local news report (for example, WBAY); and one cable news report (for example CNBC). Watch these news reports daily for 3 days, of your choice, within the next week. If you do not have television, you may select a national paper (such as USA Today), a large city paper (such as the Milwaukee Sentinel) and a local paper (such as Oshkosh)—all of which are available for free, on campus. (5 pts.)
Step 3: Then:
- Identify crime stories as contrasted from all other news stories
- Code the crime stories for type of crime
- Interpersonal violence
- White-collar crime[unique_solution]
- Drug offense
- Other
Each of these content categories should be defined in reference to the description or depiction of the crime in the news media. The interpersonal violence category should include stories on bodily harm or threat of bodily harm (for example, homicide, rape, assault, battery, robbery). The white-collar crime category should include crimes committed by a person in the course of his or her high-status occupation or crimes committed in the interest of corporations or government agencies. Drug offenses should consist of stories that related to the growing, selling, purchasing, or using of drugs. Finally, the “other” category should include all the crime stories that do not fit in any of the three previous categories. Other would include any type of crime story that does not fit the definition for the other categories. (5 pts.)
Step 4: Code the textual material in your sample for 3 days prior to the due date of the assignment. Quantify your data—keep a tally sheet as you code the material. Please include the coding data in your paper. (20 pts.)
Step 5: Describe, interpret, and report findings. For this assignment you will want to discuss differences and similarities in types of crimes and number or percentage of crimes across types of news stations. (20 pts)
Step 6: At the end of your paper, please identify & discuss any conclusions you might draw from this study. Also, identify & discuss any limitations of this study. (10 pts)
Step 7: Upload findings by (12-11-19).
Here is an example of a coding sheet which you may use and modify.
TABLE 1. TYPE OF CRIME REPORTED BY NBC (N = 52)
VIOLENCE (26=55%): Nanny case (5); Las Vegas shooting (10); terrorism in London (2); terrorism in Germany (4); 14-year old boy shoots motorists (3); Assassination in South Africa (2).
Drug Offenses (4=9%): Columbian drug cartel; heroin use in the mid-west; Olympians use of illegal drugs; drug bust at a military facility.
WHITE-COLLAR CRIMES (11=23%): IRS illegal tactics (2); federal government cover-up; federal government corruption; Chrysler loses lawsuit regarding defective vans; FBI unit head convicted of obstruction of justice; nursing home neglect; mortgage scams; Wells Fargo false account scam; real estate scams; fraudulent telemarketers.
OTHER (6=13%): Nuclear theft; programs for deterring juvenile crime; Iraq’s germ warfare research; home repair swindles; internet information on trigger cranks; credit card fraud from stealing discarded junk mail.
Discussion of results
Describe, interpret, and report findings. For this assignment you will want to discuss differences and similarities in types of crimes and number or percentage of crimes across types of news stations.
Table 2. TYPE OF CRIME REPORTED BY CABLE NEWS MSNBC (N = 32)
Use same format as above
TABLE 3. TYPE OF CRIME REPORTED BY LOCAL NEWS CHANNEL WBAY (N = 43)
Use same format as above