Framing protest: News media frames of the million man march

This paper examines network television news (ABC, CBS, and NBC) coverage of the “Million Man March,”; a widely publicized and well‐attended demonstration that took place in Washington, DC on October 16, 1995. The primary aim of the paper is to analyze the dominant framing practices‐problem definition, rhetorical devices, use of sources, and images‐employed by journalists to make sense of this particular expression of political protest. Additionally, the paper documents how and assesses why the Million Man March generated an enormous amount of media coverage. This particular analysis of network news coverage suggests the dominant framing strategies employed by journalists focused less on the issues that generated widespread interest in the march and more on the racial and political viewpoints of Louis Farrakhan. The implications of the framing strategies for both the demonstration and U. S. race relations are also discussed.