Coverage of Labor and Management in the Willow Run Assembly Plant Shutdown

Abstract

This article is a content analysis of four newspapers' coverage of management and organized labor during a two-year period when General Motors was deliberating whether to shut down its Willow Run, Ypsilanti, Michigan, or its Arlington, Texas, assembly plant. Four aspects of the coverage were analyzed, based on the major issues raised in the limited previous research on organized labor and mass media. The analysis re vealed that across all four newspapers, GM's position was given more mention, was accorded preference in placement, and was more positively framed. These findings are discussed in the context of the current and historical roles and treatment of organized labor by the mass media.