Crimean crisis of 2014 in the conservative and liberal U.S. media

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Crimean crisis of 2014 received broad news coverage throughout the U.S. This study examines how the conflict was represented within the American media. The headlines (N = 568) from six major newspapers were investigated for agency-construction as well as representation of the main participants in the event. The results revealed that more powerful countries such as Russia and the U.S. were assigned greater agency, while Ukraine and Crimea were not given a voice. These findings suggest that mass media may be reflecting the current world order, where more influential nations are the dominant players in the international arena. There were no major differences between how the liberal and conservative media outlets constructed the event. These results suggest that certain international events might have a uniform representation by the U.S. media which is problematic for a democratic society due to the fact that it simplifies the realities of peoples and experiences in a diverse world.