Abstract
Abstract This study examines the network news coverage of the TWA hijacking of June 1985 with the objective of identifying possible network differences through a more rigorous analysis of network performance than found in earlier studies. The analysis focuses on news time allocation and network performance at several stages of the event to determine possible differences in topical emphasis. A total of 491 hostage stories broadcast on ABC, CBS, and NBC's evening news programs are content‐analyzed. The percentages of news hole time devoted to the crisis coverage are compared across networks on a day‐by‐day and on a stage‐by‐stage basis. One major finding is that the networks exhibited homogeneous news treatment in that they allocated similar percentage of news hole time to each of the five topic categories either by day or by stage. An analysis of topical emphasis suggests that the networks emphasized a domestic angle in covering an international crisis.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
