Television Frames of the 2008 Liberal and New Democrat Accord

Abstract

This article examines how the Liberal and New Democratic Accord was framed through and by national television news during the first week of December 2008. Using new institutionalism theory, this article argues that politicians must negotiate with journalists to present their framing of issues. While journalists may repeat and even balance competing frames, they also interpret politics strategically, and this is what dominates coverage. Based on a frame analysis, the study examines the national television coverage of the proposed coalition government. The analysis finds that TV news presented the preferred frames of the government and the coalition in similar proportion. However, the coverage spent significantly more time assessing performance and strategy and was highly critical of the strategy and performance of the key political players.