Attribute and Responsibility Framing Effects in Television News Coverage of Poverty1

Abstract

This study looks at how television news may contribute to inaction toward the poor through the attribute and responsibility framing of poverty stories. Participants were shown 1 of 4 news presentations on poverty. The news presentations depicted the poor as either primarily Black or primarily White, and framed poverty stories either episodically or thematically. Individuals shown presentations depicting the poor as White felt stronger that too little was being spent on poverty programs and were more likely to take a flyer about volunteering with a poverty charity than were participants shown presentations depicting the poor as Black. This pattern of results was found for both White and Black participants. No effects were found based on the responsibility framing.

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