understanding public policy through mass media andrea lawlor department of political science ...

210 Pages·2013·5.3 MB·English

UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC POLICY THROUGH MASS MEDIA

ANDREA LAWLOR
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
MCGILL UNIVERSITY, MONTREAL
OCTOBER 2013

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO MCGILL UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

© ANDREA LAWLOR, 2013

Abstract
Media have both direct and indirect influences on policy, and can, at various times, serve as
a contributor to policy, a conduit of policy information, and a mirror to the policy process.
Although the scholarly literature acknowledges media’s role in the policy process,
particularly their ability to affect policymakers directly, systematically push policy
alternatives, or influence public opinion, the literature often omits a critical role for media:
reflecting the policy process. Mass media are the public’s largest source of information on
policy, yet the volume and tone of media reporting on policy over time, not to mention what
we can learn about public policy through media data, are often overlooked. This dissertation
examines how we can use media as a tool to better understand the complexity of public
policy narratives, framing and change. It also suggests an approach to using media data as a
tool to examine the relationships between policy actors and domains.
Using automated content analysis of over 25 years of comparative media data, this
dissertation consists of three articles: each makes a contribution to the policy literature,
namely in the areas of pension policy, immigration policy, and the literature on issue
ownership. When taken together, these articles make a broader contribution to the field’s
understanding of how framing, language and narrative impact the public’s understanding of
many facets of the policy process. Results demonstrate the value of understanding media’s
role as a mirror. Additionally, the approach used can be considered a contribution to the
methodological toolkit available to policy and political communications scholars to assist
them in better understanding the complex relationships between policy and media.

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Abrégé
Les médias ont des effets directs et indirects sur les politiques. À différents moments, les
médias peuvent participer à la création et à la diffusion de politiques, tout comme ils peuvent
éclaircir le processus d’élaboration de ces politiques. Le rôle des médias dans ce processus,
surtout par rapport à leur capacité d’influer sur les décideurs de façon directe, d’avancer
systématiquement des politiques de rechange ou d’influencer l’opinion publique, est reconnu
dans la littérature spécialisée. Toutefois, on y aborde rarement un autre rôle fondamental
des médias, qui est celui de nous faire comprendre le processus de création de politiques.
Pour le public, les médias de masse constituent la principale source d’information sur les
politiques, mais le volume et le ton des rapports médiatiques à ce sujet au fil du temps – sans
oublier les apprentissages sur les politiques publiques que nous pouvons tirer des données des
médias – sont souvent négligés. La présente dissertation traite de l’utilisation des médias
comme outils pour approfondir notre compréhension du récit, de la formulation et de la
modification des politiques publiques. Elle propose également une approche pour appliquer
des données médiatiques à l’examen des rapports entre acteurs politiques et domaines.
La présente étude s’appuie sur une analyse de contenu automatisée de données comparatives
des médias, couvrant une période de plus de 25 ans. Chacune des trois grandes sections de
l’analyse apporte une contribution à la littérature spécialisée, en explorant les politiques en
matière de pension et d’immigration, ainsi que la question de l’adhésion aux politiques.
Dans son ensemble, l’étude renseigne sur la portée de l’expression, du langage et du récit sur
la compréhension populaire des nombreux aspects du processus d’élaboration de politiques.
Les résultats de l’analyse soulignent l’importance de comprendre le rôle des médias dans la
traduction de ce processus. De plus, les chercheurs qui s’intéressent aux politiques et à la
communication politique peuvent utiliser l’approche méthodologique proposée pour étudier
les rapports complexes entre les politiques et les médias.

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Acknowledgements
I owe enormous thanks to my dissertation supervisor, Stuart Soroka. Stuart has been
exceedingly generous with his time and patience throughout the development and
completion of this dissertation. He took an unstructured idea and gave it a clear path. He
supported me in tackling a project that was innovative, exciting, and often challenging, with
reassurance and enthusiasm. Stuart continuously ensured that I had the necessary resources
to complete my degree and that I took every opportunity to present my work to colleagues.
These experiences have helped prepared me for a future in academia, and I am grateful for
his support.
My committee, Éric Bélanger and Antonia Maioni, were a tremendous source of advice and
encouragement throughout the dissertation. Éric has been exceptionally supportive in all
stages of the PhD. From coursework through to the completion of the dissertation, his
thoughtful feedback helped me improve the quality of my work. He has also opened up
many opportunities for collaborative research, which have enriched the PhD experience
immensely. Antonia generously offered support and counsel at several stages in this project,
and I am grateful for her willingness to take on this role.
I owe an enormous debt to Elisabeth Gidengil for her support throughout my degree and
her leadership at the Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship. The Centre has
provided endless support to myself and other students at various stages of their graduate
work. It is a vibrant academic home, and my positive experience at McGill is a direct
product of the people and ideas that are part of the Centre.
I am privileged to have made several close friends while at McGill – and I have the good
fortune to say that there are too many to list here. There are three people I must credit
specifically for the positive role they have played in graduate experience. Melanee Thomas
has been a friend and mentor since I joined the program. Her generosity, invaluable advice
and support were a constant in these past five years. Erin Crandall has been a wonderful
friend and co-author, and I look forward to a future full of collaborative efforts. Mark Daku
and I have gone through the program together, and from comps to completion, he has
always offered support and friendship with a great sense of humour and adventure. He also
introduced me to my husband, which means I owe him a larger debt than I can ever repay.
I met Judah Purcell just before I began writing this dissertation, and now I am proud to call
him my husband. He is my greatest source of support and my most dedicated cheerleader.
His kindness, patience and encouragement have never wavered, and I am so honoured to be
his partner.
Finally, I owe the greatest debt of gratitude to my family. My brother and sisters, Michael,
Stephanie, and Holly have been cheering me on throughout these past five years. I am so
proud to celebrate all of our accomplishments together. My dad, Michael, always reminded
me to pursue excellence and innovation. My mother, Margherita, has been an endless
source of love and support – in this endeavour and everything else I have ever done. I
dedicate this dissertation to them.

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Table of Contents
List of Figures......................................................................................................................x

List of Tables......................................................................................................................xi

1.1 Conduit, Contributor or Mirror: What Media Tell Us About Public Policy and Why It
Matters................................................................................................................................2

1.2 The Consequences of (Mis)Information for Democratic Representation.....................4

1.3 Role of Media in a Democracy...................................................................................11

1.4 Media and Public Policymaking..................................................................................13

1.4.1 Roles of Media: The Conduit – Media’s Direct Effects...................................................14

1.4.2 Roles of Media: The Contributor – Media’s Indirect Effects...........................................16

1.4.2.1 Media Effects...................................................................................................................16

1.4.2.2 Policy Representation......................................................................................................22

1.4.3 The Role of Media: Media as a Reflection of Policy........................................................23

1.5 Purpose of the Dissertation .........................................................................................26

2.1 Methodology...............................................................................................................32

2.2 Content Analysis: An Overview..................................................................................32

2.3 The Importance of Analysing Media Content............................................................33

2.4 Computer-Assisted Automated Coding......................................................................34

2.5 Methodological Approach...........................................................................................35

2.5.1 Case Selection...................................................................................................................35

2.5.1.1 Print News Sources.........................................................................................................35

2.5.1.2 Search Databases............................................................................................................37

2.5.2 Text Analysis....................................................................................................................37

2.5.2.1 Search Queries................................................................................................................37

2.5.2.2 Inductive and Deductive Approaches to Categorical Dictionary Construction.............38

2.5.2.3 Hierarchical Clustering...................................................................................................40

2.5.2.4 Coding Text Using Categorical Dictionaries..................................................................43

2.5.2.5 Coding Sentiment or Tone.............................................................................................43

3.1 Reframing Pension Policy from the Public to the Private...........................................46

3.2 Public? Private? Or Both? Retirement Provision in Canada in the Post-War Era.....47

3.3 Pension Programs and Retirement Savings in Canada..............................................48

3.4 Public Opinion on Pension Spending.........................................................................55

3.5 Framing Pensions........................................................................................................59

3.5.1 Social Welfare...................................................................................................................61

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3.5.2 Economic Reform............................................................................................................62

3.5.3 Government-Sponsored Programs...................................................................................63

3.5.4 Personal Responsibility.....................................................................................................63

3.6 Data and Methodology...............................................................................................65

3.7 Results.........................................................................................................................66

3.7.1 Validating Frames in News Media Coverage: Hierarchical Clustering...........................66

3.7.2 Frame Coverage Over Time............................................................................................69

3.8 Discussion....................................................................................................................76

4.1 Immigration in the Canadian and British News Media..............................................80

4.2 Framing Immigration..................................................................................................81

4.2.1 Socio-Economic Impact...................................................................................................82

4.2.2 Securitization....................................................................................................................83

4.2.3 Multiculturalism...............................................................................................................84

4.3 Public Opinion Toward Immigration in Canada and the UK...................................86

4.4 Data and Methodology...............................................................................................90

4.5 Results.........................................................................................................................93

4.5.1 Validating Frames in News Media Coverage: Hierarchical Clustering...........................93

4.5.2 Frame Coverage Over Time............................................................................................96

4.5.2 Tone of Coverage Over Time........................................................................................102

4.5.3 Sentence Proximity.........................................................................................................106

4.6 Discussion..................................................................................................................107

5.1 New Perspectives on Issue Ownership: Media, Issue Responsibility and the “New” Issue
Owners............................................................................................................................112

5.2 Issue Ownership: The State of the Literature...........................................................113

5.3 The Role of Media in Issue Ownership....................................................................116

5.4 An Empirical Examination of Issue Ownership: The Canadian Case.....................117

5.5 Limitations, Expansions and the Future of Issue Ownership ...................................120

5.6 Data & Methodology.................................................................................................125

5.7 Uncovering Issue Ownership in the Canadian News Media....................................128

5.7.1 Associative Issue Ownership: Mentions and Salience....................................................128

5.7.2 Multinomial Regression Analysis...................................................................................134

5.7.3 Competence-Based Issue Ownership: Tone...................................................................143

5.8 Discussion..................................................................................................................148

5.8.1 A Media-Centred Approach to Issue Ownership...........................................................148

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5.8.2 A Media-Centred Approach to Issue Ownership: Extensions and Limitations.............150

6.1 Conclusion.................................................................................................................156

6.2 Integrating the Media as a Reflection Approach......................................................156

6.3 Key Findings by Article.............................................................................................158

6.3.1 Reframing Pension Policy from the Public to the Private..............................................158

6.3.2 Immigration in the Canadian and British News Media.................................................160

6.3.3 Issue Ownership.............................................................................................................161

6.4 Methodological Contribution....................................................................................163

6.5 Avenues for Future Research....................................................................................165

Appendix A. Media Database Search Queries...............................................................170

Appendix B. Pension Categorization Dictionary............................................................171

Appendix C. Pension Frame Clusters.............................................................................172

Appendix D. Immigration Categorization Dictionary (Canada)....................................173

Appendix E. Immigration Categorization Dictionary (UK)...........................................175

Appendix F. Immigration Frame Clusters (Canada)......................................................176

Appendix G. Immigration Frame Clusters (UK)............................................................177

Appendix H: Issue Ownership News Media Circulation................................................178

Appendix I. Issue Ownership Categorization Dictionary...............................................179

References.......................................................................................................................181

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