Television Newsmagazine Coverage of Child Sexual Abuse: 1990-2005
Date
2014
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Mass Communication Journalism
Abstract
Objective: There were two aims: first, to analyze trends in television newsmagazines coverage of child sexual
assault (CSA) between 1990 and 2005; and second, to offer comparisons between this study and our previous work
on e newsmagazines CSA coverage.
Method: A database was created to identify all relevant CSA stories appearing in seven primetime television
newsmagazines. The study employs systematic analysis of segments by subject, length, and individual anchoring
each broadcast.
Results: The results affirm established theories of CSA media coverage. Television segments contain an
average of three newsworthiness factors, which is more than was found of print newsmagazines. Findings also
show differences in slant between the top three anchors (Dan Rather, Stone Phillips, and Barbara Walters),
indicating significant editorial control in newsmagazines CSA coverage. Finally, this study shows that television
newsmagazines offer more polarized coverage than print newsmagazines, and on different subjects (i.e. focusing on
Michael Jackson, whereas print focuses on the Church sex abuse cover-up story).
Conclusions: Television newsmagazines offer skewed coverage of CSA. Like other media, they focus on
"newsworthy" stories ("stranger-danger") rather than the most prevalent forms of CSA (intra-familial abuse). Given
that this newsmagazines coverage is more polarized than print, however, we suggest that this coverage may have
real impacts upon public policy and its implementation.
Description
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Keywords
child sexual abuse, media, Catholic Church, slant, television, newsworthiness
Citation
Shavit, Y., Weinstein, A. Q., Reiss-Davis, Z., & Cheit, R. E. (2014). Television News magazine Coverage of Child Sexual Abuse: 1990-2005. Journal of Mass Communication Journalism, 4(196), 2.