The Jeremiad Over Journalism

of Strömbäck and Dimitrova it is the time period studied here. 511 Furthermore, at least one
American presidential candidate have viewed the last three weeks of an election period as
particularly crucial, and as a consequence Richard M. Nixon coined the phrase ―three-week blitz,‖
to describe how he would wrap up his election campaign in 1968, thereby underlining the
importance of the last weeks in the election. 512 Moreover, in order to study the newspapers‘
coverage of the election results, this study also includes the two days after the election in addition to
the three weeks leading up to the election.
Inspired by Strömbäck and Dimitrova‘s design, which also informed the development of the code
book, front page articles referring explicitly to the national election going on at this particular
period, or referring to the presidential/prime minister candidates or the parties competing in the
election have been selected since these dislay ―the most prominent stories about the elections.‖ 513
Additionally, newspaper front-pages are chosen since these have previously been the object of
comparative scholarly attention in research between the United States and Europe. 514
5.2.2 The Coding Process
During the course of the study, 876 articles were analyzed and coded for the variables such as
―overall frame,‖ 515 ―sources,‖ ―news technique,‖ and ―journalistic style.‖ The articles appeared on
511
Claes H. De Vreese, "Television Reporting of Second-Order Elections," Journalism Studies 4, no. 2 (2003). Page
188. See also Strömbäck and Dimitrova, "Political and Media Systems Matter: A Comparison of Election News
Coverage in Sweden and the United States." Page 138.
512
Robert B. Semple Jr, "Nixon Vows Effort to Seek Arms Curb; Stand Seen Eased; Nixon Pledges to Seek Arms
Curb," New York Times, October 27 1968. Page 1. ―The statement brought to a close the first two weeks of what Mr.
Nixon has called his final three-week 'blitz' - a period in which he has deliberately set aside the lofty Presidential
rhetoric (...) [and] shifted to sharp denunciations of his opponents.‖
513
Strömbäck and Dimitrova, "Political and Media Systems Matter: A Comparison of Election News Coverage in
Sweden and the United States." Page 138.
514
Kevin G. Barnhurst and John Nerone, The Form of News: A History (New York: The Guilford Press, 2001). Also
John Nerone and Kevin G. Barnhurst, "Beyond Modernism: Digital Design, Americanization and the Future of
Newspaper Form," New Media Society 3, no. 4 (2001). Also Kevin G. Barnhurst and John Nerone, "Design Trends in
US Front Pages 1885-1995," Journalism Quarterly 68, no. 4 (1991).
515
Entman, "Framing: Toward Clarification of a Fractured Paradigm." Page 52. As we have seen, framing in the present
study is defined as, selecting ―some aspects of a perceived reality and mak[ing] them more salient in a communicating
text, in such a way as to promote a particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and/or
treatment recommendation for the item described.‖ Six overall frames were coded for in the analysis. First, issue frame
where a candidate‘s explicit political viewpoints were presented. Second, strategy frame, where there is a focus on who
is ahead or behind in a political race. Third, personalization frame, where there is a focus on politicians‘ behavior and
character rather than political ideology. Fourth, metacoverage frame concerned with journalists covering media aspects..
Fifth, the watchdog frame which contains the articles where journalists holds public officials accountable for something
in relation to their public function that is in the interest of society in general for the common good of democracy.
Lastly, the logistics frame is concerned with focusing on the behind the scenes practical work necessary to pull off a
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