2010 - Public Relations Society of America

(lower carbon emissions and concern for the environment) increased, so did the proliferation
frame package (nuclear energy technology leading to nuclear weapons). The increase in the
proliferation frame package appears as a counter-frame or alternative narrative to the sustainable
frame package (Entman, 2004).
As Fan (2002) posited, framing effects are dependent upon the reach of the medium
delivering the frame. With a combined circulation of more than 5.9 million, the New York Times,
USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post are at a minimum directing public
attention to proliferation, health, procedural and marketplace aspects of nuclear energy over
other issue aspects and thereby increasing the perceived importance of these issue aspects.
In this respect, the dominant frame packages may be thought of as emphasis frames;
directing attention to specific issue attributes (Fine, 1992; Druckman, 2001b). However,
emphasis frames do not equate to direct framing effects. As demonstrated through numerous
Gallup polls, individuals may agree with the benefits of nuclear energy, but later oppose efforts
to construct a nuclear energy plant within their community.
With amplification of the proliferation, health, procedural, and marketplace frames, other
issue aspects that may be arguably more positive and depict current trends within the nuclear
industry are not explored. In this respect, these dominant frame packages function as conflictreinforcing
frames (Dardis et al., 2008). Technology, sustainability, necessity, and nuclear
energy as an energy choice receive dramatically less attention within news articles. The
sustainable frame package exhibits the most potential for serving as a conflict-displacing frame
because this frame package increased over time and was positive in story tone.
Practical implications
The findings of this study parallel nuclear energy trends. The procedural frame package,
which focuses on the licensing, application and construction process for nuclear energy plants,
decreased over time as the construction of nuclear energy plants declined. The use of defined
story elements such as negative economic consequence and parts also declined; perhaps because
the decline in construction lessened the focus on the need for plant financing, and therefore the
demand for parts. Interestingly, references to two widely known nuclear energy incidents,
Chernobyl and TMI, were not found to be prevalent. This should be interpreted as good news for
the nuclear energy industry as well as to quell speculation that the media unduly focus on these
incidents. Internationally, the Kyoto Protocol seems to have brought the environmental benefits
of nuclear energy in vogue.
The proliferation dominant frame package lends credence to the argument that media do
not distinguish the nuclear energy process from nuclear proliferation or uranium enrichment for
nuclear weapons. Therefore the fear factor associated with anything nuclear may possibly be
perpetuated by this dominant frame package.
Keeping in mind that advocacy within any industry should be conducted in an ethical
manner and through open communication, the findings of this study suggest the nuclear energy
industry should consider a strategic public relations campaign incorporating the sustainable
energy attributes of nuclear energy. The increase in the use of the sustainable dominant frame
package demonstrates that stories focusing on nuclear energy in regards to lower carbon
emissions, alternative energy source, carbon footprint, and the environment are generating
greater interest among reporters. Furthermore, a positive correlation between year and the story
element energy, defined as the United States becoming less dependent upon oil and/or natural
gas and future energy needs, suggests increasing attention to the role of nuclear energy for
meeting future electric generation needs.
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