From #Ferguson to #Ayotzinapa: Analyzing differences in domestic and foreign protest news shared on social media

Abstract

This study compares U.S. digital news coverage of recent foreign and domestic_x000D_ protests. Differences in coverage’s framing, sourcing, and device emphases were_x000D_ analyzed for two cases: protests that erupted after the death of Michael Brown and_x000D_ protests demanding justice for the 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa, Mexico._x000D_ Building on protest paradigm literature, content analysis results show that news_x000D_ articles that appeared on Facebook and Twitter emphasized legitimizing frames for_x000D_ foreign protests more than domestic protests. Foreign protests were framed with the_x000D_ spectacle frame more than domestic protests, which were more often portrayed as_x000D_ confrontational. Digitally native news organizations produced content that deviated_x000D_ from expected paradigmatic norms the most. In addition, this research examines the_x000D_ relationship between content and sharing on Facebook and Twitter. Implications of_x000D_ these findings within the theoretical framework of the protest paradigm are_x000D_ discussed.