Rowan University Rowan Digital Works Theses and Dissertations 5-13-2008 The image of professional wrestling: a case study of the Chris Benoit double murder-suicide Neil Borenstein Rowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd Part of the Public Relations and Advertising Commons Recommended Citation Borenstein, Neil, "The image of professional wrestling: a case study of the Chris Benoit double murder- suicide" (2008). Theses and Dissertations. 687. https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/687 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Rowan Digital Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Rowan Digital Works. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. THE IMAGE OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING: A CASE STUDY OF THE CHRIS BENOIT DOUBLE MURDER-SUICIDE by Neil Borenstein A Thesis Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Masters of Arts Degree of The Graduate School of Rowan University May 13, 2008 Approved by ; 2, 26-ma Date approved /' V' © 2008 Neil Borenstein ABSTRACT Neil Borenstein THE IMAGE OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING: A CASE STUDY OF THE CHRIS BENOIT DOUBLE MURDER-SUICIDE 2008 Adviser: Dr. Suzanne Sparks FitzGerald Public Relations Graduate Program This study investigates the media's role in influencing public perception of the professional wrestling industry following the Chris Benoit double murder-suicide. The researcher sought to understand the manner in which newspapers portrayed the professional wrestling industry and whether media coverage in general played a role in forming the public's opinion of the industry. Through a content analysis of articles and headlines in The New York Times and The Miami Herald,the researcher evaluated the tone of the media coverage of the professional wrestling industry.