MEDIA FRAMING AND SOCIAL MEDIA DISCOURSE: A POSITIONING ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE PRESENT ON FACEBOOK by Ian Nutter A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of George Mason University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Conflict Analysis and Resolution Master of Arts Conflict Resolution and Mediterranean Security Committee: ___________________________________________ Chair of Committee ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Graduate Program Director ___________________________________________ Dean, School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution Date: _____________________________________ Fall Semester 2017 George Mason University Fairfax, VA University of Malta Valletta, Malta Media Framing and Social Media Discourse: a Positioning Analysis of Political Discourse Present on Facebook A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at George Mason University, and the degree of Master of Arts at the University of Malta by Ian Nutter Bachelor of Arts Christopher Newport University, 2012 Director: Lourdes Pullicino, Professor Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies Fall Semester 2017 George Mason University Fairfax, VA University of Malta Valletta, Malta Copyright 2017 Ian Nutter All Rights Reserved ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Through times of tumult and triumph, this along with any other monumental task would have been impossible without the love and support of my friends and family, to all of you I must extend a special word of thanks. First and foremost however, words of thanks are due my fantastic parents David and Sarah who more than anyone else in my life have supported me no matter the dream. Your encouragement has been the fundament from which every great task I have accomplished has sprung. Regarding the accomplishment of completing the intensive year of studies to earn these two degrees I must first applaud all of the faculty and staff for fantastic instruction and enthusiasm for creating an engaging curricula. However, alongside the faculty and staff I must applaud and thank my colleagues in the cohort who have both been resources in and outside the classroom both scholastically and in leisure, without the balance provided and afforded through them the task at hand could very well have been overwhelming. Finally, last but certainly not least, I must extend a word of thanks directly to my advisor in the project, Lourdes Pullicino. Without your assistance in paring down my ideas I would be lost. Your patience and sincerity have not gone unnoticed and I cannot thank you enough for the feedback you’ve given me along the way. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Figures .................................................................................................................. viii Abstract ............................................................................................................................ viii Chapter One - Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 Purpose Statement and Research Question ..................................................................... 5 Chapter Two – Literature Review ....................................................................................... 7 Polarization? .................................................................................................................... 8 Power? ........................................................................................................................... 18 Commodification and the Spiral of Echoes................................................................... 22 Public vs. Privacy .......................................................................................................... 23 Chapter Three – Theoretical Framework .......................................................................... 28 Chapter Four – Methodology ............................................................................................ 36 About the Sequential Exploratory Strategy ................................................................... 37 Data Selection ............................................................................................................... 38 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 39 Utilizing Positioning Theory for Qualitative Data Analysis ..................................... 40 Utilizing Positioning Theory for Quantitative Data Analysis ................................... 45 Framing ......................................................................................................................... 45 Chapter Five – Qualitative Data Analysis ........................................................................ 47 HuffPost ........................................................................................................................ 47 Framing Analysis .................................................................................................. 47 Positioning Analysis ............................................................................................. 48 Concluding Remarks ............................................................................................. 52 MSNBC ......................................................................................................................... 54 Framing Analysis .................................................................................................. 54 Positioning Analysis ............................................................................................. 55 Concluding Remarks ............................................................................................. 62 iv Fox News....................................................................................................................... 63 Framing Analysis .................................................................................................. 63 Positioning Analysis ............................................................................................. 65 Concluding Remarks ............................................................................................. 69 Breitbart ......................................................................................................................... 70 Framing Analysis .................................................................................................. 70 Positioning Analysis ............................................................................................. 71 Concluding Remarks ............................................................................................. 79 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 79 Chapter Six – Quantitative Data Analysis ........................................................................ 81 HuffPost ........................................................................................................................ 85 Framing Analysis .................................................................................................. 85 Positioning Analysis ............................................................................................. 87 MSNBC ......................................................................................................................... 90 Framing Analysis .................................................................................................. 90 Positioning Analysis ............................................................................................. 91 Fox News....................................................................................................................... 93 Framing Analysis .................................................................................................. 93 Positioning Analysis ............................................................................................. 95 Breitbart ......................................................................................................................... 97 Framing Analysis .................................................................................................. 97 Positioning Analysis ............................................................................................. 98 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 100 Chapter Seven – Conclusion ........................................................................................... 102 Limitations to This Study ............................................................................................ 106 Areas for Future Research ........................................................................................... 107 Appendix A – Coding Escalation ................................................................................... 108 Appendix B – Transcripts ............................................................................................... 109 MSNBC ....................................................................................................................... 109 Breitbart ......................................................................................................................