Public Relations Review 35 (2009) 107–112 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Public Relations Review How do the news media frame crises? A content analysis of crisis news coverage Seon-Kyoung An a,* , Karla K. Gower b,1 a College of Communication & Information Sciences, The University of Alabama, P.O. Box 870172, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0172, United States b Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, Department of Advertising & Public Relations, The University of Alabama, P.O. Box 870172, 462A Reese Phifer Hall, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0172, United States article info Article history: Received 20 June 2008 Received in revised form 14 October 2008 Accepted 12 January 2009 Keywords: Crisis news News frame Content analysis abstract The present study is a content analysis of crisis news frames found in 2006 crisis news coverage. A total of 247 news stories were analyzed to examine which of five news frames (attribution of responsibility, human interest, conflict, morality, and economic) and level of responsibility (individual and organizational level) were used by the media according to crisis type. While the attribution of responsibility frame was the most predominantly used in crisis news coverage, the use of each of the five frames depended on crisis type. The use of level of responsibility also varied by crisis type and was related to the five frames; individual level of responsibility was used more with morality, human interest, and attribution of responsibility frames. Implications and suggestions based on the results were discussed. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Frames are powerful mechanisms that can help define and solve problems and shape public opinion (Knight, 1999). Much of the research on framing has focused on media frames in relation to public policy issues, although framing research is also potentially useful for identifying the strategic messages created by public relations practitioners (Hallahan, 1999). In crisis communication, framing analysis can provide crisis managers with useful insights into the appropriate crisis response strategies to minimize the damage to an organization’s image (Boyd, 2000; Coombs, 2006a; Hearit, 1994). Typologies of crisis response strategies have been developed and tested through framing research (e.g., Benoit, 1995; Coombs, 1999; Coombs & Holladay, 1996). However, that approach fails to consider how the media framed the crisis at the outset. A crisis is “an event for which people seek causes and make attributions” (Coombs & Holladay, 2004, p. 97). People seek information about the crisis and evaluate the cause of the event and the organizational responsibility for the crisis based on media coverage of the crisis. Therefore, it is important to look at how the media frame a crisis event, the cause of the crisis, and the actor responsible for it because those frames influence the public’s perception and impressions of the organization (Coombs, 2006b). This study aims to fill that gap by identifying what kinds of news frames have been used in the coverage of crises. Based on previous research into news framing, this study uses a content analysis to explore the different media frames used by crisis type. Ultimately, the findings can better inform crisis managers of the influence of news coverage on people’s perceptions and, simultaneously, can have implications for future research into response strategies. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 205 239 8475. E-mail addresses: san1@bama.ua.edu (S.-K. An), gower@apr.ua.edu (K.K. Gower). 1 Tel.: +1 205 348 0132. 0363-8111/$ – see front matter © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2009.01.010