Open AccessFraming Immigration and Illegal Immigration in the 2016 Presidential Campaigns: Comparing Donald Trump and Bernie Sander’s Position
Author(s) -
Jin Sung Yang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
athens journal of mass media and communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2407-9499
DOI - 10.30958/ajmmc.7-1-1
Subject(s) - immigration , framing (construction) , sander , presidential system , political science , immigration policy , immigration law , presidential election , media studies , law , sociology , geography , politics , engineering , mechanical engineering , archaeology
This study compared the U.S. TV news coverage of Donald Trump’s and Bernie Sanders’ talking points on immigration in the 2016 presidential campaign. Utilizing six common frames on immigration in general and adopting framing’s function approach (which consists of definition, causes and solutions aspects of an issue or a topic under discussion) to illegal immigration, the study content analyzed 153 TV news transcripts. Trump's talking points highlighted the claim that immigrants were dangerous because they brought crimes to U.S., and they had to be deported and borders must be secured. Sanders’ talking points emphasized the idea of a nation of immigrants where even illegal immigrants should be entitled to basic human rights, and immigration reform constituted a better solution. The causes for illegal immigration, however, were largely marginalized in the TV news coverage. Keywords: Framing immigration, framing illegal immigration, framing’s function approach, 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, U.S. TV news coverage of election