U.S. newspaper coverage of immigration in 2004: a content analysis

This study examined the U.S. newspaper coverage of immigration in 2004. Previous studies have focused on the ideological implication of news coverage, showing that the news frames conveyed elites?? racism toward immigrants. Little research has been done to offer an overview of the general U.S. news content on immigration in the 21st century, such as a study on how topics, themes, and sources shape news frames. Guided by the principle of framing, this study explored the topics, themes, sources, frames, and differences of three major U.S. newspapers??The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Houston Chronicle??on immigration. One hundred and twenty-nine articles were examined for this study. The study found that a frame of ??confrontation and frustration?? emerged from the most dominant topics, themes, and sources present in the newspapers. The study also showed that the newspapers were less concerned about differentiating between ??who was legal and who was illegal.?? Half of the time, the newspapers studied represented immigrants, regardless of legal status, as one group. The newspapers were found to be more concerned about reporting the immigrants?? shared experience of living in a non-native country, including shared problems such as in home ownership and in education. Differences among newspapers showed The New York Times?? ??unofficial newspaperof record?? reputation, the Houston Chronicle??s local emphasis, and the Los Angeles Times?? reflection of minority power in California.