NCJ Number
237562
Date Published
2011
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This study compared the newspaper coverage of the Amanda Knox trial to examine whether cultural bias existed in the reporting.
Abstract
This paper examines the cross-cultural similarities and differences between American and British newspaper coverage of Amanda Knox during the process of her trial; it identifies common themes and measures the balance of source inclusion and quotes from involved parties. Findings support the theory that people, places, and things are often distorted and misrepresented in the media; bias in the portrayal of Knox was evident in both the New York Times and the Guardian. Findings show that the most notable disparity between the two newspapers was the Guardian's tendency to use sexually based descriptions and physical descriptions when referring to Knox, a component almost nonexistent in the New York Times articles. Articles from both sets of data show a larger percentage of negative portrayals of Knox compared to positive ones, while both sets of data include a larger percentage of sources claiming that Knox was not guilty. Data were analyzed using 13 articles from each publication from before and during the trial proceedings. Tables, graphs, and references