Fifteen minutes of glory: A Burkean analysis of press coverage of Oliver north's testimony |
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Authors: | John Marlier |
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Affiliation: | Division of Communication Studies , Emerson College , Boston, MA, 02116 |
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Abstract: | Public esteem for Lt. Col. Oliver North prior to his testimony before the Iran‐contra Committee was low. As he testified, his popularity and support soared, and then tailed off after he left the witness stand. This analysis suggests that these dramatic shifts in audience response to the drama of Oliver North are attributable to the evocation of different audience values before, during, and after his testimony by press coverage of his story which placed differential emphasis on the elements of Kenneth Burke's dramatistical pentad. The differential impacts of print and electronic media to these audience effects are assessed through content analysis. Implications for political processes in general in our media society are discussed. |
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Keywords: | Oliver North Iran‐contra Burkean analysis content analysis mediated political reality editorial slant agenda setting |
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