Macro-level Analysis
The macro level of analysis looks at the big picture, and the context through which the news is provided.
- Is the article long or short?
- What is the headline?
- Which images have been chosen (if any)?
- Are there specific call outs in the form of takeaway quotes or stats, made larger or presented in a different font to bring additional attention to specific content?
- Are there hyperlinks available to other “related” content?
- For print coverage, is the article on the first page, above the fold, or included in a different section?
- For online coverage, is the article on the homepage, or included in a different tab?
For example, shortly after Donald Trump was elected president, he appointed Steve Bannon as his chief of staff—a controversial move given Bannon’s past comments about certain minority groups. Take the following two screenshots from the front page of two major news sources, captured within 10 seconds of each other, in the midst of media discussing the controversy. Certainly the macro-level analyses specific to placement, context, and headline tone suggest different frames.
