Part of the Narrative: Generic News Frames in the Us Recreational Marijuana Policy Subsystem

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-28-2020

Publication Title

Politics & Policy

First page number:

1

Last page number:

27

Abstract

In the growing body of research on policy change and in the relatively new frontier of the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF), the components comprising narratives' structure are still under construction. One opportunity for additional research relates to examining the role of frames. This article examines generic news frames used to report on ballot initiatives legalizing recreational marijuana in three states and conceptually orients these frames within NPF. Using a mixed methods analysis, the findings suggest that in the emerging U.S. recreational marijuana legalization policy subsystem, setting helped explain reporters' use of certain generic frames. The findings provide support for the inclusion of generic frames as part of NPF's narrative theory, open up potential for new research designs, and further clarify media's role in the development of policy narratives. From a practical perspective, the analysis contributes insight into how media inform constituents about new marijuana laws.

Keywords

Generic news frames; Framing; Narrative policy framework; NPF; Conflict frame; Recreational marijuana legalization; United states; Comparative policy; Political communications; Storytelling; Media

Disciplines

Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Public Policy | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Language

English

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