Date of Award

3-2-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Pavel Shlossberg

Second Advisor

Dr. Carolyn Cunningham

Abstract

This thesis uses a content analysis in order to answer the question of how incarceration is framed by popular reality and fictional dramas focused on prisons. Employing a coding system to analyze the episodes of two popular televisions show about incarceration, this study is concerned with how and what content is being presented to the audience and how it is framed. Using Oz and Lock-up as text, the study used Entman’s (1993) four processes of framing communication. It was determined that the information and themes of incarceration in the television programs were unrealistic representations of prisoners, rehabilitation programs within the prisons, and reasons for incarceration. The study determined an inaccurate frame of the prison demographic is presented to audiences regarding incarceration. Although this study represents a limited amount of text, the results leave open the possibility of furthering the research and applying the content to a larger-scale study, including the impact of the frames on prison programs and sentencing.

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