Media Framing and Citizen Engagement in News Discourse
Summary
Media framing and citizen engagement in contemporary news discourse explore how editorial choices shape public perception and how ordinary individuals participate as news contributors. Framing refers to the selection and emphasis of particular aspects of a story—such as focusing on individual cases or broader contexts—to guide audience interpretation and emotional response. Citizen engagement encompasses the roles that non-elite actors play in news production and reception, from brief street interviews to sustained online interaction. Together, these processes determine which voices are amplified, how responsibility and urgency are attributed, and ultimately how democratic deliberation and social cohesion are fostered. Research in this domain spans diverse contexts—including electoral campaigns, public health crises and crime reporting—revealing the practical implications of framing strategies for policy support, media literacy and inclusive journalism.
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Media Framing and Citizen Engagement in News Discourse publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in media framing and citizen engagement in news discourse across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Framing: The process of selecting and emphasising elements of a news story to influence audience interpretation and emotional reaction.
Episodic framing: Presentation of issues through specific, concrete events or individual cases.
Thematic framing: Presentation of issues within a broader socio-political or historical context.
Vox pops: Short, unscripted interviews with members of the public used to capture citizen viewpoints in news reports.
Citizen engagement: The active participation of individuals in news discourse, whether as sources, commentators or digital interactants.
References
- Using public opinion to serve journalistic narratives: Rethinking vox pops and live two-way reporting in five UK election campaigns (2009–2017). European Journal of Communication (2018).
- Story character, news source or vox pop? Representations and roles of citizen perspectives in crime news narratives. Journalism (2021).
- Framing, emotions, and morality: Understanding media influence on moral attitudes towards the unvaccinated during COVID-19. The Social Science Journal (2025).
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