Hashing it out: an examination of the interaction of image and headline frames of marijuana in a time of flux

Abstract

The perception of marijuana in the contemporary move towards decriminalization and normalization in the United States and elsewhere will be affected by the manner in which the media visually and textually portray the drug. This study examines the visual and headline framing of marijuana prior to and following legalisation in Colorado, concentrating on issue framing and the valence or tone of visuals, words and their interaction. Results reveal different valences and issues amongst outlets and across time, and show complex and sometimes conflicting pairings of images and text. Neutral news outlets, while seemingly most neutral in image and in headline, were more slanted when pairing images with headlines, although they most frequently paired neutrally toned headlines with neutrally toned images. On the other hand, liberal and conservative news outlets most frequently showed neutrally valenced images with neutrally valenced headlines. While neutral news outlets may be lauded for presenting issues in a neutral tone, they are sending more mixed messages, visually, than the other outlets. Mostly framed as a political issue, marijuana was also heavily emphasised by its criminal and medical aspects. However, conservative news outlets presented its criminal aspect more than the other outlets.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tara Marie Mortensen

Tara Marie Mortensen received her BS from Black Hills State University and her MS from South Dakota State University. She received a doctorate degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina, where she studies citizen photojournalism and its impact on professional photojournalism and visual stereotyping.

Aimei Yang received her BA and MA from Nankai University. She was pursuing a PhD at the University of Oklahoma when she found her true calling in PR – a field that combined her academic background in journalism and advertising with her personal interest in NGOs and activism communications. Prior to USC, Yang was an Assistant Professor at Dayton University. She is currently working with Annenberg graduate students on projects, including how Chinese NGOs are helping the government develop soft power and how PR associations build connections across different countries, among others.

Anan Wan is a doctoral student of Mass Communication at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. She earned her Master’s degree in Journalism at the West Virginia University. Wan studies strategic communications, social media and visual communications.