Dynamic and Function of Framing in Journalism: A Model Based on 9/11 News Reports

Many studies treat news framing as a static phenomenon and fail to capture the framing process during breaking news events. This study explores the dynamic nature of news framing through an analysis of The New York Times’ continuous reporting on the September 11 attacks. The findings reveal four key characteristics of dynamic framing: stabilization, re-focalization, frame shifts, and frame convergence. Frames evolved from exploratory at the initial stage to increasingly focalized and stabilized in later stages. Re-focalization occurred as primary natural frames lost dominance to extended and marginal frames. Frame shifts, including frame desertion, transformation, and absorption, highlighted changes in news framing as reporting developed. Frame convergence marked the final phase, with dominant frames integrating others to create cohesive narratives. This study provides a model of news framing as a dynamic focalizing process, offering insights into the evolution of news discourse during continuous reporting. The findings contribute to framing theory by emphasizing the fluidity of news framing in breaking news contexts and hold implications for understanding framing in other types of news events.