CNN's Portrayal of the Build Back Better Act

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of CNNs representation of the Build Back Better Act and its failure to pass senate reconciliation during the fall of 2021. The Build Back Better Act was a piece of legislation that intended to fix America’s social infrastructure, such as investing in education, the environment, expanded healthcare, etc. The bill ultimately failed and its replacement, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, cut numerous benefits that were proposed within the Build Back Better Act. Examination of broadcast transcripts during this period of time find an operationally liberal framing, though the focus of reports shifted overtime to focus less on the bill itself and more on the personalities surrounding the bill. A mixed methods examination of CNN transcripts during the months of contention for the bill will help identify the framings and changing narratives. Critical discourse analysis will be useful for examining the transcripts for terms and phrases that may have framed and potentially primed a response, while a quantitative examination of specific terms and phrases that may have primed a liberal or conservative response will help determine the frequency of framing and changing narratives during this time period.