Otherization of Africa: How American media framed people with HIV/AIDS in Africa from 1987 to 2017.

Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Washington, DC.

Abstract: This study examined otherization framing of people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa in American print news from 1987-2007. The results of a content analysis of a representative sample of news articles from three outlets (N=421) show that American media overwhelmingly used otherization frames throughout the 20-year period, resulting in a large percentage of negatively toned coverage in American newspaper reporting of the topic on the African continent. The study represents the first attempt to quantify otherization framing of Africa in HIV/AIDS context. The implications for international reporting and theory are discussed.

Michael Cacciatore  Ivanka Pjesivac 

Related Research


The visuals of a changing newsroom: Analyzing local coverage of the midterm election in Georgia

Andrea Hudson and Matt Binford (Ph.D. Candidate) (2023). The visuals of a changing newsroom: Analyzing local coverage of the midterm election in Georgia. Accepted for presentation to the Visual Communication Division of the […]

Andrea HudsonMatthew Binford
read more
Making nuance noticeable: Efficacy of intersectional representations on US immigration attitudes in news media exemplars

Partain, L., & Read, G. L.  “Making nuance noticeable: Efficacy of intersectional representations on US immigration attitudes in news media exemplars,” paper to be presented at International Communication Association. Toronto, Canada. […]

Glenna Read
read more