Media Salience and Frame Changing in the Coverage of Mass Shootings: A Comparison of Ideological and Non-Ideological Attacks

Public concern over two distinct forms of episodic violence – mass shootings and terrorism – remains heightened. While historically regarded as distinct phenomenon, recent mass shootings expose a blurring of lines between them. Articles in the New York Times for both ideological (terrorist and extreme far-right) and non-ideological (school and workplace) mass shootings were analyzed to assess media framing and possible shifts in coverage over time. The findings indicate that while sharing many similarities, how these types of mass shootings are framed by the media diverge when the connotation of terrorism is present. In return, this may impact how news consumers come to understand these events.