The natural framing of military conflict news. The 2008 war in Georgia in Resonance, Izvestia and The New York Times
Ekaterina Basilaia (Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Georgia),
Robert McKeever (University of South Carolina, U.S.A.),
Donald Shaw (University of North Carolina, U.S.A.)
ABSTRACT: Historically, news organizations located in the heart of conflict zones have been an important player in informing the public and shaping its understanding of particular issues. To advance research relating to international conflict coverage the current study analyzed how Georgian, Russian, and American media framed the 2008 war in Georgia. By examining coverage in Izvestia and Resonance as well as The New York Times — which is an important example of how the conflict was presented to the American public — this paper elucidates likely determinants of the type of news and events that are prioritized by media producers proximal to the region of conflict. We find the similarities in conflict reporting are as interesting as their differences.