Keywords
Local government
Media coverage
Responsibility attribution
News frame theory
Submitted : 2025-06-30
Accepted : 2025-07-15
Published : 2025-07-30
Abstract
Utilizing news frame theory, this study analyzed the media coverage of the Qingdao prawn incident. It examined the attribution of responsibility to local government and restaurant owners, along with the framing of the local government’s response. Out of 199 analyzed news reports, 28.6% emphasized the local government’s responsibility, and 22.6% highlighted the restaurant owners’. In terms of the local government’s response frames, negative responses were most prevalent at 21.1%, followed by positive (15.1%) and neutral (12.6%) frames. The data suggests that the media often holds the local government most accountable in public opinion crises, attributing significant blame to restaurant owners. The prevalence of negative framing indicates a bias towards critical coverage. Given the scarcity of neutral reporting, the need for balanced, objective reporting that scrutinizes the root causes and truth of events such as the Qingdao prawn incident is highlighted rather than adhering to superficial or biased narratives.
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