Abstract
This study examines the framing of dairy farming in U.S. news, focusing on framing functions, subject matter, and informational and moral/ethical frames. Through a quantitative content analysis of 282 news pieces from eight outlets, this research explores how the dairy is represented and considers potential implications for public perception. Findings indicate that problem definition was the most prominent framing function, appearing in all sampled pieces, while moral evaluations and treatment recommendations were present in only a quarter of the coverage. Dairy demand was the most frequently discussed topic, and farm failures received significantly more attention than farm successes. Informational frames were largely negative, aligning with previous research indicating a news media tendency to highlight industry challenges. Moral/ethical frames were predominantly neutral, suggesting minimal explicit opinions from news outlets. These results suggest that news coverage may contribute to a perception of dairy farming as facing persistent difficulties with few presented solutions. Recommendations include enhancing industry transparency, highlighting positive developments, and addressing concerns through educational initiatives and strategic communication. This study provides a foundation for further research on media framing’s influence on public attitudes and offers insights for shaping industry narratives.
Recommended Citation
Gustin, Hannah; Fischer, Laura Morgan; Callison, Coy; Seltzer, Trent; and Norman, Mary (2025) "Milked Messages: Exploring Dairy Industry Narratives in U.S. News," Journal of Applied Communications: Vol. 109: Iss. 4.
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