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Article
Night and Day: An Illustration of Framing and Moral Foundations in the Oklahoma Shariah Amendment Campaign
Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly (2016)
  • Brian J. Bowe
  • Jennifer Hoewe, University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa
Abstract
This study analyzes letters to the editor in two Oklahoma newspapers during the debate over a constitutional amendment banning judicial use of the Islamic moral code called “Shariah Law.” Using Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) to operationalize the moral evaluations in media framing, three morality-based frames were identified: a Patriot frame emphasizing Shariah’s harms, a Heritage frame advocating loyalty to the American Way, and a Golden Rule frame promoting equal treatment of Muslims. Each frame was related to moral foundations that align with particular political ideologies, and amendment supporters were more likely to frame their arguments in moral terms.
Keywords
  • moral foundations,
  • media framing,
  • journalism,
  • news media,
  • Shariah,
  • Islamic Studies,
  • Islam,
  • newspapers,
  • Oklahoma
Publication Date
January 27, 2016
DOI
10.1177/1077699016628806
Citation Information
Brian J. Bowe and Jennifer Hoewe. "Night and Day: An Illustration of Framing and Moral Foundations in the Oklahoma Shariah Amendment Campaign" Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly (2016)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/brianjbowe/31/