COMM 201: Media Framing Analysis: Search Tips

Narrow your ProQuest results using filters

• Publication date: Narrow your search to the specific year you're interested in. If you click "Enter a date range," you can even narrow down to a specific month.
  
• Publication title: Use this filter to choose a specific newspaper.
  
• Document type: Use this filter to choose a specific type of article. Remember that "commentary," "editorial," "letter to the editor," are often opinions, not just objective news reporting.
  
• Subject: Use this filter to search by main ideas. Get ideas for search terms here too!
  

Keywords

• Use keywords related to your story, including names, locations, and key concepts.
• To search for a specific phrase, use quotation marks:
  • "book banning"
• Try keywords in different combinations:
  • "book bans" and "parental rights"
  • "book banning" and censorship
• Use the Advanced search to combine keywords
• Try searching for articles about media framing:
  • Mass media
  • Media framing
  • Media messaging

Tips for reading news articles

• Skim headlines and subheadings in the article.
• Read the "lead"
  • The first paragraph of each article typically summarizes the main points. This helps you decide if the article is worth reading.
• Take notes as you read. 
• Compare coverage across different news sources. See how different newspapers framed the story differently.