Nationwide Newspaper Coverage of Comprehensive Immigration Reform: A Community Structure Approach

Authors:

• Patrick H. Hall (College of New Jersey)
• Steven Viani (College of New Jersey)
• Alexander Liberton (College of New Jersey)
• John C. Pollock (College of New Jersey)

Abstract:

Utilizing the community structure approach (a research model that connects city characteristics with variations in newspaper coverage of significant events or topics), a nationwide cross-section of 21 newspapers were sampled to analyze coverage of comprehensive immigration reform. After running Pearson correlations and regression analyses, it was found that middle-aged adults and mainline Protestants are especially significant in determining newspaper coverage of the issue in an "exclusive" direction.