Black and Mainstream Press' Framing of Racial Profiling

Racial profiling has been a controversial topic in civil right's dialogue for centuries beginning with the Negro Free Registry in the slave era, emerging again with the 1980s 'War on Drugs,' and climaxing with the 2000 'War on Terror.' This study offers an in-depth overview of the evolution of racial profiling in the United States throughout these diverse periods. It specifically offers an in-depth examination of how mainstream and Black press newspapers framed the phenomena of 'racial profiling' three years before and after the September 11 terrorist attacks. It offers readers a peek at the various types of frames, ethnic groups, and sources that journalists chose in their quest to cover the issue. Moreover, it defines, compares, and contrasts the differences in Black and Mainstream media's coverage of the issue and the unique purpose that each media form serves. Finally, this work provides a brilliant example of a frame analysis carried to its full extent.