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Factors and Frames That Shape Public Discourse Around Road User Safety
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2021-10-01
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[PDF-2.56 MB]
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Corporate Contributors:United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program ; United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration ; Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety
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Edition:Final Report (May 2019 – May 2021), Slide Deck
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Abstract:The purpose of this project was to uncover common framing and narrative devices used in covering traffic crash events in televised news. The research team identified relevant TV news stories linked to 36 different new stations’ Facebook pages for abstraction. Half of the stations were in Core-Based Statistical Areas with one or more principal cities operating Vision Zero programs, and half were not. Systematically coding 1,156 crash-featuring Facebook posts, the team explored how media framing varied as a function of the crash details included in stories, and how framing and narrative techniques interacted with the public’s engagement with crash-featuring news coverage. Results suggest that Facebook posts featuring the people involved in or witnessing crash events tended to attract more and deeper engagement on crash-involved posts. However, posts featuring vulnerable road users, such as older adults, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists were associated with less engagement among TV news stations’ Facebook audiences. Further, a dominant type of crash framing involved describing crashes as something that delays motor vehicle traffic. Promisingly, incorporating quotes from crash witnesses, elected officials, and employing thematic frames and victim narratives was associated with higher level of public engagement with news agencies’ crash-featuring Facebook posts. This research ends on a call for those in transportation, public health, and news journalism to reshape the narrative around traffic injury, acknowledging the substantial public health burden of road injury and providing pragmatic insight into the fact that safety investments can improve the safety, health, and well-being of all road users.
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