1. Denotative Language: The denotation of
a word is its explicit definition as listed in
a dictionary.
Connotative Language: The
association or set of associations that
a word usually brings to mind.

2.  Carsof the 1960’s
 Thunderbird, Falcon, Charger, Comet,
Mustang, Barracuda.
 Carsof the 1970’s
 Rabbit, Pinto, Colt, Civic, Starlet, Gremlin.

3. Positive Connotation: Sally was an
enthusiastic member of her sorority.
Neutral: Sally was an active member of her
sorority.
Negative Connotation: Sally was a fanatical
member of her sorority.

4.  Disabled vs. handicapped vs. differently-abled.
 Thin vs. slender vs. slim
 Fat vs. obese vs. heavy
 Republican vs. conservative vs. right wing
 Democrat vs. liberal vs. progressive vs. left wing
 Gay vs. gay

5. Media Literacy &
Journalism
Agenda Setting
Agenda setting refers to the theory that
the news media have a large influence
on audiences by their choice of what
stories to consider newsworthy and how
much prominence and space to give
them.

6. Media Literacy &
Journalism
Agenda Setting Example 1
 The Iraq War: The amount of news coverage on the
war made it the prominent topic for discussion in the
American political arena. However, as the war
progressed, there was less and less news coverage
about the war – making it less important in the political
agenda of the American public.

7. Media Literacy &
Journalism
Agenda Setting Example 2
 The Penn State Child Abuse Scandal: In the midst of
the Republican presidential campaign, the child abuse
scandal at Penn State was exposed. Suddenly, news
about the Republican presidential race was always
secondary to the unfolding Penn State story. Now, that
story has disappeared from the news even though the
story isn’t finished.

8. Media Literacy &
Journalism
Priming
“Priming occurs when news content suggests
to news audiences that they ought to use
specific issues as benchmarks for evaluating
the performance of leaders and government.”
Scheufele & Tewksbury

9. Media Literacy &
Journalism
 Priming Example
The Iraq War: The decision to invade Iraq was a direct
response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Most news
stories treated the invasion as a needed, necessary
response by America to show that it won’t stand down
in the face of terror. Subsequently, the media
suggested that we judge the effectiveness of President
Bush as a leader based on his decisive, swift response.

10. Media Literacy &
Journalism
 Framing
“Media framing is the process by which an
issue is portrayed in the news media. Media
frames provide boundaries around a news
story and determine what is and is not
newsworthy or notable. Journalists rely on
media frames to decide what to include in a
story and what to leave out, a process that may
be conscious, instinctive, or culture-bound.”
-UCLA Center for Communications & Community

11. Media Literacy &
Journalism
 Framing Examples
Let’s say the Ku Klux Klan is planning on holding a rally
on the grounds of the state capitol.
 Story 1: One local nightly news broadcast does a
story on the rally, suggesting that the Klan rally might
attract protestors, which might result in violence. A
police sergeant is interviewed about how extra security
is going to be needed to prevent injuries. The news
reporter has framed this story as a public safety issue.

12. Media Literacy &
Journalism
 Story 2: On the same night, another local
news broadcast does a story on the rally,
focusing on the Klan’s right to assemble in
public and voice their opinions. A university
law professor is interviewed about the Klan’s
right to assemble under the protection of the
Bill of Rights. The news reporter has framed
the same story as a freedom of speech issue.

13. The Trayvon Martin Media Bias