Abstract
Kenneth Burke’s dramatistic pentad was used to analyze Edward Snowden’s National Security Agency (NSA) document leaks from June 5, 2013 through October 1, 2013 as published in the New York Times (NYT) and the Guardian. The articles were coded by newspaper, headline, reporting journalist, page prominence, word count, publication date, and tone of stories. Content analysis revealed that the Guardian utilized the word “whistleblower” extensively in a positive way while the NYT most often used the term “leaker” in a negative way. Both papers overlap in their identification of Snowden’s actions as one of the most significant intelligence disclosures since the Pentagon Papers.
Thesis Record URL
Location
Buller Hallway
Start Date
3-6-2015 2:30 PM
End Date
3-6-2015 4:00 PM
P-30 Edward Snowden, Criminal or Patriot: Media coverage of National Security Agency document leaks
Buller Hallway
Kenneth Burke’s dramatistic pentad was used to analyze Edward Snowden’s National Security Agency (NSA) document leaks from June 5, 2013 through October 1, 2013 as published in the New York Times (NYT) and the Guardian. The articles were coded by newspaper, headline, reporting journalist, page prominence, word count, publication date, and tone of stories. Content analysis revealed that the Guardian utilized the word “whistleblower” extensively in a positive way while the NYT most often used the term “leaker” in a negative way. Both papers overlap in their identification of Snowden’s actions as one of the most significant intelligence disclosures since the Pentagon Papers.
Acknowledgments
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Advisor: Desrene Vernon-Brebnor, Communication