Visualizing the game frame: constructing political competition through television images in referendum coverage. (November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dekavalla, Marina
• Is Part Of: Visual communication. Volume 19:Number 4(2020)
• Page Start: 483
• Page End: 505
• Publication Date: 2020-11
• Subjects: media -- referendum -- strategic game frame -- television -- visual framing; Visual communication -- Periodicals; Popular culture -- Periodicals; Art and society -- Periodicals; 302.222
• DOI: 10.1177/1470357218801395
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1470-3572

Abstract

The strategic game frame, which is a media construction of political events as strategic competition between opponents, has so far been operationalized and measured primarily through verbal indicators. This study extends the operationalization of the frame to television visuals. The article argues that visuals are just as powerful as words in conveying the game frame; however, this can go unnoticed and thus unchallenged, if we focus on analyzing verbal content alone. Visuals should thus be problematized and systematically embedded in empirical studies of the game frame. This qualitative analysis shows how this can be done and, specifically, identifies elements of mise-en-scène, such as setting, actors, camera movement and props, which can constitute empirical indicators for the strategic game frame in television texts. The article uses data from the coverage of a recent referendum in Scotland to illustrate these indicators in use with examples.