UROP Project

The Framing of Queer Victimization in News Media

news media, LGBTQ+, framing, victimization, news media analysis
Research Mentor: Sam Sutton, she/her
Department, College, Affiliation: Criminology and Criminal Justice, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Contact Email: ses25a@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Preference for Criminology and Criminal Justice or Sociology, Open to Political Science, Social Work, or Other Social Sciences
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable

Project Description

This project is focused on understanding how written news media frames events surrounding the victimization of queer individuals through the theoretical mechanism of frame building. To do this, articles will be pulled from five different news sources that span across political ideologies over the course of a nine-year time span. This time span allows for political powers in charge to shift over time as well as provides additional context to the new articles whose sources don't change their ideological stance. After articles are identified as being part of the desired sample, they are then read through carefully and are individually coded based on a set of criteria. After all the identified articles are coded, basic analyses will be run to understand these frames and subsequent messaging.

Research Tasks: Use search engines and a set criterion to identify articles for inclusion in the study
Read and code articles in an objective way
Possibly assist with finding sources for a literature review

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Comfortability with the Microsoft Suite, primarily Excel
Critical Thinking, Time-Management, Detail Oriented
Recommended: Basic Stata Understanding

Mentoring Philosophy

I view mentorship as a guide and learn process. It’s my responsibility as a research mentor to guide mentees through the process, teaching the skills that are needed to be successful and honing skills that are already possessed. Creating the space for mentees not only to learn but to ask questions and be curious about broader research is another element of this and is something that I prioritize in the guiding process. On top of that though, there is also the opportunity to learn on my end from the distinctive experiences and insights that mentees bring. Every individual has the ability to enhance the project through their own history and perspectives, but there is also much that I can learn from mentees unique viewpoints. It’s this process of both guiding and learning that leads to the mentorship relationship being a collaborative endeavor. This allows a space for shared expectations and to work towards both mine and my mentees goals.

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