This dissertation proposes a typology of the frames that uniquely characterize political cartoons, including first-order, second-order and overarching frames. It then proposes a model of the frame building process in political cartoons based on framing influences, first-order frames, rhetorical themes, framing devices and overarching frames. This model of frame building is tested in a content analysis of 496 political cartoons of Barack Obama covering the time from his presidential candidacy through his first year as president. The proposed frames and identified framing devices are analyzed against the different stages of Obama's campaign and presidency as well as the ideological slants of the cartoonists. Results showed that cartoonists tended to focus on politicking during Obama's campaign, but addressed policy during his presidency. Results also showed that cartoonists tended to portray news in their cartoons of Obama as part of a theme or broader narrative. Implications of this frame-building model on framing theory are discussed.
","abstract_html":"<p>This dissertation proposes a typology of the frames that uniquely characterize political cartoons, including first-order, second-order and overarching frames. It then proposes a model of the frame building process in political cartoons based on framing influences, first-order frames, rhetorical themes, framing devices and overarching frames. This model of frame building is tested in a content analysis of 496 political cartoons of Barack Obama covering the time from his presidential candidacy through his first year as president. The proposed frames and identified framing devices are analyzed against the different stages of Obama's campaign and presidency as well as the ideological slants of the cartoonists. Results showed that cartoonists tended to focus on politicking during Obama's campaign, but addressed policy during his presidency. Results also showed that cartoonists tended to portray news in their cartoons of Obama as part of a theme or broader narrative. Implications of this frame-building model on framing theory are discussed.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Palmer, Anthony"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Campus Access Dissertation","degree_discipline":"School of Journalism and Mass Communications","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Ran Wei"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:28Z","subjects":["Communication","Journalism Studies","Social and Behavioral Sciences","barack obama","content analysis","framing","political cartoons","political communication","rhetorical analysis"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2011, Anthony Palmer"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1502","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Ran Wei"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Palmer, Anthony"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["School of Journalism and Mass Communications"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Communication","Journalism Studies","Social and Behavioral Sciences","barack obama","content analysis","framing","political cartoons","political communication","rhetorical analysis"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2011, Anthony Palmer"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1502"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This dissertation proposes a typology of the frames that uniquely characterize political cartoons, including first-order, second-order and overarching frames. It then proposes a model of the frame building process in political cartoons based on framing influences, first-order frames, rhetorical themes, framing devices and overarching frames. This model of frame building is tested in a content analysis of 496 political cartoons of Barack Obama covering the time from his presidential candidacy through his first year as president. The proposed frames and identified framing devices are analyzed against the different stages of Obama's campaign and presidency as well as the ideological slants of the cartoonists. Results showed that cartoonists tended to focus on politicking during Obama's campaign, but addressed policy during his presidency. Results also showed that cartoonists tended to portray news in their cartoons of Obama as part of a theme or broader narrative. Implications of this frame-building model on framing theory are discussed.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Framing Analysis and Model of Barack Obama in Political Cartoons"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Ran Wei"],"dc:creator":["Palmer, Anthony"],"dc:description.abstract":["This dissertation proposes a typology of the frames that uniquely characterize political cartoons, including first-order, second-order and overarching frames. It then proposes a model of the frame building process in political cartoons based on framing influences, first-order frames, rhetorical themes, framing devices and overarching frames. This model of frame building is tested in a content analysis of 496 political cartoons of Barack Obama covering the time from his presidential candidacy through his first year as president. The proposed frames and identified framing devices are analyzed against the different stages of Obama's campaign and presidency as well as the ideological slants of the cartoonists. Results showed that cartoonists tended to focus on politicking during Obama's campaign, but addressed policy during his presidency. Results also showed that cartoonists tended to portray news in their cartoons of Obama as part of a theme or broader narrative. Implications of this frame-building model on framing theory are discussed.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1502"],"dc:rights":["© 2011, Anthony Palmer"],"dc:subject":["Communication","Journalism Studies","Social and Behavioral Sciences","barack obama","content analysis","framing","political cartoons","political communication","rhetorical analysis"],"dc:title":["A Framing Analysis and Model of Barack Obama in Political Cartoons"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["School of Journalism and Mass Communications"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:28Z"}