Type of Document	Master's Thesis
Author	Harang, Paul
Author's Email Address	paulharang@gmail.com
URN	etd-11112009-230423
Title	Why Is It Washing Away? Advocacy Groups and the Framing of Louisiana's Coastal Wetlands Loss in Local Newspapers
Degree	Master of Mass Communication (M.M.C.)
Department	Mass Communication
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Mann, Jr., Robert Townley Committee Chair Goidel, Robert Kirby Committee Member Osborne, Anne Cunningham Committee Member
Keywords	greenwashing coastal erosion wetlands advocacy groups newspaper frames framing
Date of Defense	2009-10-28
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Louisiana’s coastal wetlands provide a habitat for diverse wildlife, recreational opportunities for Louisiana residents and tourists, and an important natural buffer between communities and powerful hurricanes. Because they are disappearing at a rapid rate, coastal wetlands issues have been prominent in south Louisiana for decades. The catastrophic hurricanes of 2005 and 2008 have given the discussion an increased sense of urgency. Through this paper, I explore coverage of wetlands loss in local south Louisiana daily newspapers. Specifically, I try to determine how these papers frame the issue and illuminate how sources present in these stories participate in the construction of those frames. I then discuss the advocacy group America’s WETLAND’s role as a newspaper source, how the group developed and maintains its message, and the relationship between that message and the group’s sponsors. Finally, I interview journalists who cover the issue for newspapers in south Louisiana and the managing director of America’s WETLAND.
Files	Filename       Size       Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)     28.8 Modem   56K Modem   ISDN (64 Kb)   ISDN (128 Kb)   Higher-speed Access    harangthesis.pdf 203.84 Kb 00:00:56 00:00:29 00:00:25 00:00:12 00:00:01

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