Examining message framing in a higher education crisis: A qualitative analysis of organizational perspectives and media portrayals

Abstract

On January 22, 2024, all 23 California State University (CSU) campuses participated in the largest higher education labor strike in U.S. history. Shortly after news outlets learned of a planned strike, coverage of the strike and ongoing negotiations between the California Faculty Association (CFA) union and CSU management rapidly intensified. This study aimed to analyze the message framing of two opposing organizations representing higher education interests and investigate whether their framing influenced how the news media portrayed the crisis. We employed thematic analysis to examine three sources of information published before, during, and after the strike from June 1, 2023, to February 29, 2024: CSU press releases and direct communication to faculty; CFA press releases and direct communication to members; and national news coverage of the strike. Through iterative coding and theme development, we identified key frames used by the organizations and the media. From our analysis of the CSU and CFA communication, competing frames emerged around three overarching categories: (1) framing of the self, (2) framing of the other, and (3) framing of the situation. Three media frames also emerged from the news coverage: (1) disruptions for students, (2) student support for faculty, and (3) contextualization of the crisis. We discuss the implications of these findings for the theory and practice of message framing.