Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-7-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Journalism
First Advisor
Zenebe Beyene
Second Advisor
Charles Mitchell
Third Advisor
Emily Ommundsen
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
This study examines how media coverage of the initial Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 influenced public opinion and policy discourse in the United States through the lens of the CNN Effect, agenda-setting, and framing. Focusing on the initial reporting is important because it captures a moment of high uncertainty, when audiences and policymakers were most reliant on journalistic framing to interpret the conflict that is still ongoing today. This research utilizes a qualitative content analysis to analyze fifteen news articles from three major U.S. newspapers, the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal, covering the initial invasion. Through Ross Howard’s framework for conflict-sensitive journalism, the study evaluates how these articles utilize factual reporting, historical context, humanitarian framing, discussions of the parties’ motivations and goals, and the United States’ perspective. The findings suggest that early coverage was largely grounded in factual and attributable reporting, but it also consistently incorporated framing devices that shaped interpretation of the conflict including strong humanitarian narratives emphasizing civilian harm, historical comparisons to previous conflicts, reliance on elite political sources to explain motivation with incorporation of the civilian perspective, and democratic and moral values. Overall, the analysis indicates that media coverage during the initial invasion played a significant agenda-setting and framing role, reinforcing the relevance of the CNN Effect while also highlighting its limitations. The study concludes that media, public opinion, and policy responses interact in a closely connected and reciprocal relationship, particularly during the early stages of international crises when uncertainty is highest. These interactions are essential to study as they have the potential to lay the groundwork for how the public views the rest of the conflict and eventual policy responses.
Recommended Citation
Landry, Grace A., "The Role of Media Coverage of Conflicts in Shaping Public Opinion: Exploring the CNN Effect in the Russia-Ukraine War" (2026). Honors Theses. 3505.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3505
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