News Framing During a Time of Impending War: An Examination of Coverage in The New York Times prior to the 2003 Iraq War

This article is an empirical analysis that falls under the category of media criticism and accountability. Specifically, the study investigated the manner in which The New York Times framed the events, issues and actors during the month prior to the start of the 2003 war with Iraq. The study focused on: Saddam Hussein, George Bush Jr, the United Nations, weapons of mass destruction, the US Armed Forces (in Iraq) and France, Germany and Russia. The study discovered negative bias in the coverage, especially toward Saddam Hussein, WMDs, the UN and France, Germany and Russia.