COM 621 Research Proposal
The Agenda Setting Theory and Use of Rhetoric in Media Reporting of Celebrity and Public Figures Deaths
A Research Proposal
by
Gaelynn Petry
Buffalo State University
COM 621
Professor Myers
December 2024
Introduction:
The intention of this research proposal is to take a closer look at the way various media outlets report on the death of a celebrity or public figure. It will look at which media outlets are first to report the deaths, when the news is first reported and the type of rhetoric used in the reporting. The primary research question I hope to answer is: is there a difference in reporting based on the person or the circumstances of their death? The factors I intend to look at are age and overall health, length of career, was the death deemed “natural” or were there other outside factors involved (i.e. drugs, alcohol, or mental distress). Further does public response impact the media coverage?
With the deaths of several prominent public figures in recent months and years, it has been interesting to see the differences in how their deaths are portrayed and reported on by the media. The three public figure deaths I will consider are those of Dame Maggie Smith, James Earl Jones, Liam Payne. Taking a look at the media coverage of these deaths, as well as past prominent figures like Princess Diana and Michael Jackson will provide a well rounded set of examples to look at. These cases all received global wide media coverage in the wake of their passings therefore providing ample evidence to sift through. In some of the cases there were outside factors involved, and the deaths were deemed “sudden” or “tragic”. In others, the deaths were somewhat anticipated given the person’s age but were still unexpected in that moment.
Literature Review
Reporting on the death of both public figures and not is nothing new to the media world. Death notices, or more the commonly termed obituaries have existed in some form as far back as the ancient Romans (Roos, n.d.). When the printing press came around, obituaries became more common, with the length of the obituary dependent on the fame and stature of the deceased. The more famous the person the longer the tribute. When a very prominent public figure died the media coverage goes beyond the simple obituary. In the case of the assassination of President Lincoln, nearly the entire front page of the New York Herald is dedicated to information about his death (The New York Herald, 1865).
In modern day media, the death of a public figure, politician or celebrity will consist of multiple days’ worth of media coverage. This can include television news broadcasts, radio broadcasts, newspapers, magazines, and social media sites. The coverage ranges from the initial announcement of the death and additional details as they are released, reflection and tributes on their life and career, coverage of fan memorials or tributes, and finally coverage of the funeral or public memorial if there is one. The level of fame and stature of the deceased will undoubtedly determine the extent of the media coverage. If it is a world leader or major politician, certainly national level coverage if not global coverage will be expected. A major musician, actor or someone of major celebrity status will also receive national if not global wide coverage.
One prime example of a celebrity death that gained global is the sudden death of Princess Diana in 1997. The morning after her death news headlines across the world donned the words “DIANA IS DEAD” on the front pages of publications, indicating this was a major news story. Given the means of her death this was considered a shocking news story and considered “breaking news”. According to the framing theory, a media publication, through the use of story positioning and use certain phrases or keywords, indicates to its readers what they (the publication) deem to be the most important news stories and their readers should pay attention to it (Hallahan, 1999). Of course, the case of Princess Diana’s death is a unique case due to the cause of the car crash being a culmination of her relationship with the media itself, which has been deemed by many, either the direct or indirect cause of the crash (Hindman, 2003).
Rhetoric also plays an important role in the reporting of a celebrity’s death. This can include the tone an article uses, specific wording used, even the omission of certain information for whatever reason. In the case of Princess Diana’s death, naturally there was much more focus on her death over the other victims of the car crash. Some publications used a tone of remorse when mentioning the role the media played, others used accusatory language towards certain publications they deemed more responsible for the crash (i.e. the gossip tabloids) (Hindman, 2003). In other celebrity deaths, they may focus on the role drugs or alcohol played, like in the case of Michael Jackson who died in 2009 of a drug overdose. The story line of drugs and the person who administered the drugs to Jackson became a focal point in the media coverage in the aftermath of his death as more details were released.
More recently we can see examples of both agenda setting and rhetoric used in the media coverage of notable people who have died. To start, let’s look at the deaths of a two older well-renowned actors: Dame Maggie Smith and James Earl Jones. Smith, most known for her roles as Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise, and the Lady Violet in Downton Abbey as well as a long and illustrious career in both stage and film. In any news article published in the aftermath of her passing you’ll find the words “beloved”, “legend”, “acclaimed”, these words evoke a sense of deep respect and honorment (Clarke & Danaher, 2024). Similarly, in news articles reporting on the death of actor James Earl Jones, there is a focus on paying tribute to his long career, which most famously has included the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise (Dagan & Vary, 2024). Both Smith and Jones were acclaimed actors, with multiple accolades and recognitions for their work, the agenda set by the media in both of these cases focused on that. There were tributes done in the form of a look back segments on their careers done on national news broadcasts or online news websites.
In both cases, the deceased were elderly, so it was not completely unexpected, but given they both led relatively private lives despite their celebrity stature, it still came as a shock to fans around the world as there is a sense at times that someone we adore will just continue to live forever. However, when someone younger passes away, it is often due to outside circumstances like drugs or alcohol or a car crash like in the case with Princess Diana. In the media coverage of deaths of this type, you’ll often see words like “shocking” or “tragic” in either the headlines or in the body of the article. Like in the case with the recent death of Liam Payne, a signer and former member of the One Direction group, when a young person dies suddenly an immediate cause of death is unknown. This will lead to a period of time where an investigation is taking place by the proper authorities and in the meantime, the media will cover the situation with the details that are known. This will lead to many articles discussing “alleged” causes of death, or “speculations” which can be used a form of agenda setting, or framing.
The act of focusing on the potential role drugs play in the death of celebrity will put a certain spin on the life of said celebrity, which in turn will create a certain image of the celebrity which may not align with the image previously established or that the fans have created for themselves. In turn this can lead to criticism towards a publication if they have been deemed as going “too far” in the realm of speculation. One media outlet that is no stranger to criticism over their coverage of celebrity deaths is TMZ. Back in 2020 the online site preemptively reported the death of basketball star Kobe Bryant following a helicopter crash before the police had time to identify the body and notify the family, which caused undue distress for the family (Darcy, 2020). In the case of Liam Payne’s death, the criticism towards TMZ came due to the publication using an image that showed part of Payne’s body that had identifiable tattoos clearly visible and provided no trigger warner in the article relating to the image. After backlash they later blurred the image in question (TMZ, 2024). For TMZ, they thrive off creating this type of criticism. They thrive off the shock value they can create. These shock moments are a result of framing and carefully crafting and choosing what elements of a story to focus on or highlight. This is what their agenda is.
Both cases like these also raise the question of ethics when it comes to media reporting. The issue of ethics surrounding celebrities often involves the issue of privacy and common courtesy regarding an individual’s right to privacy. There is the argument that if an individual is in the public eye they forfeit a certain level of their privacy, however does that remain so in the case of their death? Most major news outlets will only report on a celebrity’s death once an official statement or confirmation has been released by either police or the individual’s family or public relations team as an act of respect. Outlets known as tabloid publications may not demonstrate the same level of restraint since, as mentioned above, they thrive off the shock value and click-bait they can create. Which raises the question of is that type of reporting ethical?
Conclusion
To conclude this research proposal, I believe there is sufficient evidence that supports the question of the use of framing theory and rhetoric in the media reporting of celebrity deaths depends on the characteristics of the deceased as well as the circumstances of the death. Only a few cases have been highlighted here in this proposal, but there are many other cases that can be examined to see if the results present here continue to be present on a broader scale. When looking at articles it is important to look at the rhetoric used and how the writer have framed the article. Questions that should be asked in this research should be: what is the framing focusing on? What is the message they are trying to convey to readers with the article? Is the message they are trying to convey ethical?
Bibliography
Adam B. Vary, C. D. (2024, September 9). James Earl Jones, Distinguished Actor and Voice of Darth Vader, Dies at 93. Retrieved from variety.com: https://variety.com/2024/film/news/james-earl-jones-dead-darth-vader-lion-king-1236138656/
Danaher, H. C. (2024, September 27). Maggie Smith, beloved ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘Harry Potter’ star, dead at 89. Retrieved from cnn.com: https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/27/entertainment/maggie-smith-downton-abbey-potter-dead/index.html
Darcy, O. (2020, January 26). Police scold TMZ after outlet was first to report death of Kobe Bryant. Retrieved from tmz.com: https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/26/media/tmz-death-report-kobe-bryant/index.html
Hallahan, K. (1999). Seven Models of Framing: Implicatinos for Public Relations. Journal of Public Relations Resarch, 205-242.
Heath, R. L. (n.d.). Rhetorical Theory, Public Relations, and Meaning: Giving Voice to Idas.
Hindman, E. B. (2003). The Princess and the Papparazzi: Blame, Responsibility, and the Media's Role in the Death of Diana. J & MC Quarterly, 666-688.
Roos, D. (n.d.). How Obituaries Went From Dry Death Notices to Tributes to Truth. Retrieved from How Stuff Works: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/funerals/obituary-history.htm#:~:text=The%20first%20obituaries%20were%20published,Acta%20Diurna%20(Daily%20Events).
The New York Herald. (1865, April 15). Retrieved from Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/sn83030313/1865-04-15/ed-1/
Unknown. (2024, October 16). LIAM PAYNE, One Direction Star Dead at 31...Fell From a Hotel Balcony. Retrieved from TMZ: https://www.tmz.com/2024/10/16/liam-payne-dies-hotel-balcony-one-direction/