ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes how online news stories frame US income inequality and the role of government intervention, and whether common partisan frames affect how Americans view the issue of inequality. In the case of growing income inequality, the issue could be framed as a negative trend that harms society—or it could be depicted as a positive trend that encourages healthy competition. Similarly, media coverage can emphasize government as either helpful or harmful in reducing inequality, if it is framed as a problem at all. The chapter explores how national online news outlets cover the issue of economic inequality, and shows how the framing of a news story influences people’s perceptions of income inequality and its solutions. It suggests that political moderates and people without college degrees may be more vulnerable to partisan slant when exposed to news stories about income inequality.
