ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how the theoretical propositions are tested against empirical data. It focuses on the recipient and judge of the elite's frames that is, public opinion. The chapter describes a systematic approach to measure the frames used, respectively, by the media and the political system to portray the military involvement in Iraq. In an attempt to overcome the drawbacks of each methodology, this study is based on a mixed research design. Quantitative analyses are conducted to determine the salience of the event for each country during all stages of the crisis and to check the presence, permanence, and impact of a source's frame. Qualitative and content analysis serves to indicate the prevailing sources used by national newspapers to cover the event, the tone with which the same event was reported to the citizenry, and the way in which daily press and the mentioned sources either accepted or contested government framing and foreign policy strategy.
