ABSTRACT
Before examining the complex relationships that mass media organizations have with constituency groups outside of their organization, a description of the complex internal mass media organization environment needs to be considered. McQuail (2000) commented, “The media organization, where media content is ‘made’ ” (p. 244). McQuail’s claim that content is made implies the content selection and framing decision-making responsibilities on the part of the mass media organization. The limits of time and space available for media content are the root cause of and necessity for selection and framing decisions. As indicated by some of the literature that defines frames as organizing principles that provide coherence and guidance to the journalist and the mass media organization, selection and framing of content are not so open-ended to the unlimited possibilities as they might first appear. Certain stories are eliminated from the selection process by the very nature of their type of content because they do not fit within the scope of the mass media organization. Even within the stories that are selected, certain frames are eliminated because they lack source credibility or are not deemed as relevant to the audience.
