Keramat Tahfiz Tragedy: A Content Analysis of Media Framing in the New Straits Times (NST)

Abstrak

The study was carried out with the purpose of identifying the types of frames used by the New Straits Times (NST) when reporting on the fire tragedy that hit Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah religious school. A total of 23 students and teachers were killed in the disaster which was dubbed as the worst in the country’s history in the past 20 years. The study found that the newspaper had used at least six different frames to help readers form their opinion on the issue. Scholars had also found that the use of frames may have influenced the decision-makers. These were proven when the newspaper’s recommendation to prevent the incident from reoccurring was taken into consideration and the fact that the school management managed to escape from being punished for operating illegally and without installing fire safety equipment.