The article seeks to demonstrate the contribution that corpus linguistic software can make in news frame analysis and how it can help address some of the methodological challenges in the extraction of news frames. With the employment of corpus linguistic software WordSmith, the study conducts an inductive frame analysis of the UK press coverage of the Greek financial crisis in which it combines principles of qualitative and quantitative analytical approaches. The findings demonstrate that, by integrating a statistical measuring mechanism in a qualitative analytical approach, corpus linguistic techniques can offer a systematic connection of stylistic and ideological features of news content and a more reliable identification of the loci for frames. Such techniques can also allow a better approximation of the unconscious level of frame construction. This can lead to a more efficient identification of frames that exhibit deeper cultural values and are more likely to shape the receivers' interpretations. Keywords: news framing, corpus linguistics, WordSmith IntroductionSince the early 1990s there has been a steady growth in the use of frame analysis in research about news and journalism, in an effort to offer insight into the forces that shape media interpretations of reality and their potential influence on audiences. The roots of framing as a theory are situated in the field of sociology, where the term has been in use since the mid-1950s (Bateson, 1955). It is this sociological approach to framing that has underlay the study of news frames so far, with frames being examined as social constructs and outcomes of journalistic norms or organizational constraints, as well as sponsored by social and political actors. Goffman's (1974) prominent formative work has been pivotal in this field. Goffman defines frames as 'schemata of interpretation' that enable individuals to understand certain events and 'to locate, perceive, identify and label' occurrences. He calls these schemata primary frameworks because 'they turn what should be a meaningless aspect of a scene into something meaningful ' (p. 21-22). An important implication for media and communication research is that the coverage of events in the news media depends on the frameworks employed by journalists (Scheufele, 2000). The potential impact of such frameworks on audiences' cognitive processing of information has triggered extensive investigation of the possible link between news coverage and the individuals' interpretation of events. It has also led to the development of different theoretical and methodological approaches to the analysis of frames. These attempts have opened up an ongoing debate regarding notions of 'frame' and the methodological tensions created by its operationalization.This article presents an experiment that attempts to address some of the challenges in the current methodological approaches, with the use of the corpus linguistic software WordSmith Tools. In response to calls for frame analysis to be a dynamic process that requires t...

Purpose -This paper aims to investigate relationships between reported alcohol consumption and exposure to alcohol advertising. Design/methodology/approach -A survey of young people (17-21 years) was carried out in which they were questioned about their alcohol consumption habits, types of alcohol they consume, exposure to alcohol advertising, and a range of other factors linked to drinking (e.g., parental and peer groups alcohol-related behaviour and attitudes). General alcohol consumption was measured within three time-frames: own lifetime, past year and past month. Findings -The results showed no significant relationships between exposure to any type of alcohol advertising (cinema, magazine, TV) and general alcohol consumption. Exposure to televised advertising for alcopops and for cider in each case emerged as a significant predictor of consumption of each of those types of alcohol. While there was no evidence that alcohol advertising plays a significant role in shaping general alcohol consumption among young people, it does seem to play a part in driving consumption of certain types of alcoholic beverage. Research limitations/implications -Self-completion questionnaires were used and the sample was based in central east England. Practical implications -The results can inform current debates about the role of advertising in young people's drinking. Originality/value -A wider range of alcohol-related consumption and alcohol advertising exposure behaviours was examined in this study than in most other published surveys that have investigated relationships between these classes of variables.

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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine the emergence of blogging in the news sphere. If blogs represent a genuinely new breed of news provision, then they should adhere to some of the founding principles of mainstream news and journalism.A key principle in this respect is news credibility.Design/methodology/approach -This paper presents a review of recent literature about news blogging and assesses whether news blogs manifest many of the core attributes of mainstream news and journalism. The review considers the attributes that have previously been identified as defining good quality news and competent journalism and then applies some of these principles to "news" blogging.Findings -There is no doubt that blogs have emerged as news sources of increasing significance and there have been occasions when they can be influential in setting news agendas. The essential qualities of credibility and capturing public trust in the news sphere, however, then depends upon the established reputation of known news "brands". Although some blogs have emerged as reliable information sources in some specialist areas, they have yet generally to assume the key characteristics of mainstream news that drive public trust.Originality/value -This paper provides an up-to-date review of a topic that is rapidly developing and attempts to set out some foundations on which further analysis of news bogging can be constructed.

As sustainability is becoming a bigger global concern, sustainable development operations require new partnerships and a multiplicity of communication practices among various stakeholders. Private enterprises with social, ecological and ethical concerns can be among those stakeholders, but their role in development communication has received limited attention. To address this deficit, this article explores the capacity of small private enterprises to empower farming communities, through a dialogical model of communication. Focusing on Alternative Food Networks, the article argues that market exchanges are mediated by social relations that can bring to light an alternative and ethical side of the global market. These relations are examined empirically through a qualitative case study: a community of farmers in South India and their relation with small private enterprises from Europe and North America. The findings reveal significant ways in which these partnerships can prove empowering for farmers, showing there is fertile ground for more active involvement of enterprises in development communication practices.