Part of the Narrative: Generic News Frames in the U.S. Recreational Marijuana Policy Subsystem

Abstract

In the growing body of research on policy change and in the relatively new frontier of the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF), the components comprising narratives' structure are still under construction. One opportunity for additional research relates to examining the role of frames. This article examines generic news frames used to report on ballot initiatives legalizing recreational marijuana in three states and conceptually orients these frames within NPF. Using a mixed methods analysis, the findings suggest that in the emerging U.S. recreational marijuana legalization policy subsystem, setting helped explain reporters' use of certain generic frames. The findings provide support for the inclusion of generic frames as part of NPF's narrative theory, open up potential for new research designs, and further clarify media's role in the development of policy narratives. From a practical perspective, the analysis contributes insight into how media inform constituents about new marijuana laws.

Summary of articles in the February 2024 issue of Politics & Policy and a few editor's tips

“…Contributing strongly to P&P's growing repository of articles on the legalization of recreational marijuana in the United States (see, e.g., Branton & McGauvran, 2018;Brekken & Fenley, 2020;Fisk et al, 2018), Mathews and Fotheringham (2024) examine how local context adds nuance when accounting for local variations in voting behavior. They show that spatial modeling assists analyses of the covariate effects on ballot measure voting behavior in some rather significant ways.…”

Note from the Editor

“…Testing and building upon the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF), Chalaya and others (2024) argue perceptively that narratives portraying a policy's target group as a hero are most effective in generating support for a policy. Their discussion of the public opinion surrounding new campfire regulations in a Russian national park adds the concept of "audience-as-hero" and joins a growing group of exemplary past P&P articles that contribute solidly to NPF theory and policy practice in both Western and non-Western contexts (see, e.g., Angervil, 2024;Brekken & Fenley, 2021;Chang & Koebele, 2020;Crow et al, 2017;Ertas, 2015;Knackmuhs et al, 2020;O'Donovan, 2018;Shanahan et al, 2011;Smith-Walter et al, 2016).…”

“…进行了探讨 ，提出了"受众作为英雄"的概念。此文与越来越多已发表的P&P文章相呼 应，为西方情境和非西方情境下的NPF理论及政策实践作出了坚实的贡献(see e.g.,Angervil, 2024;Brekken & Fenley, 2021;Chang & Koebele, 2020;Crow et al, 2017;Ertas, 2015;Knackmuhs et al, 2020;O'Donovan, 2018;Shanahan et al, 2011;Smith-Walter et al, 2016)。 …”

From right or wrong to true or false: Moral and epistemic framing in debates over cannabis policy reformulation

“…Cannabis legalization and policy is thought to be part of this subcategory of policy (Ferraiolo, 2014; Frendreis & Tatalovich, 2020; Schwartz & Tatalovich, 2018, 2019). Debates around cannabis usually involve conceptions of right and wrong and often opinions about the role of states in regulating judgments and behaviors (Abalo, 2019; Brekken & Fenley, 2021; Routh, 2017; Weinstock, 2019). Without explicitly referring to the notion of morality policy, there is also a sizeable literature that examines the historical development of cannabis politics through the prism of morality (Booth, 2003; Carstairs, 2000; Dufton, 2017).…”