Press Releases, Politics, and Gendered Language Frames: An Analysis of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study takes a case study approach to conduct a frame analysis of the press releases sent out by the Governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study argues that the governor saliently employed feminine language frames in her press releases while using masculine language frames sparingly in a feminine way, which I attribute to the context of the pandemic as well as the culture of her state. The findings are relevant considering the changing political climate and the then-novel nature of the pandemic. I also discuss the broader implications of the results on health crisis communication.