Suchergebnisse

"Problem Definition and the Policy Process: Wicked Problems" published on by Oxford University Press.

The process by which unexpected events acquire political significance is studied; specific attention is dedicated to determining the circumstances responsible for imbuing political import into the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School. Contemporary literature that has investigated how news media contribute to framing events, setting political agendas, & socially constructing public concerns is reviewed. Differences in the processes used by the news media to transform institutional news & unexpected events into public problems are highlighted. Five characteristics of unexpected events that encourage the news media to transform such occurrences into problem-defining events are then identified including the possibility that such events will produce dramatic narratives & draw the interest of important demographic groups. In demonstrating the process by which the Columbine High School shootings were crafted as a problem-defining event, it is stressed that two factors are responsible for the prolonged existence of such problems: the novelty of the problem & the problem's prospect of becoming part of an institution. Several recommendations for future research are also offered. 3 Tables, 1 Figure. J. W. Parker