Framing Guilt and Innocence: A Textual Analysis of Thai Crime News Coverage of Criminal Suspects and Persons of Interest

Chanamon Phansab; ดวงกมล ชาติประเสริฐ

Authors

Chanamon Phansab Department of Communication Arts, Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University
Assist. Prof. Duangkamol Chartprasert, Ph.D. Department of Communication Arts, Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University

Keywords:

Crime news, Framing theory, Attribution theory, Construction of guilt and innocence, Portrayal of criminal suspects

Abstract

The study examines how criminal suspects and persons of interest are portrayed in Thai crime news coverage through framing devices and attributional patterns derived from Framing Theory and Attribution Theory. The study employs qualitative textual analysis to investigate two prominent criminal cases in Thailand that exhibit the media constructions of guilt and innocence: the Tangmo Nida Patcharaveerapong case involving the five boat passengers and the Nong Chompoo Orawan Wongsricha case involving Uncle Pol Chaipol Wipa. The data consist of online news articles published primarily within the first 90 days following each incident, during which legal outcomes had not yet been finalized. The data was analyzed using coding categories developed from Framing Theory and Attribution Theory focusing on news headlines and news textual content.

The findings reveal that Thai crime news coverage uses distinct framing devices and attributional patterns that shape symbolic constructions of guilt and innocence in the two selected cases despite both cases involving ongoing investigations. In the Tangmo case, news coverage frequently constructed presumed guilt and suspicion, whereas in the Uncle Pol case, news coverage mainly constructed undue sympathy and innocence. However, the majority of analyzed news articles of the same case show recurring themes of framing devices and attributional patterns. The study demonstrates that Thai crime news coverage does not merely report factual information but actively constructs meanings that may influence public interpretation of criminal cases, criminal suspects, and persons of interest. The study contributes to communication and media studies by demonstrating how framing devices and attributional patterns interact in Thai crime news discourse and how these principles may shape public understanding of crime and judgment toward individuals involved.

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Author Biography

Assist. Prof. Duangkamol Chartprasert, Ph.D., Department of Communication Arts, Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University

Advisor

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