Immigration And Editorial Page Policy: A Case Study Of The Dallas Morning News

Abstract

Newspaper editorial pages play a crucial role in democratic society, serving as forums for informed debate. On major issues such as immigration, many factors are at play when members of an editorial board sit down together to shape the institutional voice of their newspaper. Using the explanatory case study method, the author directly observes editorial board deliberations at the Dallas Morning News, and sheds light on the influences that affect those writers and editors before the paper publishes its formal positions. The thesis finds that many influences exist beyond news judgment. Those influences range from intra-group dynamics and corporate management, to inequality among interest groups and the privileged role that business plays in the policy-making process. Editorial boards utilizing their agenda-setting role must weigh all those factors. Then they must provide a reasoned editorial that will engage readers and hopefully spark further debate.