3
Hispanic and Black Newspaper Coverage:
A Comparative Framing Analysis of the 2000 Republican National Convention
Introduction
How convincing were the messages of inclusion communicated during the 2000
Republican Convention? For multicultural Americans, the 2000 GOP convention was
definitely a different viewing experience than the 1992 and 1996 GOP conventions.
Presidential nominee, Texas Governor George W. Bush, appeared to position himself as a
“new kind of Republican.” The Bush campaign’s goal was to reach out to all Americans
and welcome them back to the Party of Lincoln.
Whether one chooses to use the terms “love fest,” “homecoming,” or “fiesta,” the
2000 GOP’s emphasis on upbeat entertainment did not go unnoticed by the media.
Reporters for mainstream The Kansas City Star stated, “The story of the Republican
National Convention is its bid – through a cross-cultural array of speakers, entertainers,
ideas, and promises – to give a new look to the Grand Old Party. But that is only a start,
said Republicans and Democrats alike” (Murphy and Kraske, 2000).
The Spanish-language newspaper La Opinión stated that “La presentación pública
de artistas latinos en los eventos políticos por la presidencia de los Estados Unidos es un
hecho nunca antes visto en este país” [Performances by Latino entertainers in presidential
election events are unprecedented in this nation] (8/4/2000, VN. 74; N.324 p. 1C).
An African American newspaper, The Sacramento Observer, August 9, 2000
headline read, “GOP Stresses Inclusion: Republican National Convention Hears From
Powell and Rice.” The story began with the lead sentence, “Kenteclad gospel groups,
harmonic R&B singers, muscle-bound wrestlers – even a scowling group or two was
thrown in for good measure. That was just a slice of this year’s 2000 Republican Party
Convention