Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Multi-sector Communications (Ph.D.)

Department

Division of Mass Communication

First Advisor

Elizabeth Fondren

Second Advisor

Basilio Monteiro

Third Advisor

Nancy DiTunnariello

Abstract

This dissertation examines how journalistic professionalism shaped news coverage of Latino-related issues during the 2024 U.S. presidential election across mainstream and Latino ethnic media outlets. In a polarized political environment, immigration and the “Latino vote” were not only central campaign issues but also sites of radicalized rhetoric that frequently targeted Latino communities and journalists. In this context, journalists were tasked with reporting on highly contentious, hostile narratives while adhering to professional norms. This study argues that these norms influenced how journalists selected, framed, and contextualized political rhetoric, and how media coverage further elevated immigration and Latino communities as key electoral issues. To investigate this process, this study draws on primary media sources and three theoretical frameworks: agenda-setting theory, journalistic professionalization, and structuration theory. The findings rest on two methods of data collection and qualitative analysis. First, a systematic thematic analysis of news articles from three pivotal moments in the 2024 electoral cycle: the debate between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump on September 10, 2024; a Trump campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2024; and Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025. The analysis compares coverage from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, and Noticias Telemundo, focusing on the presence of radicalized narratives, agenda-setting patterns, and representations of Latinos in political news. Second, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with seven journalists working in ethnic or mainstream U.S. media. A thematic analysis of the interview data revealed how journalists navigated professional expectations within an environment marked by polarization, harassment, restricted access to information, and institutional pressure. The findings show that ethnic media journalists navigate complex professional environments, where they must interpret radicalized rhetoric, report on controversial narratives, and address the informational needs of their communities. In addition, the results highlight tensions between traditional journalistic norms and the community-centered mission of ethnic media, including financial challenges, burnout, and cyberbullying during the 2024 election. This research contributes to political communication, journalism studies, and ethnic media scholarship by illustrating how ethnic media journalists actively reproduce and reshape journalistic norms while serving marginalized audiences.

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