Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2016, Journalism

Using the lens of postcolonial theory, this study explores parachute journalism through a textual analysis of regional and national coverage of the civil unrest that transpired in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014 as compared to coverage by smaller, local news outlets that had routinely reported on the communities affected by the turmoil. This study specifically focuses on how those different levels of news outlets covered black cultures in Ferguson and the parachute journalists themselves. Suggestions for ways to integrate more context and local knowledge into reporting published in elite news media outlets also are included.

Committee: Bill Reader (Advisor) Subjects: Communication; Journalism