Yesterday's News: Media Framing of Hitler's Early Years, 1923-1924
This research used media framing theory to assess newspaper coverage of Hitler published in The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Washington Post between 1923 and 1924. An analysis of about 200 articles revealed “credible” and “non-credible” frames relating to his political influence. Prior to Hitler’s trial for treason in 1924, the credible frame was slightly more prevalent. Following his subsequent conviction, the non-credible frame dominated coverage, with reports often presenting Hitler’s failure to overthrow the Bavarian government as evidence of his lack of political skill. This research provides insight into the way American media cover foreign leaders before and after a tipping point—one or more events that call into question their political efficacy.
Before the seizure of power: American and British press coverage of National Socialism, 1922 to 1933
This thesis focuses on the coverage of the National Socialist movement by the American and British press in the period from 1922 to 1933. Two major newspapers from both the United States and Great Britain were reviewed, as were several magazines and periodicals from those years. The nature of the coverage, as well as its accuracy, was the primary concern of this work. For the most part, the Anglo-American press emphasized the most visible political activities of the National Socialists and especially the prominent role of Adolf Hitler. American and British journalists addressed the violent, aggressive nature of the movement much more so than its inherent anti-Semitism and racist goals. Though a handful of journalists recognized that the party’s hatred of the Jews was seminal to Nazism, this view was never addressed frequently or prominently. The AngloAmerican press consistently underestimated the ability of the party to implement their goals. Instead, the party was considered a temporary outlet for German economic woes in both the early 1920s and early 1930s. In reality, following the failure of an attempted Nazi coup in 1923, the party reorganized and expanded its potential base of support, setting the stage for a more enthusiastic support than was perceived by the foreign press. Overall, the American and British press was able to accurately assess the nature of the National Socialist movement before it took over Germany, but in an imbalanced way that did not take its aggressive aspirations seriously. Though there was alarm when Hitler was made Chancellor
Weimar and the rise of Hitler
List of Abbreviations.- Preface to the First Edition.- Introduction to the Fourth Edition.- The Lost War.- The German Revolution.- The Foundations of the New Republic.- The Republic Makes Peace.- 1919 1922: Years of Crisis and Uncertainty.- Hitler and Republican Instability.- Ruhr Occupation and Inflation.- Towards Recovery.- The Semblance of Stability: 1924 1929.- The End of the Republic.- Hitler's Success and Weimar's Failure.- Chronological Table.- Bibliography.- Index.