Race, Frames, and Public Opinion After Mass Shootings

Using a survey experiment with a 2x2 factorial design that randomizes mass shooting victims' race and ethnicity and frames (gun policy-focused frames versus perpetrator-focused frames) in a vignette, this survey experiment seeks to understand the relationship between mass shooting victims' race and ethnicity, news media frames, and public opinion on gun policy.

This study aims to understand whether victims’ race and ethnicity shape the public's preferences over how the government responds to mass shootings by investigating whether victims’ race and ethnicity shape public opinion on gun policy and gun policy saliency. Furthermore, we aim to shine a light on the potential causal mechanisms shaping racialized public responses to catastrophic events by investigating whether members of the public, particularly white respondents, are differently threatened by catastrophic events depending on victims’ race and ethnicity or whether members of the public, particularly white respondents, view the root causes of catastrophic events differently depending on victims’ race and ethnicity. Finally, this study aims to further our understanding of potential causal mechanisms by investigating whether media frames moderate the role that victims’ race and ethnicity play in shaping public opinion after mass shootings. This research helps us understand potential causes of biases in American political representation and the finding may help improve the equitable representation of all Americans.