Amidst the killing season: How Philippine broadsheets frame the war on drugs of the Duterte administration

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine how the two major Philippine broadsheets framed the War on Drugs (WOD) of the Duterte Administration in their respective editorial sections from July to September 2016. Specifically it aimed to (1) identify the “kind of editorial” used by the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Philippine Star in each editorial example; (2) determine how Philippine Daily Inquirer and Philippine Star framed the issue of War on Drugs on their respective editorial articles based on the “tone of the article”; and (3) identify the framing style used by the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Philippine Star on their respective editorial articles. By using mainly content analysis, the two Philippine broadsheets were analyzed to determine how they framed the said issue. It is revealed that both broadsheets in constructing their respective editorials merely aimed to inform the Filipino people about the Administration’s War on Drugs campaign for “Editorial of Information” was mostly used by both broadsheets. The study also revealed that the two broadsheets dominantly framed their respective editorials about War on Drugs issue with a neutral tone. They only discussed topics from news stories without being directly supportive or critical with the administration’s campaign. Lastly, the study showed that the two broadsheets dominantly framed their editorial articles in relation to “War on Drugs” issue in Thematic way’. They presented the issue into greater context by explaining the role played by societal factors in connection with the administration’s war on drugs campaign.