College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
Date of Last Revision
2026-04-28 12:34:33
Major
Political Science
Honors Course
002
Number of Credits
3
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2027
Abstract
This study examines how traditional and social medai shape public perception of U.S. Supreme Court decisions on Civil liberties, focusing on four landmark cases: Dobbs v. Jackson, District of Columbia v. Heller, Materpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, and Obergfell v. Hodges. Using Entmans framing theory, the research analyzes how tone, language, emphasis, and ideological slant differ across media platofrms and how these frames infleunce public attitudes, insitutional trust, and civic understanding. A mixed-methods design combines archival media analysis, national polling data from Pew Rsearch Center and gallup, and an independent survery to asses how media narratives, rather than legal opinions, serve as the primary source through which most Americans interpret Supreme Court decisions. Findings show, that traditional media typically provides formal, legalistic content that reinforces institutional legitimacy, while social media amplifies emotionally charged, identity-based frames that heighten polarization and shape divergent understandings of decisions. Moderating variables such as polarization, age, gender, and race significantly affet how audiences interpret media messages. Overall, the study demonstrates that media ecosystems play a decisive role in constructing public perception of civil liberties decisions, underscoring the democratic importance of accurate reporting, media literacy and responsible communication in guiding public understanding of civil-liberties decisions issued by the Supreme Court.
Research Sponsor
Daniel Coffey
First Reader
Ronald Gelleny
Second Reader
Phillip Marcin
Honors Faculty Advisor
Ronald gelleny
Proprietary and/or Confidential Information
No
Recommended Citation
Martin, Leila P., "How Traditional and Social media Shapes Public Perception of United States Surpeme Court decisions on Civil Liberties" (2027). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 2140.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/2140
Included in
American Politics Commons, Courts Commons, Law and Politics Commons, Law and Society Commons, Supreme Court of the United States Commons