Semester of Graduation

Spring 2026

Degree

Master of Mass Communication (MMC)

Department

Manship School of Mass Communication

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

This study explored the intersection of racialized media narratives, nonprofits, and penal policy through a case study of Just City, a nonprofit criminal justice organization located in Shelby County, Tennessee. Through the lens of Just City, this study explored how nonprofits resist racialized media narratives regarding crime and how in turn this contributes to penal policy reforms. This is accomplished using a thematic analysis to draw larger conclusions from coding Just City’s Instagram and through extensive interviews with Just City staff and local Shelby County and Tennessee politicians. These methods are guided by framing theory, an ideological framework that explains how reality is packaged in a way that impacts the public’s perceptions, responsibility, and overall judgment. Within framing theory, episodic and thematic frames are emphasized to explain how the media curate news in a way that lacks context and how Just City counters these practices through their own media framing. Nine major themes, with two shared between Just City’s Instagram and interviews, and 23 subthemes emerged across both mediums, which invited complexities into how Just City counters racialized media narratives and encourages policy reform.

Date

3-27-2026

Committee Chair

Dr. Tina M. Harris

LSU Acknowledgement

1

LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment

1

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