The Killer Ds and the media: framing the coverage from Austin to Ardmore

In May 2003, 52 Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives left the state in protest of a congressional redistricting bill. Using in-depth interviews, content analysis, documents and personal observations, this study explores the process by which the Democrats determined the frames they would promote when being interviewed by the media about this unprecedented event. Legislators crafted four frames: 1) Care about Constituents, All Texans; 2) Should be Focusing on Other Issues; 3) Current Districts Legal; and 4) U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay’s Power Grab/Washington-Style Politics. Interviews with six key participants showed the four frames were used consistently during the self-imposed exile. The content analysis of 217 news articles confirmed information provided by the interviewees, and aided in understanding what frames were used in the media. The study lends insight into how the Texas Democrats crafted the strategic message they presented to the media