Abstract

Between 2007 and 2009 a prominent black and white National Football League (NFL) quarterback was implicated in violent criminal activity. This paper looks at how ABC, CBS and Fox News portrayed the cases of Michael Vick and Ben Roethlisberger. Not only did these outlets dedicate far more content to Vick's case, but there also emerged the theme that his behavior reflected a subculture of violence more so than did Roethlisberger's.

pdf