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Abstract
Persuasive political communication aims to appeal to the thoughts and perceptions of the target audience, thereby creating a positive impression of the relevant ideology, political party, or candidate. The inclusion of newly evolving communication tools in this process has raised the issue of governments and political parties using these tools as propaganda instruments. The ideas that are dominant in society tend to be more prevalent in the mainstream media, whereas diversity may be represented in a biased manner or ignored. Given these concerns regarding political communication, the present study investigated how the press framed Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim and Ugandan-born mayoral candidate for New York City. News articles about Zohran Mamdani, published between June 25, 2025 and July 31, 2025 in the online editions of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and New York Post, which are among the most read newspapers in New York, were analyzed from the perspective of framing theory. The aim of this analysis was to determine whether news about the candidate used ethnically, religiously, and politically othering and polarizing news language and framing. According to the findings obtained as a result of the study, all three newspapers emphasized Mamdani’s ethnic and religious identity in their coverage. Whereas The New York Times employed a more balanced approach to diversity in its journalistic language, The Wall Street Journal adopted an othering tone and The New York Post utilized a news language designed to foster both othering and the generation of fear and sensationalism.
