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METHODS

To understand how media contributes to colonial ecological violence I selected DAPL as my case because it represents the most visible instance of Indigenous-led political action in the US during recent times. In conducting this research I considered DAPL coverage from four sources. To gain a general sense of the national coverage I looked at The Washington Post (WP) and The New York Times (NYT), which I selected based on their extensive readership and attention to DAPL (see Figure 40.1). 2 I also consulted the DAPL coverage in Indian Country Today. While it is not a significant part of this particular study, I use Indian Country Today to assess the presence of particular themes likely to be ignored by settler media (ie colonialism and treaties). My primary analysis centers on the way No DAPL was framed for readers in the area closest to the action. These local readers were likely to have the most immediate interactions with DAPL resisters, police forces, and with the companies employed for construction.