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Abstract
This thesis examines The New York Times coverage of three infamous serial killers and how the newspaper constructed the stories about them to create meaning and a storybook of murder. Using textual analysis, it examines 190 articles to uncover the ways in which the newspaper constructs meanings about society and provides ways for people to understand their world by using myths that have always been present in news. Findings reveal much about society and the ways in which news is constructed using myth. This study was limited to analyzing coverage of just three serial killers in only one newspaper. Future research could be conducted that would analyze the coverage of other serial killers in The New York Times and in other publications.