The dominant media theory that we found in Mississippi Burning was framing. The definition of framing is; framing concerns how news and information are “framed” or presented once through the news “gate” and on the public agenda. A media “frame” is the central organizing idea for a news story that supplies a context and emphasizes certain aspects of a story while minimizing or ignoring others. As media literacy theory tells us, media messages are constructions or representations of “reality.”
The movie presented the FBI agents in a way of being hero's. They were framed as working vigorously day and night investigating these murders. When little portrayal of the real hero's of this story, the three civil rights workers was shown. The fact that the FBI agents were white; also brought forth more subtext of the white privilege ideology found throughout the movie.
The citizens in Mississippi were framed as being low class, uneducated, hillbillies. The producers of the movie framed every individual in the state of Mississippi as a racist illiterate person, all with the same beliefs and understanding towards people of color.
The local police officers were all framed as being racist white supremacists. All of the local officers were portrayed as the "bad guys" in the movie, who turned a blind eye to the local terrors and burnings that were happening throughout the town.
