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Abstract

This study examined how the covers of three newsmagazines, Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report, portrayed drugs of abuse between 1979 and 2019. Findings showed consistency with extant research suggesting that a rigid focus on supply has resulted in a vilification of Latino traffickers from Central and South America. We also saw differences in how newsmagazines portrayed powder cocaine and crack cocaine and observed patterns of “White washing” opioid abuse. Implications and recommendations for future research are provided.

Keywords

drugs of abuse newsmagazines race and ethnicity war on drugs

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Bleeding Borders and Enemies Within: How Newsmagazine Covers Portrayed Drugs of Abuse,1979–2019

Abstract

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