Interpreting Nonverbal Behavior: Representation and Transformation Frames in Israeli and Palestinian Media Coverage of the 1993 Rabin–Arafat Handshake

Consistent with calls by O’Sullivan (1999) and Rogers (1999), we use mass communication theory to help understand what are often thought to be largely interpersonal communication processes. Specifically, we contend that investigating media frames found within metapragmatic discourse of nonverbal events can help organize and reveal more specific meanings that can be given to the cues. To provide evidence for our argument, we analyzed Israeli and Palestinian media coverage of the 1993 handshake between Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat on the White House lawn. Our analysis, across 187 texts, helped us identify two primary frames for reporting about the handshake and media-indicated related behaviors (e.g., co-occurring facial expressions or subsequent actions). We labeled these frames representations and transformations. Within these two frames, we also identified an array of more specific meanings given to the cues. These frames, and the meanings embedded within them, help reflect the diversity and structure of interpretations that can occur for nonverbal cues.