This study uses critical discourse analysis to examine U.S. newspaper coverage of Craigslist sex forums over 13 years prior to the implementation of the FOSTA-SESTA law in spring 2018. It finds that nearly 70% of the 280 articles analyzed framed Craigslist sex forums in terms of sex work, sex crimes, or regulatory actions aimed at preventing digital sex trafficking. The coverage largely supported conservative surveillance measures, using Craigslist as a scapegoat for sex trafficking and online prostitution while marginalizing consensual sex work. The study highlights how this dominant representational paradigm contributes to epistemic violence against sex workers and discusses the media and policy implications of these findings.