bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Media Salience and the Process of Framing: Coverage of the Columbine School Shootings
Authors: Chyi Hsiang Iris , McCombs Maxwell
Published: December 2011

This study examines how the media can build a news event's salience by emphasizing different aspects of the event during its life span. A two-dimensional measurement scheme is proposed as a systematic way of examining media frames. This scheme yields cross-issue generalizability that liberates framing research from issue-specific boundaries. A content analysis examining the coverage of the Columbine school shootings in the New York Times documents the use of multiple frames on the time and space dimensions, visualizes framing as a process over time, and identifies certain frame-changing patterns in the coverage of this highly salient news event.
The Effects of Frames in Political Television News on Issue Interpretation and Frame Salience
Authors: de Vreese Claes H.
Published: December 2011

This experiment investigated the effects of television news frames on (1) audience interpretations of a political issue, (2) the salience of news frames versus other information in the story, and (3) support for future policy. A sample of 145 adults watched an experimental television news bulletin produced in cooperation with reporters and editors at a national television news program about the enlargement of the European Union. A news story was manipulated to reflect a conflict frame or an economic consequences frame. The two frames provide direction to the audience's thoughts about the issue but do not yield different levels of policy support. Frames in the news are as important as core facts in a news story when citizens conceive of a political issue.
No Cure for what Ails US: The Media-Constructed Disconnect between Societal Problems and Possible Solutions
Authors: Kensicki Linda Jean
Published: December 2011

This research examined attributes of three social problems—pollution, poverty, and incarceration—in 300 news articles from 1995 to 2000. Coverage overwhelmingly indicated no specific cause, effect, or responsible agent for each problem, and rarely mentioned nonprofit citizen organizations or the individual-level terms “environmentalist,” “activist,” and “advocate” in content. Media coverage also did not discuss any likelihood that these problems could be solved and did not report any calls for reader action. Media content may have promoted political apathy due to a lack of connection between the social problem, nonprofit citizen organization activities, and individual behavior.
Women in the Newsroom: Influences of Female Editors and Reporters on the News Agenda
Authors: Craft Stephanie , Wanta Wayne
Published: December 2011

This study compared issue agendas and story focus at newspapers with relatively high percentages of women in editorial positions with those at newspapers with lower percentages of female editors. Content analysis of stories from thirty newspapers' Web sites showed few differences in issues covered, but differences in what male and female reporters covered related to the predominant editor gender. Newspapers with a high percentage of female editors appeared not to differentiate between male and female reporters when assigning beats, as is apparently the case at male-dominated newsrooms. Also, papers with predominately male editors contained news with a more negative focus.
The Influence of Reporter Gender on Source Selection in Newspaper Stories
Authors: Armstrong Cory L.
Published: December 2011

This study analyzed the frequency and placement given to male and female sources and story subjects in news-paper coverage and their relationship to the gender of the reporter, A content analysis of 889 stories found that male sources and subjects received more mentions and were placed more prominently in the stories. Controlling for structural and editorial influences, results indicated that the presence of females in the byline is a significant predictor of females appearing within the news story.
Professional Aspirations and Job Satisfaction: Chinese Journalists at a Time of Change in the Media
Authors: Chan Joseph Man , Pan Zhongdang , Lee Francis L. F.
Published: December 2011

This study examines how Shanghai journalists' professional aspirations are related to their job satisfaction in times of social change. Similar to their counterparts in the West, Shanghai journalists derive satisfaction from job autonomy. However, those who prefer party media as ideal news outlets demonstrate higher levels of job satisfaction. The reverse is not true for those embracing Western professional media as ideals, job satisfaction is also positively associated with the journalists' emphasis on the interpretive role of the media, a belief rooted in Chinese party-press ideology. Stronger positive valuation of professional media relative to that of the party media strengthens the positive relationship between job autonomy and job satisfaction. Implications of the findings are discussed in the understanding of media changes in China and journalistic professionalism in general.
Exploring Possible Correlates of Journalists' Perceptions of Audience Trust
Authors: Tsfati Yariv
Published: December 2011

A sample of Israeli journalists (n = 209) were asked whether they feel Israeli audiences trust the Israeli media in general, and whether their audience trusts the work of their news media outlet in particular. The correlates of these survey items are examined. Results show that perceived audience trust was correlated with journalists' own trust in the Israeli media and with journalists' evaluation of the audience. Perceived trust was also positively correlated with journalists' identification with professional standards such as neutrality, verification, and factualness. In contrast, perceived audience trust was not correlated with most demographic and professional status variables.
Fear, Authority, and Justice: Crime-Related TV Viewing and Endorsements of Capital Punishment and Gun Ownership
Authors: Holbert R. Lance , Shah Dhavan V. , Kwak Nojin
Published: December 2011

We focus on the relationships among three types of television viewing (news, police reality, and crime drama) and attitudes toward capital punishment and handguns, as well as the likelihood of actually owning a handgun. A host of exogenous variables are treated as predictors of television use, support for police authority, fear of crime, and our criterion variables. A series of direct and indirect relationships are assessed. Analysis suggests that viewing police reality shows is both directly and indirectly related to the endorsement of capital punishment and handgun ownership, while also directly predicting a greater likelihood of actual handgun ownership. In addition, TV news viewing predicts fear of crime in audience members, and this fear contributes to the endorsement of capital punishment and handgun ownership. Crime drama viewing is positively related to support for the death penalty.
Effects of News Frames and Schemas on Individuals' Issue Interpretations and Attitudes
Authors: Shen Fuyuan
Published: December 2011

This study investigated the effects of news frames and schemas on audiences' issue interpretations and attitudes. An experiment was conducted whereby two political issues, systematically manipulated by value or consequence frames, were presented to participants in a controlled issue-framing environment. Results indicated that, while news frames could activate frame-related issue interpretations and affect attitudes, such effects were moderated by individuals' issue schemas. Individuals were more likely to activate frame-relevant thoughts and change attitudes when news frames resonated with their issue schemas. These findings suggested that individuals' existing issue schemas and predispositions are important factors to consider in framing research.
Research Methods in Mass Communication Research: A Census of Eight Journals 1990–2000
Authors: Trumbo Craig W.
Published: December 2011

This article replicates previous studies on methods used in mass communication research, A total of 2,649 articles from eight communication journals are analyzed for their use of quantitative versus qualitative methods, research focus, data-gathering procedures, and data sources. Additional attention is given to the concept of triangulation, especially the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The results show scholarship in this set of journals presents a roughly 60/40 quantitative/qualitative split and rarely combines quantitative and qualitative approaches. Triangulation is not formally represented. More than half (58%) of both qualitative and quantitative work is atheoretical.
The Moral Development of Journalists: A Comparison with Other Professions and a Model for Predicting High Quality Ethical Reasoning
Authors: Coleman Renita , Wilkins Lee
Published: December 2011

This study gathered baseline data on the moral development of 249 professional journalists. Journalists scored fourth highest among professionals tested, ranking behind seminarians/philosophers, medical students, and physicians, but above dental students, nurses, graduate students, undergraduate college students, veterinary students, and adults in general. No significant differences were found between various groups of journalists, including men and women, and broadcast and print journalists; journalists who did civic journalism or investigative reporting scored significantly higher than those who did not. A regression analysis points to five factors predictive of higher moral development in journalists—doing investigative journalism, a high degree of choice at work, moderate religiosity, a strong internal sense of right and wrong, and viewing rules and law as less important than other factors.
Commitment to Journalistic Work: Do High School and College Activities Matter?
Authors: Lowrey Wilson , Becker Lee B.
Published: December 2011

This article proposes a model of commitment to journalism among recent entrants to the occupation. The model is based on the concept of continuance commitment from the sociology of work literature. It is expected that workplace-related factors should affect level of occupational commitment, but it also is expected that greater investments made in pursuit of a journalism career during precollege and college years should lead to a higher level of commitment. The data show that job sentiments are strongly predictive of commitment, but precollege and college investments generally were not predictive in a direct way. Early socialization did indirectly predict pursuit of journalistic work. Once in the field, however, new journalists assess dedication to the occupation by extrapolating from organizational experiences. In general, data also suggest that commitment to journalism is predicted much like commitment to other types of communication occupations.
Wag the Blog: How Reliance on Traditional Media and the Internet Influence Credibility Perceptions of Weblogs Among Blog Users
Authors: Johnson Thomas J. , Kaye Barbara K.
Published: December 2011

This study surveyed Weblog users online to investigate how credible they view blogs as compared to traditional media as well as other online sources. This study also explores the degree to which reliance on Weblogs as well as traditional and online media sources predicts credibility of Weblogs after controlling for demographic and political factors. Weblog users judged blogs as highly credible—more credible than traditional sources. They did, however, rate traditional sources as moderately credible. Weblog users rated blogs higher on depth of information than they did on fairness.
Sculpting the Female Breast: How College Women Negotiate the Media's Ideal Breast Image
Authors: Goodman J. Robyn , Walsh-Childers Kim
Published: December 2011

Through focus group interviews, this study examined how college women negotiate exposure to media images of disproportionately large-breasted women. The results showed that media images directly and indirectly influence women's breast satisfaction. Personal experiences; self-confidence; and interactions with men, family, and friends influenced their views of ideal breast size.
Readership of Free Community Papers as a Source of Advertising Information: A Uses and Gratifications Perspective
Authors: Tsao James C. , Sibley Stanley D.
Published: December 2011

The free paper is a convenient and relevant advertising information source, performing the functions of providing surveillance information and product values to consumers. Several market segments with varying market attributes are identified as heavy readers of the free paper. Based on the theoretical framework of uses and gratifications, a multivariate model helps to explain readership. Readership of the free paper increases as age increases, as involvement in some leisure lifestyles increases, as more favorable attitude toward the free paper increases, and as the value of information on homes and equipment and on food and supplies increases.
More Than Ink-Stained Wretches: The Resocialization of Print Journalists in Converged Newsrooms
Authors: Singer Jane B.
Published: December 2011

Newsroom experiments with convergence—a sharing of news staffs, technologies, products, and geography—disrupt not just the norms and routines of newspaper news work hut, more profoundly, the professional socialization of print journalists and their perception of themselves as a distinctive kind of news worker. This article draws on case studies of four converged newsrooms to examine conceptual and sociological shifts among newspaper journalists. Findings suggest print journalists are undergoing resocialization to an expanded view of professionalism; ingrained habits and learned skills related to newsroom structure and storytelling norms are more resistant to change.
Political Talk as a Catalyst for Online Citizenship
Authors: Nisbet Matthew C. , Scheufele Dietram A.
Published: December 2011

Despite numerous and strong claims regarding the impact of the Internet on civic engagement, there has been limited empirical inquiry into the topic. In order to redress this gap, using survey data from the 2000 American National Election Study (ANES), we test the effects of Internet campaign exposure on political efficacy, political knowledge, and campaign participation. Our findings lend only modest support to the optimistic hopes of Internet mobilization theorists. More important, however, our research goes a step further and finds differential gains in civic engagement for those Internet users who also frequently talk about politics, with political discussion amplifying the main effects of Internet campaign exposure.
Did Women Listen to News? A Critical Examination of Landmark Radio Audience Research (1935–1948)
Authors: Spaulding Stacy
Published: December 2011

This paper critically analyzes the generalizations researchers made about women's program preferences and the quantitative data used to support these statements. This study suggests that researchers drew on pre-conceived notions of what programs women preferred listening to, even as their research suggested otherwise. In particular, early research published in 1935 in The Psychology of Radio failed to see significant overlaps in men's and women's program tastes. Later research by Paul Lazarsfeld perpetuated the myth that women were not interested in news or current events.
Hype Versus Substance in Network Television Coverage of Presidential Election Campaigns
Authors: Fox Julia R. , Angelini James R. , Goble Christopher
Published: December 2011

Content analysis of broadcast television networks' weekday nightly newscasts during the final weeks of the 1988, 1992, 1996, and 2000 presidential election campaigns found an emphasis on hype rather than substantive coverage of the campaigns. Examination of audio and video messages separately showed this to be true for both. Further, even when the audio was substantive, the accompanying visuals often were not. The results are discussed in terms of media reliance, journalistic responsibility, and cognitive processing of mediated messages.
There's a New Gatekeeper in Town: How Statewide Public Affairs Television Creates the Potential for an Altered Media Model
Authors: Rowley Karen M. , Kurpius David D.
Published: December 2011

Research has documented the diminishing resources traditional media devote to coverage of state government even as state government has grown increasingly complex. That places statehouse reporters across the country in the position of having to do more with less. This study examines what use reporters are making of a new tool—statewide public affairs television—and what effect that has had on state government coverage.
An Economic Theory of Political Journalism
Authors: Niven David
Published: December 2011

Signifcant scholarly work suggests mass media professionals largely set the voices in their coverage to mirror that of mainstream government debate. While it is a compelling assertion, this view is only intermittently supported by data. This paper suggests that such theories enjoy inconsistent support because they fail to consider the interaction between journalists' incentives and the political climate. An economic theory is advanced here that the political journalists' objectives to please their superiors, please themselves, limit negative feedback, and expend minimum energy, in other words to minimize their costs and maximize their benefits, lead them to rely on tactics that vary with the scope of consensus support for an issue. This theory is tested by analyzing newspaper coverage of four political issues debated in Congress.
Examining Journalists' Perceptions and News Coverage of Stem Cell and Cloning Organizations
Authors: Yoon Youngmin
Published: December 2011

This study examines the relationship between credibility and news coverage of organizations involved in the stem cell and/or cloning debate. Medical, health, and science journalists were asked to rate thirty organizations on their credibility—trustworthiness, accuracy, fairness, and bias. The study also involved a content analysis of 883 news stories to rate how the news content portrayed those thirty organizations in terms of five indicators of news coverage. The findings suggest that source credibility is related to the quality aspect of news coverage, such as regular and positive coverage, whereas it is not related to the amount of news coverage.
“How we Performed”: Embedded Journalists' Attitudes and Perceptions Towards Covering the Iraq War
Authors: Fahmy Shahira , Johnson Thomas J.
Published: December 2011

A survey of embedded journalists suggests an overall positive perception of embedded reporting. While most embeds agreed their reports provided a narrow slice of the conflict, they still had a positive view of their work. Respondents also noted their stories differed from the stories of non-embedded journalists and perceived both types of reporting as invaluable. Further, embeds' attitudes towards the war, age, professional experience, and online reporting were correlated with perceived performance.
New York Times Coverage of Presidential Campaigns
Authors: Benoit William L. , Stein Kevin A. , Hansen Glenn J.
Published: December 2011

This study investigates New York Times coverage of the Democratic and Republican general presidential campaigns from 1952–2000. Content analysis reveals that the most common topic of campaign coverage was horse race. Discussion of the candidates' character was more common than discussion of their policy positions (even though candidates discuss policy more than character in campaign messages). The statements in these stories were more often negative than positive (despite the fact that candidates' messages are more positive than negative). Reporters are the most common sources for the statements in these articles, followed by candidates, supporters, and others.
The Effect of Content Mix on Circulation Penetration for U.S. Daily Newspapers
Authors: Rosenberry Jack
Published: December 2011

For a generation, the U.S. newspaper industry has suffered from stagnant circulation performance and declining penetration, but some papers manage to maintain healthy penetration. This project investigated whether content mix could account for the variance in penetration among papers in a national sample, but found content does not have a significant impact on circulation variance after controlling for the influence of market characteristics.
Using News Abstracts to Represent News Agendas
Authors: Edy Jill A. , Althaus Scott L. , Phalen Patricia F.
Published: December 2011

Many scholars rely upon the Vanderbilt Television News Index and Abstracts to represent the topics covered by network broadcast news. Earlier research has shown that the Abstracts do not adequately capture the evaluative tone of news, but the degree of topical correspondence between the abstracts and the full transcripts of newscasts has never been formally tested. This paper uses content analysis of transcripts of ABC's coverage of the 1991 Gulf War and the corresponding Vanderbilt Abstracts entries to assess the relationship between the topical content of newscasts and that of their abstracts. It demonstrates that under the right conditions, the topical content of news can be effectively represented in abstracts, but emerging topics and those not discussed by the White House are likely to be underrepresented in abstracts.
Linking Dimensions of Internet Use and Civic Engagement
Authors: Moy Patricia , Manosevitch Edith , Stamm Keith , Dunsmore Kate
Published: December 2011

Given scholars' concerns with media influences on civic life, it is not surprising that researchers have begun to focus on how the Internet may enhance or erode levels of civic engagement. Collectively, however, these studies are rife with inconsistencies in the explication and operationalization of the predictor variable, Internet use. This study investigates the role of Internet use in shaping civic engagement, looking specifically at multiple conceptualizations and measurements. Results from a community study (N = 301) indicate nuanced relationships between dimensions of Internet use and forms of civic engagement. These relationships are discussed in light of citizens' use of more traditional media.
Suicide Bombers as Women Warriors: Making News Through Mythical Archetypes
Authors: Berkowitz Dan
Published: December 2011

This study explores how mythical archetypes become a journalistic tool for reporting news about terrorism. Textual analysis of newspaper items examined coverage about seven female Palestinian suicide bombers. Mythical archetypes changed initially from the male suicide bomber as Trickster, to female bomber as Woman Warrior, and finally, to the Terrible Mother when the circumstances of the seventh suicide bomber no longer fit the Woman Warrior mold. Findings suggest that journalists negotiate their reporting within two realms—realities of occurrences and resonance of myths—to accomplish their work.
The Portrayal of Asian Americans in Mainstream Magazine Ads: An Update
Authors: Lee Ki-Young , Joo Sung-Hee
Published: December 2011

Mass-circulation magazines were analyzed for the frequency and nature of advertising portrayals of Asian Americans, along several dimensions related to the “model minority” stereotype. Findings were compared with those for African Americans and Hispanics. Despite some improvement in the frequency and scope of representation, the presence of Asian Americans is still limited to narrowly defined stereotypical roles. Logistic regression analyses provided further support for the findings. Drawing on both cultivation and expectancy-violation theory frameworks, the authors suggest that, to the extent that the stereotype is reflected and reinforced through advertising, biased and undue expectations may be formed, resulting in negative consequences for the group members.
Strength in Numbers? the Experiences and Attitudes of Women in Sports Media Careers
Authors: Hardin Marie , Shain Stacie
Published: December 2011

This survey of women who work in sports media explored their everyday work experiences and factors that may discourage them from staying in sports media careers. It also explored the liberal feminist assertion that more women working in sports media would lead to better coverage of female sports by probing the values and commitment of respondents in relationship to female sports coverage. Although sports departments may have become more tolerant during the past decade, women who enter sports media careers still face a patriarchal environment that discourages them from pursuing long-term tenure. Further, many survey respondents seem to have adopted hegemonic values, making them more willing to accept their marginal status in the field and less likely to facilitate any change for the marginalized status of women's sports coverage.
Education, Need for Cognition, and Campaign Interest as Moderators of News Effects on Political Knowledge: An Analysis of the Knowledge Gap
Authors: Liu Yung-I , Eveland William P.
Published: December 2011

This study attempts to replicate recent findings suggesting a reversal of the standard knowledge gap, i.e., that the relationship between television news use and knowledge is greater among those with less than with more education. We also extend this approach to examine need for cognition and campaign interest as additional moderators beyond the standard education-based analysis. Our results reveal mixed support for the general hypothesis that the pattern of interaction between these moderators and news media use varies depending on whether the medium of interest is television news or print newspapers.
Examining the Effects of Public Journalism on Civil Society from 1994 TO 2002: Organizational Factors, Project Features, Story Frames, and Citizen Engagement
Authors: Nichols Sandra L. , Friedland Lewis A. , Rojas Hernando , Cho Jaeho , Shah Dhavan V.
Published: December 2011

After more than a decade of public journalism efforts, empirical knowledge of whether these efforts have met the movement's goals remains largely based on in-depth case studies. To address this shortcoming, this study analyzes 651 cases of public journalism conducted between 1994 to 2002. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis is used to consider the predictive power of organizational factors, project features, story frames, and efforts to engage citizens and assess public opinion on three civil society outcomes: improvements in citizenship, political processes, and volunteerism. Specific effects on civil society are discussed, study limitations are addressed, and insights for future research and practice are offered.
Woman as Machine: Representation of Secretaries in Interwar Magazines
Authors: Marcellus Jane
Published: December 2011

Magazine representation of secretaries and telephone operators during the 1920s and 1930s depicted expectations about technology, sexuality, and domesticity. Using semiotic analysis, this article examines editorial copy and advertisements in Forbes, Ladies' Home Journal, and The American Magazine. In the dominant media image, the secretary was a sexualized machine whose individuality was nullified and whose domestic role was emphasized. Operators were subjected to sexism as well, but had more autonomy.
Organizational Goals and Priorities and the Job Satisfaction of US. Journalists
Authors: Beam Randal A.
Published: December 2011

Data from a survey of 1,149 U.S. journalists suggest news workers' job satisfaction is associated with perceptions about employers' business and professional (journalistic) goals and priorities. Journalists tend to be less satisfied if they work for organizations that they perceive to be strongly profit-oriented and more satisfied with their jobs if they perceive that their employers value good journalism. These relationships, however, vary by job role. News supervisors and rank-and-file journalists not only have different perceptions of their organizations' goals and priorities, but those perceptions have somewhat different effects on job satisfaction in each group.
The Subjective Precision of Computers: A Methodological Comparison with Human Coding in Content Analysis
Authors: Conway Mike
Published: December 2011

With the increased sophistication and speed of computers, fewer text content analysis projects utilize traditional human coding. This methodological case study was designed to compare results of human versus computer-assisted coding using the same data set. The two processes yielded significantly different results in a content analysis of newspaper coverage of a political campaign. In computer-assisted coding, several subjective steps must be taken to adapt the content to the program. Those decisions can be arbitrary and fall outside the concept of traditional intercoder reliability.
An Industry in Transition: Entry and Exit in Daily Newspaper Markets, 1987–2003
Authors: Cho Hiromi , Martin Hugh J. , Lacy Stephen
Published: December 2011

Contrary to the general impression of the daily newspaper industry as a dying industry, data from 1987 to 2003 showed an industry in transition. Although 305 newspapers ceased daily publication during this period, 64% of these newspapers continued to serve their markets as weeklies, merged dailies, or zoned editions. The 111 dailies that went out of business were offset by sixty-three dailies that started publication. In effect, the newspaper industry lost service in forty-eight markets during seventeen years.
Watching Viewers Watch TV: Processing Live, Breaking, and Emotional News in a Naturalistic Setting
Authors: Miller Andrea
Published: December 2011

This experimental study examines how viewers process live, breaking, and emotional television news using the Limited Capacity Model. However, unlike previous LCM research, this experiment does not take place in a laboratory, but in a naturalistic setting, using participants' eyes on screen as a measure of visual attention. Presentation (live, breaking, traditional) appeared to play an important role in selection and automatic allocation of resources. However, whether attention continued and the information was subsequently encoded into memory was guided by the emotional content (disgust, fear) of the message. In a natural setting, without the expectation of a memory test, viewers were very selective about what they paid attention to. Breaking and disgusting stories were the choices.
Examining Claimsmakers' Frames in News Coverage of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising
Authors: Coleman Cynthia-Lou , Hartley Heather , Kennamer J. David
Published: December 2011

This study examines mainstream news coverage of the direct-to-consumer advertising phenomenon since FDA deregulation of such ads in 1997, and helps illuminate framing of stakeholder claims. The authors found that prominent frames describe drawbacks and benefits of DTC ads in addition to power relationships between the Food and Drug Administration and drug companies. Sources most likely to be quoted were representatives of the pharmaceutical industry. The authors argue that issues such as consumer interests and ethics are overshadowed by special interests, and that balanced coverage is narrow in scope. The authors use both qualitative and quantitative methods to examine frames in-depth and to explore relationships among frames.
The Wireless in the Window: Department Stores and Radio Retailing in the 1920s
Authors: Arceneaux Noah
Published: December 2011

In the early 1920s, audiences for the first radio stations were primarily male hobbyists who had assembled their own receivers. By the end of the decade, radio had become widespread and factory-built receivers were the norm. Drawing from social construction theories of technology, this study explores the specific retail techniques used by department stores to promote this technology during broadcasting's initial boom. With classes, set-building contests, and window displays, the stores educated potential listeners and spurred the diffusion of this new innovation. Radio sales peaked during the Christmas season, and department stores based many promotions on recognized holiday traditions. As the decade progressed, the stores sought to overcome the summer recession in radio sales and to establish broadcasting as a year-round activity. These findings shed light on the process by which new media technologies are incorporated into the mainstream of society.
Minority Models in Advertisements in Magazines Popular with Minorities
Authors: Knobloch-Westerwick Silvia , Coates Brendon
Published: December 2011

Previous research has studied minority representation in advertising in mainstream media but has not looked at media popular with minority consumers. This content analysis compares advertisements in magazines with the highest concentration of readers from the three largest minority groups with ads in the highest-selling consumer magazines targeting the population as a whole. Each ethnic group had its highest representation in ads in magazines popular with the group. However, levels of this representation differed significantly by targeted group, being highest for African Americans and lowest for Asian Americans.
What if a Web Site can Talk? Exploring the Persuasive Effects of Web-Based Anthropomorphic Agents
Authors: Nan Xiaoli , Anghelcev George , Myers Jun Rong , Sar Sela , Faber Ron
Published: December 2011

This research examines the impact of Web-based anthropomorphic agents on consumers' attitudes toward the Web site and the brand, with particular focus on two mediating factors. An experiment found that the presence (versus absence) of an anthropomorphic agent led to significantly more favorable attitudes toward the Web site, but had minimum influence on attitudes toward the brand. In addition, the influence of the agent on attitudes toward the Web site was mediated by perceived credibility of the Web site and positive emotional responses.
Media Schemas, Perceived Effects, and Person Perceptions
Authors: Meirick Patrick C.
Published: December 2011

Media schemas about the power of the media are widely thought to influence perceived media effects and third-person perception, but only one study has shown this, and it did not consider desirable messages. The current research finds focus group evidence for the existence of additional media schemas relevant to estimating effects of pro-social messages, then examines the relationships between media schemas, perceived media effects of desirable and undesirable messages on self and others, and first-, second-, and third-person perceptions. Results indicate that some media schemas can be applied to perceived media effects of self and others, although not exclusively to desirable or undesirable messages. There was no evidence that these schemas are related to first- or third-person perception, but they seem to be better suited to predict the mutual perceived effects of second-person perception.
The Influence of Knowledge and Deference toward Scientific Authority: A Media Effects Model for Public Attitudes toward Nanotechnology
Authors: Lee Chul-Joo , Scheufele Dietram A.
Published: December 2011

Previous research suggests both cognitive and affective variables can impact how the public thinks about new scientific developments such as nanotechnology. Most studies have not explored the origins of these variables or their simultaneous, interactive influences on public opinion. Using national telephone survey data (N=706), we examine the pathways between different types of media use and attitudes toward nanotechnology, particularly potential mediating roles of nanotechnology knowledge and deference toward scientific authority. People relying on newspapers and the Internet for science information report higher levels of nanotechnology knowledge, while respondents using science TV showed higher levels of deference toward scientific authority.
Distinctions that Matter: Ethical Differences at Large and Small Newspapers
Authors: Reader Bill
Published: December 2011

Qualitative interviews with top-level editors at twenty-eight newspapers across the United States (fourteen at “large” newspapers and fourteen at “small” newspapers) revealed how community and newsroom size impact the ways editors conceptualize and deal with certain ethical dilemmas. The findings provide some support for the theory of “connectivity” in journalism: that journalists in small markets are likely to he more in touch with, and more concerned with, community values than journalists in large markets. At large newspapers, journalists approach ethics with more concern for their newspapers' professional reputations, whereas journalists at small newspapers are more concerned about their newspapers' relationships with their communities.
Network News Coverage of High-Profile Crimes during 2004: A Study of Source use and Reporter Context
Authors: Carpenter Serena , Lacy Stephen , Fico Frederick
Published: December 2011

A study of network news in 2004 found reporting about high-profile crimes (Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, Scott Peterson, and Martha Stewart) differed from reporting in other significant stories. Morning network news carried the bulk (84%) of high-profile crime stories that were broadcast on network news. The morning high-profile crime stories had more transparent sources compared to other significant stories and were more likely to have only one viewpoint and contain anonymous sources. These results suggest that TV sensationalism should be defined and studied for reporting standards, and not just for topic and treatment.
Partisan Politics, Market Research, and Media Buying in Canada, 1920
Authors: Johnston Russell
Published: December 2011

During the 1910s, the Canadian newspaper industry consolidated as dailies closed, chains formed, and rivals cooperated through press associations and news services. The standard explanation for these changes links them to trends in the national economy. Developments in the advertising trade may offer a better explanation. Traditionally, advertisers used papers that shared their political leanings. As advertising agencies adopted new media buying practices, however, they claimed to use only papers with high circulation. This research tests their claims empirically to see where five politically partisan agencies placed their ads in 1920.
Implicit Memory Measures for Web Advertising Effectiveness
Authors: Yoo Chan Yun
Published: December 2011

Most studies investigating memory for advertisements have relied heavily on examining effects of explicit memory. In the Web advertising environment, however, consumers often try to avoid Web ads during online activities, resulting in poor explicit memory and dismal click-through rates. The study introduces the measure of implicit memory as an alternative to assess the effectiveness of Web advertising. The results of an experiment suggest that implicit memory measures would complement the shortcomings of the current measures (e.g., recall, recognition, and click-through rate), especially in cases where consumers do not actively engage in ad processing.
Evaluating Public Discourse in Newspaper Opinion Articles: Values-Framing and Integrative Complexity in Substance and Health Policy Issues
Authors: Hoffman Lindsay H. , Slater Michael D.
Published: December 2011

The exchange of opinions is an important component of participatory democracies, and newspaper forum pages have been hailed as a conduit for such discussion. This research explored Schwartz's value framework to characterize lay and journalist frames in a national sample of local newspapers. A content analysis was conducted on newspaper forum articles on health policy issues—notably, alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, and crime—for the presence and complexity of value frames. Significant differences in values were found by article type and topic. Values typically associated with liberalism were also predictive of greater integrative complexity.
The Banning of Bill Tilden: Amateur Tennis and Professional Journalism in Jazz-Age America
Authors: Carvalho John
Published: December 2011

In 1924, the USLTA announced that any amateur tennis player would be banned from competition if he or she accepted money for writing about the sport. Bill Tilden, a journalist before he became the world's No. 1 player, responded that he would retire from tennis rather than give up journalism. The ensuing debate reflected not only the evolving conflict between professional and amateur sports, but also the high interest in “Jazz Age” sports coverage, with its corresponding ethical challenges.
Channeling Diversity in the Public Spectrum: Who Qualifies to Bid for Which FCC Licenses?
Authors: Howard Philip N. , Smith Stephanie
Published: December 2011

Over the last decade, the FCC has licensed the use of the public spectrum with an online auction system. Has this auction system, which requires potential licensees to first apply to qualify as bidders, increased the diversity of ownership, and, if not, why? Analyzing data on 28,354 applicants for 16,383 licenses, we find that while one in ten applicant businesses were minority-owned, only one in thirteen qualified bidders and fewer than one in fourteen bid winners were minority-owned. Controlling for other factors, minority-owned businesses and first-time applicants are much more likely to be interested in a media broadcast license than a license to operate other communications services on the public spectrum. Businesses that are minority-owned or woman-owned, or first-time applicants, are less likely than other types of businesses to successfully qualify to bid.
Outrage Factors and Explanations in News Coverage of the Anthrax Attacks
Authors: Swain Kristen Alley
Published: December 2011

This content analysis examined risk communication factors in news coverage of the 2001 anthrax attacks appearing in 833 stories from 272 newspapers, AP, NPR, and four national television networks (CBS, NBC, CNN, ABC). An exploratory framework posits that when outrage factors characterize crisis coverage, accompanying explanations mitigate negative public reactions by putting the hazard into a broader context. Stories that portrayed uncertainty—through conflicting reports, speculation, use of unnamed sources, and coverage of vague advice and hoaxes/false alarms—frequently contained outrage rhetoric. However, speculative coverage often contained explanations that helped to contextualize frightening circumstances.
Reliability and Validity of Organization-Public Relationship Measurement and Linkages among Relationship Indicators in a Membership Organization
Authors: Ki Eyun-Jung , Hon Linda Childers
Published: December 2011

This research was designed to develop reliable and valid measures of the outcomes of quality relationships. Hon and J. E. Grunig's extended scales for four relationship dimensions were tested using multiple-item measurement procedures as suggested. The constructed measures were refined further using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Causal linkages among relationship quality indicators were also tested. The developed measures and the model can be used to better understand a public's perceptions of its relationship with an organization, thus helping organizations better understand how to cultivate and sustain these relationships.
Trust in Different Advertising Media
Authors: Soh Hyeonjin , Reid Leonard N. , King Karen Whitehill
Published: December 2011

Trust has been investigated by behavioral and social scientists from different disciplines. Despite the interdisciplinary research, studies of advertising trust are not abundant in the literature, though both academic and trade investigations have incorporated and measured the construct. This study was conducted to examine consumer trust in different advertising media and the relationship of that trust to media credibility. Results indicate that (1) advertising media are neither especially trusted nor distrusted by consumers; (2) there is variation in consumer trust across different advertising media; (3) trust in specific ad media is differentially associated with education and income; and (4) trust in advertising media and media credibility are correlates, though trust in advertising is distinct and separate from the credibility construct.
Media Use, Social Capital, and Civic Participation in South Korea
Authors: Kim Sei-Hill
Published: December 2011

Analyzing data from a telephone survey ( N = 527), this study examines the interplay of social capital and media use in affecting civic life in South Korea. Two individual-level indicators of social capital (interpersonal trust and informal socializing) were both positively associated with civic participation. Use of the Internet for entertainment had positive relationships with both interpersonal trust and informal socializing, indicating that the Internet might enhance the production of social capital. Findings also supported the idea that different patterns of media use might either foster or undermine civic engagement.
The Young and Agenda-less? Exploring Age-related Differences in Agenda Setting on the Youngest Generation, Baby Boomers, and the Civic Generation
Authors: Coleman Renita , McCombs Maxwell
Published: December 2011

This study examined agenda-setting differences between those aged 18 to 34 and two older generations. Using two surveys with statewide random samples and content analyses for each, it found that the agenda of issues important to young adults was correlated with the media's issue agenda (rho= .80 and .90). For the heaviest Internet users, who were more likely to be in the two youngest age groups, the correlation was .70. Although the youngest generation used traditional media such as newspapers and television significantly less frequently than older generations, and used the Internet significantly more often, this differential media use did not eliminate the agenda-setting influence.
The Relative Persuasive Effect of Gain- versus Loss-Framed Messages: Exploring the Moderating Role of the Desirability of End-States
Authors: Nan Xiaoli
Published: December 2011

A persuasive message can focus on either the advantages of compliance (i.e., gain-framed) or the disadvantages of non-compliance (i.e., loss-framed). Previous findings regarding the relative persuasive effect of gain- versus loss-framed messages have been largely inconsistent. This research suggests that there exist two distinct operationalizations of message framing, with one involving desirable end-states and the other involving undesirable end-states. Through two experiments, this research demonstrates that the desirability of end-states has a systematic impact on the relative persuasiveness of gain- versus loss-framed messages and that the nature of such impact is further dependent upon the audience's issue involvement.
Libbie Custer's “Last Stand”: Image Restoration, the Press, and Public Memory
Authors: Russell Karen Miller , Hume Janice , Sichler Karen
Published: December 2011

A review of 265 newspaper and magazine articles indicates that for decades Elizabeth Custer worked to restore the image of her husband, George Custer, following his controversial demise in 1876. These same activities simultaneously functioned as what scholars have identified as important ingredients for situating a person or event in public memory, particularly by connecting Custer to the “taming” of the West and the Civil War, preserving artifacts, and reminiscing about her husband's heroic qualities.
Resistance to Ethically Suspicious Parody Video on YouTube: A Test of Inoculation Theory
Authors: Lim Joon Soo , Ki Eyun-Jung
Published: December 2011

Having observed the proliferation of corporate stealth campaigns employing parody videos on YouTube, we attempted to examine the effectiveness of refutational preemption in providing viewers with ability to detect unduly manipulative intent and in conferring viewer resistance to the influence of the campaign. We also compared the relative efficacy of the inoculation pretreatment to post-hoc refutation. Results showed that subjects who received a preemptive inoculation message were better able to detect unduly manipulative intent in a parody video, were more resistant to altering their original attitudes toward the issue, and demonstrated less favorable attitudes toward the sponsor of the parody video than did their counterparts in the control group.