bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GSP Testing as a Student Screener in Journalism Schools: Investigating its Predictors and its Ability to Predict
Authors: Alvarado Glenda , Callison Coy
Published: December 2011

A review of more than 1,250 college graduates' transcripts revealed that scores on a Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation test can best be predicted by the score received on the English portion of the ACT. GSP test scores and grades earned in college introductory English composition classes, considered in tandem, then offer the best insight into how mass communication students will perform in an introductory media writing course. When majors within the college/school are considered, the GSP performs most poorly at predicting writing grades among journalism students, who comprise the very group for whom the test was initially created.
National Assessment of the Perceived Writing Skills of Entry-Level PR Practitioners
Authors: Cole Richard T. , Hembroff Larry A. , Corner Andrew D.
Published: December 2011

This survey of members of the United States' largest public relations association confirms the existence of significant dissatisfaction with the writing performance of entry-level public relations practitioners among their public relations supervisors. Dissatisfaction occurs across all measured categories of writing for public relations and general business writing. In this large-sample descriptive study of views of active PR practitioners on this subject, public relations practitioners say the writing skills of their entry-level colleagues are bad—and they are getting worse. The study suggests a significant need for increased attention to writing training for future PR practitioners. It also provides a baseline from which to track industry opinion on the writing performance of future entry-level public relations practitioners over time.
Effectiveness of Video Podcast Use as a Revision Tool
Authors: Dupagne Michel , Millette Diane M. , Grinfeder Kim
Published: December 2011

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of video podcasts as a revision tool would improve test scores of undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory communication theory course. Twelve podcasts were created from videos presented in class and made available online to students for optional viewing prior to completion of three tests. Results indicated that students who viewed the podcasts did not score higher on the test questions related to the videos than their non-viewing classmates. Video podcast attitudes was the only significant predictor of video podcast use.
2008 Enrollment Report: Slow Rate of Growth May Signal Weakening of Demand
Authors: Becker Lee B. , Vlad Tudor , Olin Devora
Published: December 2011

Enrollments in U.S. journalism and mass communication programs increased in the autumn of 2008 compared with a year earlier. Enrollments at the freshman and sophomore levels, however, declined, suggesting that enrollment growth rates in the next few years will slow. The percentage of students enrolled in print journalism, broadcast journalism, or journalism generally was lower in the autumn of 2008 than a year earlier, but the change was not dramatic. Students classified as members of racial or ethnic minority groups made up a larger percentage of enrolled students than at any time in the past for which such data are available. Almost four in ten of the nation's journalism and mass communications programs reported having some kind of hiring freeze in place in the 2008–2009 academic year. Despite the financial crises, talk of mergers of programs and outright elimination of programs has not surfaced at large numbers of universities.
Minority Journalism Student Academic Comparisons between Those with and Those without High School Print Media Experience
Authors: Dvorak Jack , Bowen Candace Perkins , Choi Changhee
Published: December 2011

To better understand the worth of high school publications experiences, this study examines minority high school journalism students as compared with non-journalism minority students. Using data gathered in ACT pre-college standardized tests and results of collegiate performance, researchers found that journalism minority students outperformed non-journalism minority students in twelve of fifteen major academic comparisons. For this study, 5,369 minority students were studied from a national database. Of those, 993 (18.5%) had served on the staff of a high school newspaper or yearbook.
Assessing Cross-cultural Learning and the Effects of Personality and Negative Attitudes on Journalism Students' Knowledge
Authors: Len-Ríos María E. , Perry Earnest L.
Published: December 2011

This study uses a pre-test/post-test design to assess student learning of cross-cultural journalism principles and to determine if students with intolerant personality types (RWA and SDO) learn differently. Findings show that knowledge increased from Time 1 to Time 2. Personality type was associated with beliefs about diversity's importance to industry, but not to knowledge. As journalists set the tone for conversations about class, race, and gender, it is of consequence to understand how students enter these conversations.
An Application of the Theory of Expertise: Teaching Broad and Skill Knowledge Areas to Prepare Journalists for Change
Authors: Carpenter Serena
Published: December 2011

How to educate journalism students for the online world is controversial. For journalism students to become well-rounded journalists, lifelong learners, and experts, journalism education should weave skills with theoretical training, based on Hatano's theory of expertise. To determine to what extent employers are seeking such applicants, this study examined online media job ads. Results show employers want people with a broad and specific background.
The Pipeline to Publication: Student Research Output in Mass Communication Journals (1999–2008)
Authors: Tran Hai
Published: December 2011

This research updates knowledge of student research productivity in mass communication journals. The impetus for the current analysis is a lack of follow-up in this body of literature while anecdotal evidence suggests that young academics are increasingly adopting the “publish or perish” mentality in graduate school. In examining a complete census of thirteen mass communication journals between 1999 and 2008, this study provides empirical evidence regarding the pipeline to publication for student research. Several implications indicated by the results are discussed.
Analysis of Refereed AEJMC Convention Paper Productivity in Journalism and Mass Communication
Authors: Musambira George W. , Nesta Christen
Published: December 2011

This study analyzed all Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication refereed convention papers from 1999 to 2008 with regard to author names and author institutional affiliations, in order to rank by productivity individual scholars and institutions globally. All refereed papers sponsored by twenty-seven AEJMC organizational units were examined by author name and affiliation to establish institutional productivity patterns and rankings based on the Carnegie Classification system, and individual productivity rankings per organizational unit. The link between top paper productivity and refereed regular paper productivity was assessed with regard to AEJMC organizational units. While top paper institutional productivity was substantially correlated with institutional refereed regular paper productivity, this was not the case for individual paper productivity. Findings are potentially useful for students, educators, and administrators by filling a void in the literature on leading institutions and individuals across specialties of journalism and mass communication represented in AEJMC.
Enrollments Decline Slightly and the Student Body Becomes More Diverse
Authors: Becker Lee B. , Vlad Tudor , Desnoes Paris
Published: December 2011

Journalism and mass communication enrollments declined slightly in 2009, following a year of very modest growth. The pattern of enrollments suggests that growth in the near future is likely to be modest. Within the subfields of journalism and mass communication education, enrollments are relatively stable. The data suggest, however, that student interest is shifting away from the more professionally focused fields of journalism and mass communication toward the broad field of communication. Journalism and mass communication programs continue to reflect the industrial divisions of the past, the data show, and while instruction in skills for the Web is now common, few programs are providing students with opportunities to learn entrepreneurial skills or how to work with mobile delivery systems. The good news is that the student body is becoming more diverse and more reflective of the overall society.
The Trouble with Textbooks
Authors: Tuite James J.
Published: December 2011

The Assistant Sports Editor of the New York Times—and a member of Long Island University's Journalism faculty—presents straight-from-the-shoulder thoughts on a form of literature persistently familiar to all of us.
South Carolina J-College Benefits from New Facilities, Good Relations with Press
Authors: Scroggins Dean Albert T.
Published: December 2011

Host school for the 1971 AEJ Convention stresses practical approach to education and works hard to keep abreast of change.
Small Newspapers Brightened Employment Figures in 1971
Authors: Engleman Thomas E.
Published: December 2011

The news media job market was adversely affected in recent months by the country's economic troubles. Many journalism graduates found job hunting difficult, although they often fared better than young men and women trying to enter other fields, especially some of the sciences. Printed below is the sixth annual career's report in the Journalism Educator by the executive director of The Newspaper Fund, Inc.
Educators Debate: I. Should Fourth Press theory Really be Called ‘Make-a-Buck’?
Authors: Haberstroh Jack
Published: December 2011

Two professors at San Diego State College disagree over how responsible the press is in this country. Jack Haberstroh says the bulk of the media is motivated by desire to make money, not by responsibility to the public. He recently told the Journalism Educator he believes professors do a disservice to students by “teaching them the way the press ought to be rather than the way it is.” His colleague, James K. Buckalew, maintains that the press, while seeking profit, is still responsible.
I. Degree Holders Face Cloudy Future in Depressed Knowledge Industry
Authors: Burd Gene
Published: December 2011

The AEJ Theory and Methodology Division's Teaching Committee will present preliminary results of a Ph.D. manpower study at a session Aug. 19 during the AEJ convention in Ft. Collins, Colo. Data will include a survey of doctorate production in communications fields and estimates of job openings in the next decade. Meanwhile, debate continues in many university circles over how important doctorate degrees are to journalism education. Four views — by Gene Burd, Curtis D. MacDougall, William R. Lindley and Steven H. Chaffee — are presented in the pages that follow.
Recommendations to ACEJ Prompted by Many Deviations from Guidelines
Authors: Trayes Edward J.
Published: December 2011

In this second article of a two-part series, the writer presents conclusions and recommendations based on his study of 52 accredited news-editorial sequences. The first part, “Study Pinpoints Major Variances Among Accredited J-Sequences,” appeared in the January issue.1
Malaysian Students Prefer Rewrites to News Gathering
Authors: Lent John A.
Published: December 2011

This is one of a number of articles which the JE will publish on how young men and women are educated for media careers in other countries. In coming issues of the JE, James W. Carty Jr. will portray Africa's foremost J-educator and Hamid Mowlana will discuss Iran's recent improvements in journalistic studies.
J-Students Receive Academic Breadth in 4 College Years
Authors: Mosse Baskett , Rarick Galen R.
Published: December 2011

This study was commissioned for the ANPA Foundation-AEJ conference on “Education for Newspaper Journalists in the Seventies and Beyond.” Baskett Mosse is professor of journalism at Northwestern and executive secretary of the ACEJ Accrediting Committee. Galen R. Rarick is professor of journalism at Ohio State.
The Case for Teaching how to Cover the Arts
Authors: Raffety Basil C.
Published: December 2011

We're looking for a person to cover all aspects of the arts, from meetings to financial problems, from interviews to the role of arts in the community, to reviewing performances. The person should be able to understand the arts and be able to write about them understanding …
How Feeling Free to Talk Affects Ordinary Political Conversation, Purposeful Argumentation, and Civic Participation
Authors: Wyatt Robert O. , Kim Joohan , Katz Elihu
Published: December 2011

Scholars have examined how specific opinion climates affect political discourse, but little attention has been given to how perceived freedom to talk in general is related to congenial political conversation in ordinary spaces or willingness to argue with an opponent—or how each mode of talk affects civic participation. Respondents in a nationwide survey felt free to talk about politics. Freedom to talk, issue-specific news, and newspaper use were most strongly related to ordinary political conversation. With argumentation, issue-specific news, issue-specific talk, and local opinion climate dominated. Ordinary political conversation was significantly related to conventional participation; argumentation was not.
Correlates of Accuracy and Inaccuracy in the Perception of the Climate of Opinion for Four Environmental Issues
Authors: Major Ann Marie
Published: December 2011

This study examines some of the psychological and social structural correlates of accuracy and inaccuracy in assessments of the climate of opinion about environmental problems using data from a telephone survey of 1,002 adults. News media use, news media influence, and information seeking were associated consistently with accurate assessments of the majority opinion. Situational theory's problem and constraint recognition were associated with accurate estimates of the climate of opinion and provided a means of determining whether or not respondents were actually accurate or were simply projecting their own opinions to the majority. Interpersonal discussions and environmental concern were associated with inaccurate assessments of majority opinion.
Measuring the Bottom-Line Impact of Corporate Public Relations
Authors: Kim Yungwook
Published: December 2011

This study uses econometric models to test a methodology for establishing a relationship between public relations goals and bottom-line contribution to the organization. Regression analysis showed that non-linear models tested in this study were appropriate for measuring the relationship between reputation and revenues. Results demonstrated a positive relationship between these two variables. These models indicate a meaningful landmark in evaluation research that attempts to document the bottom-line impact of public relations activities.
A Demand-Side View of Media Substitutability in National Advertising: A Study of Advertiser Opinions about Traditional Media Options
Authors: Reid Leonard N. , King Karen Whitehill
Published: December 2011

Intermedia battles for advertising dollars are waged on the assumption that mass media are interchangeable in media schedules. However, there are both practical and empirical reasons to suspect that media are not seen as completely interchangeable by advertising experts. This study utilized survey and interviewing methods to examine top-level advertising managers' opinions of the substitutability of seven media options within the context of national advertising planning. Examination of the media substitutability assumption among these experts provides a buyer-side (demand) perspective called for in the literature. Contrary to expectations of little, if any, perceived substitutability among the media options, a degree of interchangeability was found. When the question of substitution arises in national advertising media planning, it would appear national advertising managers put traditional media in certain perceptual boxes. For example, cable TV was considered replaceable with broadcast TV and magazines with newspapers. Radio was perceived as a reasonable replacement not only for TV, but also for newspapers and billboards as well. Cable TV was judged an acceptable substitute for broadcast TV, radio, and magazines whereas newspapers were seen as a reasonable substitute for magazines and radio. Practical and research implications of the results are discussed.
Journalists' Perceptions of Online Information-Gathering Problems
Authors: Garrison Bruce
Published: December 2011

This paper reports findings of a longitudinal study of the leading problems identified by journalists using the World Wide Web for newsgathering. Respondents to 1997 and 1998 national surveys listed their perceptions of flaws in the Web as a newsgathering source. Data from additional national surveys conducted in 1994, 1995, and 1996 are also reported. The analysis found growing use of the Web and commercial online services for newsgathering during each of the five years, but use increased the most in 1996 and 1997. Among the leading problems journalists identified in using online sources were verification of facts, sites containing unreliable information, badly sourced information, and lack of source credibility. Web-related problems, based on the technology itself, were not perceived to be as severe. The study found a growing need for ongoing newsroom training and development of online research skills among reporters and their editors.
Perceptions of Internet Information Credibility
Authors: Flanagin Andrew J. , Metzger Miriam J.
Published: December 2011

People increasingly rely on Internet and web-based information despite evidence that it is potentially inaccurate and biased. Therefore, this study sought to assess people's perceptions of the credibility of various categories of Internet information compared to similar information provided by other media. The 1,041 respondents also were asked about whether they verified Internet information. Overall, respondents reported they considered Internet information to be as credible as that obtained from television, radio, and magazines, but not as credible as newspaper information. Credibility among the types of information sought, such as news and entertainment, varied across media channels. Respondents said they rarely verified web-based information, although this too varied by the type of information sought. Levels of experience and how respondents perceived the credibility of information were related to whether they verified information. This study explores the social relevance of the findings and discusses them in terms of theoretical knowledge of advanced communication technologies.
The Internet Provides Both Opportunities and Challenges for Mass Communication Researchers
Authors: Stempel Guido H. , Stewart Robert K.
Published: December 2011

The Internet appears to be a mixed blessing. It offers new opportunities for both audience research and content analyses, yet old problems researchers have encountered over the years remain. Whether mass communication research will be better off or worse off will depend on the skill of researchers in using the Internet.
Elite Press Coverage of the 1986 U.S.-Libya Conflict: A Case Study of Tactical and Strategic Critique
Authors: Hertog James K.
Published: December 2011

This research tests the effects of press professionalism, administration press management, and public patriotism on coverage of the 1986 U.S.-Libya crisis by the Associated Press, Washington Post, New York Times, and Los Angeles Times. Patterns of “tactical” (small-scale, efficiency-oriented) and “strategic” (overarching, ethical) critique during periods of low-, medium-, and high-intensity conflict are reviewed. Tactical opposition to both the Reagan administration and the Qaddafi regime slightly outweighs support, while strategic critique is 65 percent pro-Reagan administration but only 14 percent pro-Qaddafi regime. Support for the U.S. administration declines during intense conflict. The pattern of findings supports administration press management.
Knowledge about Others' Reaction to a Public Service Announcement: The Impact on Self Persuasion and Third-Person Perception
Authors: White H. Allen , Dillon John F.
Published: December 2011

This study, an experiment, explored the impact of perceived knowledge about others on self persuasion and third-person perception. Subjects were divided into groups and were told that a public service announcement about organ donation had succeeded in persuading other people, had failed to persuade others, or were given no information. A first-person effect was found. Also, first-person persuasion decreased when subjects believed others had evaluated the PSA. Finally, subjects tended to explain third-person reaction to the PSA in ways that placed others in a negative light. Engaging in self-enhancement is offered as an explanation for these findings.
Media Reporting and Perceived Credibility of Online Polls
Authors: Kim Sung Tae , Weaver David , Willnat Lars
Published: December 2011

By employing three different methods—content analysis, survey, and experiment—this study attempts to answer a series of questions about online polls: how news media report them, how people perceive them, and how people perceive the influence of reports of traditional versus online polls on the credibility of news stories. Our findings suggest that U.S. news media have increasingly reported online poll results since 1995 and that the public generally considers opinion polls found in traditional news media more credible than online polls. Even though the experimental findings do not show statistically significant differences in poll credibility and story believability between traditional and online poll story versions, there is a pattern of slightly higher scores for the traditional poll story version, lending some support to the survey findings.
Intermedia Agenda Setting in the 1996 Presidential Election
Authors: Boyle Thomas P.
Published: December 2011

This study of the 1996 presidential election analyzed political television advertisements, three major newspapers, and television network newscasts to determine what—if any—intermedia agenda-setting influences existed. The study analyzed 116 political advertisements, 818 newspaper stories, and 101 network news stories. Support was found for the influence of the major party candidate advertisements on the news agenda. Specifically, some influence of the traditional party challenger was found on the network television newscasts and all three of the major newspapers analyzed. Also, as in previous campaigns, the majority of news coverage focused on the political horse race.
Open Government in the Digital Age: The Legislative History of How Congress Established a Right of Public Access to Electronic Information Held by Federal Agencies
Authors: Halstuk Martin E. , Chamberlin Bill F.
Published: December 2011

Computerization of government records has become routine in the digital age. In light of rapid advances in information technology, it is, therefore, increasingly important that public access to government-held information is ensured. Congress passed the Electronic Freedom of Information Act of 1996 (EFOIA) to solve problems of access by making clear that the Freedom of Information Act applies equally to records in computerized formats as well as to records in paper and other conventional forms. The law also requires federal agencies to use the Internet to publicize a wide variety of government documents. This article traces how the EFOIA developed—from a brief and obscure passage in a 1974 Senate committee report, which recognized that computerized recordkeeping may change the contours of public access to government information, up to the EFOIA's enactment twenty-two years later.
When the Frame is the Game: Revisiting the Impact of “Strategic” Campaign Coverage on Citizens' Information Retention
Authors: Valentino Nicholas A. , Buhr Thomas A. , Beckmann Matthew N.
Published: December 2011

We explore whether campaign news that emphasizes the strategic motivations for a candidate's promises increases negative evaluations of the campaign and reduces information retention on the part of the average citizen. In an experiment, we exposed adults to contrived news coverage that depicted candidates either as “strategic” actors, motivated by electoral success, or as “sincere” public servants representing constituents. The presence of polls and war language to describe candidate interactions was also manipulated. Strategic frames produced more negative reactions than did sincere frames. Furthermore, strategic coverage significantly depressed substantive information retention. Polls and war language did not exacerbate the effects of the basic frame.
New Technologies and Public Relations: Exploring Practitioners' Use of Online Resources to Earn a Seat at the Management Table
Authors: Porter Lance Vardaman , Sallot Lynne M. , Cameron Glen T. , Shamp Scott
Published: December 2011

A survey of corporate public relations practitioners classified as managers or technicians revealed that although online databases are having positive effects on the practice of public relations, most practitioners are not yet taking advantage of these empowering opportunities. Practitioners need to be aware that online databases provide a new avenue for participation in management decision making. As greater numbers of practitioners begin cruising the information superhighway and put the new technologies available to full use, public relations can experience even greater opportunities to pull up a chair at the management table.
Perceived Effects of Sexually Explicit Internet Content: The Third-Person Effect in Singapore
Authors: Wu Wei , Koo Soh Hoon
Published: December 2011

This study investigated the third-person effect of pornography on the Internet. The study was conducted in Singapore, a conservative nation that looks askance at sexuality in media. Congruent with the third-person effect, respondents judged pornographic material on the Internet to have a greater impact on others than on themselves. This “perceptual bias” predicted support for censorship. In addition to general tests of the third-person effects of perceptual and behavioral components, the study also examined factors that may enhance or mitigate the third-person effect. Findings revealed evidence for a perceived social distance corollary with children to be more influenced by pornography. The perceived greater effect on children, however, did not increase the likelihood of support for censorship on children. This finding supports McLeod, Eveland, and Nathanson's assertion that perceived likelihood of exposure to content may affect third-person perception.
From Segmented to Fragmented: Latino Media in San Antonio, Texas
Authors: Mayer Vicki
Published: December 2011

Historical evidence reveals that the definition of Latino mass media is a fragile but useful way to examine how cultural identity is forged through economic and industrial practices. Focusing on the development of Latino media and their political economy in San Antonio, Texas, the researcher describes four constructions of Latino producers and audiences: segmentation, massification, pan-ethnicity, and fragmentation. These constructions demonstrate that these media were sites for Latinos to define themselves as producers and audiences within the structural constraints of race and class in two nations, Mexico and the United States. The paper concludes the coexistence of these constructions today could be interpreted as positive signs of growing multiculturalism or negative effects of global trends that divide Latinos by class.
Vibrant, But Invisible: A Study of Contemporary Religious Periodicals
Authors: Waters Ken
Published: December 2011

Religious publications have a long and varied history in the United States. The publications are among the first magazines to appear in the United States, and their content helped shape the early Republic's literacy, morals, and political events. But during the past 150 years, their influence has lessened. Although some 3,000 religious publications exist today, most report small circulation levels. Critics contend that many religious magazines are more focused on doctrinal battles than presenting news and information for the general public. To further study this invisible but vibrant segment of magazine publishing, the researcher surveyed editors of publications holding membership in either the Associated Church Press or the Evangelical Press Association. The survey is used to construct a picture of the editorial foci, audiences, funding models, and future opportunities awaiting the Protestant press. This is the first step toward integrating the religious press into existing theories of specialty magazine publishing. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research.
Setting the News Story Agenda: Candidates and Commentators in News Coverage of a Governor's Race
Authors: Fico Frederick , Freedman Eric
Published: December 2011

This study assessed the kinds of sources setting the story “agenda” in election news covering the 1998 governor's race in the nine largest Michigan dailies. The assertions of candidates or their partisan supporters were more likely than those of experts or other sources to dominate story leads and paragraphs. Sources included for their expertise on the “horse race” and issue aspects of the campaign were cited in only a third of the election stories, and their comments were usually placed far down in the stories. Statehouse bureau reporters were more likely than their newsroom-based and wire-service colleagues to write stories including experts. A substantial number of stories also contained unattributed “reporter leads.” Most of these leads were references to events or developments that could be verified by any reader. Other reporter leads contained interpretations that were substantiated in the stories. But about 5 percent of the stories were introduced by reporter leads that contained interpretations or conclusions that were not or could not be substantiated in stories. Statehouse bureau reporters were also more likely than wire service or newsroom reporters to write interpretative leads.
The New York Times' Conformity to AAPOR Standards of Disclosure for the Reporting of Public Opinion Polls
Authors: Marton Krisztina , Stephens Lowndes F.
Published: December 2011

This study examines the New York Times' conformity to the guidelines adopted by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) regarding minimal information that should be disclosed about a poll in any report of the poll results. The study reveals that stories based on polls conducted by the Times, regardless of length, are more likely to comply with the disclosure standards than stories on polls from other sources. A composite compliance score created to represent the sum of what was considered the positive score for each standard shows that about half of the articles in the study met five or fewer of the twelve standards studied, and about half met more than five.
The Creation of the “Free” Press in Japanese-American Camps: The War Relocation Authority's Planning and Making of the Camp Newspaper Policy
Authors: Mizuno Takeya
Published: December 2011

This study investigates how the War Relocation Authority (WRA) formulated newspaper publishing policy in Japanese-American camps during World War II. The WRA allowed evacuees to publish their own newspapers “freely” without “censorship” but under the authority's “supervision.” This study uses archival documents of the WRA and other concerned governmental agencies and examines development of the “free under supervision” press policy. The study shows that the federal government used camp newspapers to convince the domestic and international public that “democracy” was fully protected within camps.
The Roots of a Sociology of News: Remembering Mr. Gates and Social Control in the Newsroom
Authors: Reese Stephen D. , Ballinger Jane
Published: December 2011

We examine two “classic” research studies from the 1950s: David Manning White's analysis of the “gatekeeper” news editor and Warren Breed's explanation of social control in the newsroom. Although posing a potentially radical question—“What makes news?”—these efforts were largely absorbed into and reinforced the limited media effects paradigm of the time. Drawing from interviews with the authors, we trace the origin, impact, and intellectual context of these forerunners of media sociology.
Interactive Disaster Communication on the Internet: A Content Analysis of Sixty-Four Disaster Relief Home Pages
Authors: Paul Mary Jae
Published: December 2011

Disaster relief home pages were content analyzed using a seven-dimensional conceptualization of interactivity. This study provides a theoretical exploration of the concept of interactivity and its potential contributions to the Internet as an increasingly interactive mass medium. It then applies interactivity to the development of disaster communication and tests that framework in the context of disaster relief home pages. Although most sites that were analyzed contained a large amount of news and explanatory content, as well as potential for user response, most did not show high scores in actual responsiveness to user or the other five dimensions of interactivity.
“Madstones,” Clever Toads, and Killer Tarantulas (Fairy-Tale Briefs in Wild West Newspapers)
Authors: Kilmer Paulette D.
Published: December 2011

Editors in Nevada, Texas, Arizona, or California sprinkled fanciful items among editorials boosting their new El Dorados and sober news accounts. Besides connecting East and West via the imagination, these fairy-tale briefs provided a respite from the harsh reality reported graphically in the news columns and too often experienced personally by readers in frontier communities during the late nineteenth century.
Partisan and Structural Balance in Local Television Election Coverage
Authors: Carter Sue , Fico Frederick , McCabe Jocelyn A.
Published: December 2011

Much of what voters learn about candidates for state office comes from local television news programs. Coverage of the 1998 governor's race in Michigan, however, averaged less than 4 percent of hard-news stories. Moreover, about a quarter of those stories focused on the “horse race” and lacked information from the candidates or supporters about substantive issue stands. Individual stories tended to be one sided and imbalanced in the attention paid to candidates. Stories packaged by reporters, however, were more likely to include both candidates than stories read by anchors. Further, balanced coverage was achieved by some stations by using packages focusing on one candidate in conjunction with packages focusing on the other. Because most stations produced only one story on a given day, viewers not following all the stories may have gotten a more negative impression of coverage balance than was merited.
Finding a New Way: Nicaraguan Newspapers in a Globalized World
Authors: Kodrich Kris
Published: December 2011

This study examines how Nicaraguan newspapers in the 1990s turned to non-Nicaraguan sources for ideas on how to better appeal to readers. The study is framed in the context of globalization. Using a combination of content analysis, survey, participant-observation, and interviews, this study finds that many Nicaraguan newspaper journalists clearly admire the journalism of other countries and seek the training of outsiders. Owners and managers of Nicaraguan newspapers also encourage and facilitate this foreign influence. The study finds Nicaraguan newspapers may be changing as a result of this mixing of cultures, yet there are also signs of resistance to these changes at one newspaper.
Nation, Capitalism, Myth: Covering News of Economic Globalization
Authors: Fürsich Elfriede
Published: December 2011

This study analyzes U.S. newspaper coverage of the merger of the automobile manufacturers Daimler-Benz and Chrysler. It argues that a discourse of national distinctions was created through a major public relations effort that was accepted by elite U.S. newspapers. To substantiate a “merger of equals,” the public relations department of DaimlerChrysler tied its campaign to the mythic frames of “marriage” and “birth.” The ensuing appropriation of “marriage” as mythic category by journalists resulted in a story line along an “objective” idealized equilibrium that was structured by national difference and reduced the coverage to a few players. This meant a failure to help readers understand the global relevance of this merger, the oligopolistic tendencies of the car industry, and the global dependencies of the world economy. Ultimately, the coverage supported an ethnocentric vision of capitalism, which suggests an underlying resistance to economic globalization and the dissolution of the nation-state.
Who Cares about Local Politics? Media Influences on Local Political Involvement, Issue Awareness, and Attitude Strength
Authors: Scheufele Dietram A. , Shanahan James , Kim Sei-Hill
Published: December 2011

This study examines sources of variation in political participation and cognition, testing the effects of several factors on individuals' engagement in the local political process including, as dependent variables, local political involvement, local issue awareness, and attitude strength. Our study highlights the importance of discussion networks and mass media for local political involvement, issue awareness, and attitude strength. In other words, the idea—vocalized by many political scientists—that demographic variables and ideological differences explain most of the variance in people's involvement in politics and attitudes was not supported by our data. Ties to the community, social networks, and other communication variables also played a key role. Both the direction and the extremity of ideological beliefs were related to the strength with which respondents held their attitudes on a local issue. Even when these more stable predictors were controlled for, we again found strong influences of heterogeneous discussion networks, local newspaper use, and local political involvement.
Online News: User Agreements and Implications for Readers
Authors: Ekstrand Victoria Smith
Published: December 2011

This study is a legal analysis of the online news user agreements of the Top 50 U.S. daily circulation newspapers in the United States. News user agreements are contracts that specify the conditions under which readers may access news. The contracting of news online represents a fundamental shift in the way consumers, who once bought their news, must now agree to terms of access. This study concludes that such terms often expand ownership of content that might otherwise flow freely in the public domain. It also concludes that limitations on liability as expressed in these agreements raise questions about the commitment to free speech and journalistic values online.
Times of Turmoil: Short- and Long-Term Effects of Organizational Change on Newsroom Employees
Authors: Daniels George L. , Hollifield C. Ann
Published: December 2011

A period of major transformation is forcing news organizations to adapt and change. This study provides a longitudinal analysis of the effects of organizational changes and change-management efforts at CNN Headline News on newsroom employees' attitudes, morale, and likelihood of quitting their jobs. The study found that for newsroom managers, organizational change was a losing proposition, resulting in staff members' perception of greater unhappiness with their jobs. Newsroom employees were most negative about changes they thought hindered their ability to produce high-quality journalism, and change-management efforts had only limited impact on job satisfaction and commitment.
Flabless Is Fabulous: How Latina and Anglo Women Read and Incorporate the Excessively Thin Body Ideal into Everyday Experience
Authors: Goodman J. Robyn
Published: December 2011

This paper examined how Latina and Anglo women negotiate excessively thin, female images in the media. Twenty-four Latina and Anglo women participated in focus groups in which they were asked questions about beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors regarding the mediated ideal body in magazines. Glaser and Strauss's (1967) constant comparison method showed that the women's beliefs and attitudes came from primarily negotiated readings of the mediated ideal, but they had more hegemonic readings with regard to behavior. Furthermore, Latina women's exposure to Hispanic culture, with its alternative feminine ideal, as well as to the dominant Anglo culture, enabled them to resist the mediated ideal more than could Anglo women.
Looking beyond Hate: How National and Regional Newspapers Framed Hate Crimes in Jasper, Texas, and Laramie, Wyoming
Authors: Husselbee L. Paul , Elliott Larry
Published: December 2011

Journalists frame issues by emphasizing some issues over others, affecting news consumers' awareness and perception of public problems and concerns. Journalistic credibility suffers from public perception that reporters do not show respect for the communities they cover and that they chase “sensational” stories that sell newspapers or grab the attention of viewers. This study analyzes national and regional newspaper coverage of two “sensational” hate crimes to determine how reporters framed the communities of Jasper, Texas, and Laramie, Wyoming, in the wake of two brutal murders.
Going Negative: Candidate Usage of Internet Web Sites during the 2000 Presidential Campaign
Authors: Wicks Robert H. , Souley Boubacar
Published: December 2011

This study examines the news releases that were posted on the official campaign Web sites of George W. Bush and Al Gore during the 2000 presidential campaign. Analysis of each of the 487 news releases posted during the campaign season reveals that nearly three-quarters of these contained an attack on the opponent. This parallels data on the incidence of attacks appearing in televised political advertising during the 2000 campaign. The study provides support for the Political Competition Model, which posits that close races produce significant negativity. Furthermore, the study offers insights on how presidential political campaigns may use campaign Web sites in the future.
Media Credibility Reconsidered: Synergy Effects between On-Air and Online News
Authors: Bucy Erik P.
Published: December 2011

This experimental investigation of media credibility examined the combined, or synergistic, effects of on-air and online network news exposure, placing student and adult news consumers in broadcast news, online news, and telewebbing conditions. Results indicate that perceptions of network news credibility are affected by channel used. Perceptions of credibility were enhanced when the channel used was consistent with the news source being evaluated, suggesting a channel congruence effect. In addition, evidence is offered for the existence of a synergy effect between on-air and online news.
An Experimental Examination of Readers' Perceptions of Media Bias
Authors: D'Alessio Dave
Published: December 2011

Perceptions of media bias were explored by manipulating expectations of bias and news topic. Readers were more likely to designate material opposing their own viewpoints as biased. Perception of bias was topic-dependent and statements most often viewed as biased were quotations, rather than other types of statements.
Changing the Newsroom Culture: A Four-Year Case Study of Organizational Development at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Authors: Gade Peter J. , Perry Earnest L.
Published: December 2011

This longitudinal case study of change at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch measured newsroom employee perceptions of organizational development, newsroom restructuring (from beats to teams), and public journalism during Cole C. Campbell's tenure as editor, 1996–2000. Results indicate initial optimism about change faded within a year. Over the course of the study, respondents failed to see a connection between change initiatives and producing a better newspaper. Journalists did not experience empowerment associated with team-based systems.
This Just in … How National TV News Handled the Breaking “Live” Coverage of September 11
Authors: Reynolds Amy , Barnett Brooke
Published: December 2011

This study identifies the different roles that journalists assumed in breaking news coverage of the September 11 terrorism attacks and explores how a change in traditional reporting routines might affect the type of information broadcast journalists disseminate. The first five hours of breaking news coverage of the September 11 attacks on CNN, ABC, NBC, and CBS is examined through content analysis. The data show that journalists who broke the news of September 11 assumed multiple roles to deliver information including that of expert and social commentator; they reported rumors, used anonymous sources, and frequently included personal references in their reporting.
The Press Response to the Corps of Discovery: The Making of Heroes in an Egalitarian Age
Authors: Winfield Betty Houchin
Published: December 2011

This study examines how the nation's print media played a role in the making of heroes out of early American explorers. The method includes examining the magazine and newspaper text for hero labels and those important hero referents that scholars have long described: distinctive physical skills, an exemplary response to a challenge, and admirable moral characteristics, as well as a reputation that transcends a lifetime.
Experts in the Mass Media: Researchers as Sources in Danish Daily Newspapers, 1961–2001
Authors: Albæk Erik , Christiansen Peter Munk , Togeby Lise
Published: December 2011

This study of journalists' 1961–2001 use of researchers in three national Danish daily newspapers identifies a dramatic and accelerating sevenfold increase in the number of articles referring to researchers—an increase that is related to a significant shift in which types of researchers are cited and for what purpose. Researchers communicate research results much less than they did in the past; instead, they increasingly serve as expert commentators on knowledge produced outside of research institutions, on political and administrative decisions, and on other events. Second, because researchers more frequently comment on such wide-ranging, socially and politically important matters, it is now social scientists, rather than hard scientists, who appear most often.
“Help-Wanted Female”: Editor & Publisher Frames a Civil Rights Issue
Authors: Endres Kathleen L.
Published: December 2011

This article examines how specialized business magazine Editor & Publisher framed its coverage of the sex amendment of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the legal foundation for the elimination of the help-wanted classified advertising categorized by sex. It charts the evolution of the coverage of its initial 1964 enactment to 1973 when the Supreme Court found commercial speech was not covered under the First Amendment and that laws prohibiting classified ads categorized by sex were constitutional. The article finds three stages in Editor & Publisher's coverage: 1964 to 1967, 1967 to 1970, and 1971 to 1973. In each of these phases, the sex amendment of Title VII was framed as being counter to the fundamental principles of the newspaper industry and the First Amendment. The sex amendment and its women supporters were trivialized and delegitimized in the frames crafted by Editor & Publisher.