bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Audiotext and the Re-Invention of the Telephone as a Mass Medium
Authors: LaRose Robert , Atkin David
Published: December 2011

The telephone has a long history as a communication medium, but until recently played only a minor role in the electronic media environment. That was before 800 and 900 numbers became available. This study found support for the proposition that people adopt information technologies functionally similar to services they use already. People who use teller machines, for example, are willing to share personal codes; they are also willing to use certain telephone services. There is evidence found for what Everett Rogers and his colleagues call an innovation cluster in how people use audiotext services.
Defining International Communication as a Field
Authors: Stevenson Robert L.
Published: December 2011

This essay finds major trends that can be identified from the diverse studies in international communication: Anglo-American dominance (but with increasing competition); a resurgence of culture, including global culture; the triumph of independent journalism; and the growth of some powerful media moguls around the world. The essay outlines key questions for researchers to ask of their own studies, and sketches some parameters for scholars seeking to make major contributions to the field of international communication.
Press and U.S. Policy toward Nicaragua, 1983–1987: A Study of the New York Times and Washington Post
Authors: Dickson Sandra H.
Published: December 2011

A content analysis of the New York Times and Washington Post for the years 1983 to 1987 shows that these newspapers demonstrated a pattern of legitimating U.S. government policy in the United States-Nicaraguan conflict. About half of all sources named in both newspapers were government officials with a stake in the official view. “Contra” officials representing Nicaragua's anti-government forces supported by the United States were seldom cited. But there was some critical coverage; however, criticism centered primarily on the means of achieving stated U.S. policy goals rather than on the appropriateness of the policy itself.
Reading International News in a Censored Press Environment
Authors: Gunther Albert C. , Snyder Leslie B.
Published: December 2011

This study hypothesizes that people under conditions of high censorship are likely to be more critical news consumers than people who believe they live in countries with a free and objective press. An experimental design using an international news story, attributed either to a high- or low-constraint source, was employed to compare the processing strategies of students from the United States and Indonesia. Findings suggest that audiences in censored news environments are more critical in distinguishing among news sources, but less critical of the unconstrained news itself.
“Problematic” Situations in Press Coverage of the 1988 U.S. and French Elections
Authors: Major Ann Marie
Published: December 2011

This study uses newspapers and magazines to find some support for Alex Edelstein's theory of the problematic approach to media content. Although 55% of the 1988 U.S. election issues were defined as problematic — especially in terms of individual or social losses of value — about half the stories were not presented in any problem context. Three-fourths of the stories from the French sample presented stories in a problem context. About one-fourth of the stories from both U.S. and French samples emphasized the horse race aspect of elections.
Public Salience of Foreign Nations
Authors: Salwen Michael B. , Matera Frances R.
Published: December 2011

There is a relationship between media mentions of certain foreign nations and reader/viewer learning. A study in Dade County, Florida, matched a content analysis of major media with results of an extensive telephone survey within the context of agenda-setting hypotheses. Cumulative correlations over time suggest that the amount of news coverage devoted to various nations was accurately perceived by the audience. Media coverage, however, did not appear to influence public assessments of foreign nations as friends or enemies of the United States.
The Conformity Hypothesis: Empirical Considerations for the Spiral of Silence's First Link
Authors: Gonzenbach William J.
Published: December 2011

This experiment tests the spiral of silence's conformity hypothesis by manipulating perceptions of opinion, which are not unanimous, about a controversial, morally loaded issue — George Bush's involvement in the Iran-Contra affair. The test incorporates an ideologically consonant media message about the issue and establishes an actual condition of impending public scrutiny. The findings offer partial support for the conformity hypothesis and suggest that conformity is associated with social status and psychological predisposition toward conformity.
Influence of Cable on Television News Audiences
Authors: Baldwin Thomas F. , Barrett Marianne , Bates Benjamin
Published: December 2011

A comparison of television viewing in the 1982–1989 years shows a steady decline of network news viewers, especially among those with pay television. A comparable decline is not found for local broadcast news. The increase in viewing of CNN and the related Headline News was steady, but mostly accounted for by the general expansion of cable, now in about 60% of American homes. One could argue that cable either merely diverts audiences from the traditional networks or that cable services actually win over audiences from the networks in head-to-head competition, and this study finds some evidence that cable is winning the competition.
Viewer Reactions to Content and Presentational Format of Television News
Authors: Behnke Ralph R. , Miller Phyllis
Published: December 2011

From the theoretical perspective of activation theory and using an on-line, real-time, computerized response system, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the pattern of viewer reactions to local television newscasts. Of specific concern was the overall interest pattern for the entire newscast, as well as comparative interest levels for the various component segments and the characteristics of high interest segments. The results suggest that significant audience adaptation does not occur during a 30-minute newscast. No relationship was found between segment placement and level of viewer interest. Explained from an activation theory perspective, these findings suggest that the audience rebound phenomenon overcomes the audience adaptation phenomenon during a standard length and format television news program. In general, news stories received the highest ratings, followed by sports, with weather and commercials competing for last place. Negative stories of accidents, violence and dramatic action, as well as commercials with strong visual and musical support, received the highest interest ratings. Implications of the findings and suggestions for further research are provided.
Two Comparisons of Rural Public Television Viewers and Non-Viewers in Northern Mississippi
Authors: Norton Will , Windhauser John W. , Norton Susan Langdon
Published: December 2011

A study of public television viewers in Oxford, Mississippi, in 1977 and 1989 found both consistency and differences in viewing patterns. In both periods, viewers watched television in general about six hours a day. But viewers of all education levels were much more likely to watch public television in 1989 than in 1977, when watchers tended to be those with higher levels of education. The amount of time spent watching public television inched up in 1989, and there is evidence that viewers assimilated public television more into their regular viewing. The study concludes that public television appeals to a broader and more heterogeneous audience than it did earlier.
Deregulation and Competition: Explaining the Absence of Local Broadcast News Operations
Authors: McKean Michael L. , Stone Vernon A.
Published: December 2011

United States deregulation of radio and television in the 1980s is associated with the decision by some stations to end (or not start) presenting local news. This mail and telephone survey found that station programmers who dropped local news said they could not afford it but would present it if news generated sufficient revenue. There is evidence that news was dropped after, and perhaps as a result of deregulation, especially with television stations. The study suggests deregulation has not resulted in the news diversity for which some hoped.
Explorers and Surveyors: Expanding Strategies for Agenda-Setting Research
Authors: McCombs Maxwell E.
Published: December 2011

This essay by a pioneer scholar in the field broadly summarizes the collective body of findings from hundreds of agenda-setting studies of the past 20 years and suggests fruitful research lines for the future. McCombs finds that, as with pealing a sweet onion, there are layers of research, each with its distinct tantalizing aroma of conclusions. Journalism practitioners, scholars, students and scholars from political science and other disciplines have contributed many perspectives within the context of a variety of data-gathering techniques and subjects. Broadly speaking, he finds that scholars tend to be those who carefully survey and mark ground that has already been discovered but only loosely explored and those who are tempted to move beyond the boundaries of the known. As the circle of research activity enlarges, we know much. But there is more that we do not know, and that is more exciting.
Agenda-Setting and Consequentiality
Authors: Carter Richard F. , Stamm Keith R. , Heintz-Knowles Katharine
Published: December 2011

Society's need for surveillance makes what is consequential a mutual concern of the media and their audiences. Both need to pay attention to what is consequential. We looked at agenda setting in two ways: (1) reasons given for moving a topic up (or down) on the agenda; and (2) consequentiality as evident in respondent ideas about a topic. A new research technique, Cognigraphics, was used for the second part. Results are discussed in terms of how an agenda, as a societal tool, and how those persons most eager to move a topic on an agenda can make use of the kinds and extent of consequentiality seen for a topic. A society's needs to respond to what is consequential might necessitate agenda-setting innovations to improve media performance.
Audience Recall of News Stories Presented by Newspaper, Computer, Television and Radio
Authors: DeFleur Melvin L. , Davenport Lucinda , Cronin Mary , DeFleur Margaret
Published: December 2011

This study reports results of a large-scale experiment in which subjects were exposed to news stories presented by one of four media. The goal was to provide both baseline data and a reasonably definitive answer as to the relative level of recall resulting from presentations by newspapers, computer screen, television and radio while controlling for other factors. Facts from news stories presented by newspaper or computer screen were recalled at a significantly higher level than were facts from the same stories when presented via radio or television. Somewhat surprisingly, results from computer screens were closer to newspapers than to television.
E. L. Godkin and His (Special and Influential) View of 19th Century Journalism
Authors: Caudill Edward
Published: December 2011

E. L. Godkin was the influential editor of both the Nation (1865–1899) and the New York Evening Post (1881–1899). This study concentrates on Godkin's attitude toward journalism, which was multi-dimensional; he saw journalism as having power to change for good but he also saw much pandering to popular audiences in the era of Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Godkin himself wanted to make money and to change society, and he was successful in both ways. But he assailed editors and reporters for grubbing after facts and sensationalizing them. Godkin, like some others in this period between centuries, had mixed feelings about journalism, but he defended freedom of expression and the role of the press in democracy.
Murder and Myth: New York Times Coverage of the TWA 847 Hijacking Victim
Authors: Lule Jack
Published: December 2011

In June 1985, Shiite Moslem gunmen commandeered a TWA jetliner from Athens, Greece. The group held more than 150 people hostage and demanded the release of 700 Shiite Moslems jailed or detained by Israel. A passenger, U.S. Navy diver Robert Dean Stethem, was beaten and killed, his body pushed from the plane onto the runway. After 17 days of negotiations, with agreements reached for the release by Israel of hundreds of detainees, the hostages were released.

Focusing on language in the New York Times, elite and essential for studies of international news images, a dramatistic analysis explores the newspaper's portrayal of the victim.

The study suggests that the news reports of Robert Dean Stethem's killing may serve as a mythic drama of sacrifice. That is, in gripping portrayals of the victim's sacrifice to terrorism, the language of the news reports offers readers the opportunity to participate in a great drama of hope and despair, purpose and pain.
The Impact of Newspaper Ombudsmen on Journalists' Attitudes
Authors: Pritchard David
Published: December 2011

This article explores how one of the principal mechanisms of media accountability — press ombudsmen — affects journalists. The article uses data from a national survey of journalists to examine the extent to which journalists who work at newspapers with ombudsmen hold different attitudes about appropriate behavior and about their newspaper's performance than do journalists who work at newspapers without ombudsmen. The study shows that the presence of newspaper ombudsmen does not affect journalists' views of controversial newsgathering techniques. Age turns out to be the best predictor of attitudes, with younger journalists more likely to see controversial news-gathering techniques as justified.
Predictors of Job Burnout in Reporters and Copy Editors
Authors: Cook Betsy B. , Banks Steven R.
Published: December 2011

This exploratory study applied a widely used psychological test to measure job burnout among a sample of reporters and copy editors at five daily newspapers of dissimilar size. Results indicate that the employee most likely to suffer from burnout is a young, entry-level journalist working as a copy editor at a small dairy newspaper. However, other variables were also found to significantly relate to job burnout. These include age, job title, total years of experience, income and job satisfaction.
The Effectiveness of Random, Consecutive Day and Constructed Week Sampling in Newspaper Content Analysis
Authors: Riffe Daniel , Aust Charles F. , Lacy Stephen R.
Published: December 2011

This study compares 20 sets each of samples of four different sizes (n=7, 14, 21 and 28) using simple random, constructed week and consecutive day samples of newspaper content. Comparisons of sample efficiency, based on the percentage of sample means in each set of 20 falling within one or two standard errors of the population mean, show the superiority of constructed week sampling.
African-American Women Journalists and Their Male Editors: A Tradition of Support
Authors: Streitmatter Rodger
Published: December 2011

Black women journalists have not been hampered by the sexist attitudes of men to the same degree that white women journalists have been. Since this theme was introduced a century ago, individual case studies have continued to reinforce it. Gertrude Bustill Mossell, Delilah Beasley and Ida B. Wells were nineteenth-century women whose journalistic success was supported by their male editors; Marvel Cooke, Lucile Bluford and Ethel Payne have enjoyed similar relationships in the twentieth century. Factors contributing to this tendency are that African-American women have a tradition of working outside the home, that African-American editors historically have been both journalists and racial activists, and that male editors have tended to treat African-American women journalists much as fathers treat their daughters.
The Seven Dwarfs and Other Tales How the Networks and Select Newspapers Covered the 1988 Democratic Primaries
Authors: Johnson Thomas J.
Published: December 2011

This study of newspaper and television coverage in the 1988 Democratic primaries before Michael Dukakis established himself as the front-runner suggests that the media covered this election differently than they did earlier ones that featured a clear leader. For instance, all those actively campaigning for the presidency in 1988 received relatively equal amounts of coverage and the nominal leader, Dukakis, enjoyed favorable coverage throughout the race.
Post-Debate Analysis and Media Reliance: Influences on Candidate Image and Voting Probabilities
Authors: Elliott William R. , Sothirajah Jayanthi
Published: December 2011

This study of 798 potential voters interviewed beginning three days before the September 25, 1988, presidential candidate debate and ending four days later analyzed the influence of exposure to television post-debate analysis and television and newspaper reliance on evaluations of candidate debate performance, candidate image, and voting preferences. Exposure to the debate and to post-debate television analysis had measurable and consistent influences on the evaluation of Dukakis as a debater (Dukakis was the consensus post-debate analysis winner), on Dukakis's image, and on the probability of voting for both candidates. Television news reliance for debate information was significantly related to debater ratings and the candidates' images for both candidates. There was a slight relationship between television news reliance and the probability of voting for Dukakis.
Voter Learning in the 1990 Off-Year Election: Did the Media Matter?
Authors: Weaver David , Drew Dan
Published: December 2011

This study measures how much voters in one Midwestern city and state learned about the issue positions of two 1990 U.S. Senate candidates, and what images of these candidates they formed from campaign coverage and other information. Contrary to popular wisdom that describes 1990 off-year election news coverage as superficial, this study suggests that radio news, televised ads and regional newspapers were significant sources of information about the candidates' stands on issues for residents of Bloomington, Indiana. For Indiana residents in general, viewing TV ads and paying attention to newspaper coverage of the U.S. Senate campaign were significant predictors of knowing more about the candidates' issue positions. Media exposure and attention measures, however, generally were not significant predictors of candidate images.
Do “Instant Polls” Hit the Spot? Phone-in vs. Random Sampling of Public Opinion
Authors: Bates Benjamin , Harmon Mark
Published: December 2011

This comparison of television phone-in polls to random sampling polling shows significant differences between the two types of opinion indicators. Results show that persons with strongly held opinions and a pro-change, activist stance are more likely to respond in phone-in polls.
Buying from a Friend: A Content Analysis of Two Teleshopping Programs
Authors: Auter Philip J. , Moore Roy L.
Published: December 2011

A preliminary study was conducted to content-analyze random samples of two teleshopping programs (The Fashion Channel and Quality Value Convenience Network), using a measure of content interactivity and a locus of control message index. QVC spent more time in high parasocial interaction as well as low interaction, while The Fashion Channel was highest on medium interaction. QVC also offered significantly more external positive and negative messages than The Fashion Channel. Based on the indications of previous research, it appears that QVC was better tailoring its message for its intended target audience than The Fashion Channel was at the time of the study.
Game Time, Soap Time and Prime Time TV Ads: Treatment of Women in Sunday Football and Rest-of-Week Advertising
Authors: Riffe Daniel , Place Patricia C. , Mayo Charles M.
Published: December 2011

This content analysis of national television ads accompanying sporting events, soap operas and general prime time shows indicates that male characters are more common in ads accompanying sporting events and that males are more often given speaking roles. There was no support for a hypothesis that there would be more provocatively dressed women in sporting event ads than in advertising accompanying soap operas or prime time shows.
Effect of Cable Television on Advertiser and Consumer Spending on Mass Media, 1978–1990
Authors: Glascock Jack
Published: December 2011

Previous studies of the cable industry have been inconclusive in determining its impact on other media, especially that of broadcast television. While some industry observers predict a dire future for broadcasters due to the erosion of market share by cable, others contend the current recession has been responsible for the industry's woes. McCombs' theory of relative constancy is used as a basis for examining trends for consumer and advertising spending on media during the 1978–1990 time period. Both trends were found to be positive, indicating that, overall, cable has attracted additional spending on media.
Multicultural Journalism: A Profile of Hawaii's Newspeople
Authors: Henningham John P.
Published: December 2011

Results from a survey of journalists in Hawaii are compared with results from a national U.S. sample of journalists by Weaver and Wilhoit. Although Hawaii's journalists are more ethnically diverse than U.S. journalists, there are proportionately more Caucasian journalists than Caucasians in the Hawaii population. Compared with the national sample, Hawaii's journalists put more emphasis on investigating government claims, providing analysis of complex problems, and serving as an adversary of government.
Exposure to Sources of Heart Disease Prevention Information: Community Type and Social Group Differences
Authors: Finnegan John R. , Viswanath K. , Kahn Emily , Hannan Peter
Published: December 2011

Community pluralism predicted both exposure to sources of heart disease prevention information and diversity of source exposure in three Upper Midwest cities (small, medium, large) over a ten-year period. Community differences in both outcomes narrowed, however. The study suggested that during the 1980s, the sheer amount of information about the topic of heart disease prevention and the proliferation of electronic media reduced typical community system and SES-based differences in exposure.
Dependency Relations and Newspaper Readership
Authors: Loges William E. , Ball-Rokeach Sandra J.
Published: December 2011

Newspaper readership often has been studied with the aim of developing demographic profiles of readers. This paper considers the goals readers are pursuing and the importance of media system dependency relations in explaining the amount of time spent reading newspapers. In a regression analysis, we find that dependency relations for social and self understanding explain a considerable amount of variance in readership beyond the variance explained by demographic variables. Differences in the dependency relations between more and less affluent readers, as well as between male and female readers, are noted as well.
The Impact of Varying Reference Periods in Survey Questions about Media Use
Authors: Price Vincent
Published: December 2011

Data from a representative, national sample of American adults are used to examine the impact of varying reference periods (the “past week” as opposed to a “typical week”) in survey questions about mass media use. Results from a split-sample experiment comparing the alternative question wordings suggest that providing respondents with the more specific and recent time period (i.e., the “past week”) results in significantly lower overall reports of usage across a variety of media. Results further suggest the potential atypicality of the narrower time period, which might in principle adversely affect the validity of responses, is not a serious concern.
Prime Time TV Portrayals of Sex, “Safe Sex” and AIDS: A Longitudinal Analysis
Authors: Lowry Dennis T. , Shidler Jon A.
Published: December 2011

The primary purpose of this study was to track changes in the numbers and types of sexual behaviors in prime time network TV programs. A probability sample of eighty-eight hours of programs and promos was analyzed for a wide variety of sexual behaviors (verbal, implied, and physical). Contrary to public perceptions, the results indicated a substantial decrease in the hourly rates of sexual behaviors in the programs from fall 1987 to fall 1991.
International News and Borrowed News in the New York Times: An Update
Authors: Riffe Daniel , Aust Charles F. , Gibson Rhonda J. , Viall Elizabeth K. , Yi Huiuk
Published: December 2011

This content analysis shows the number of international news items in the New York Times has decreased over the last 22 years. Roughly one in five items contained second-hand or borrowed news (material first disseminated by and attributed to another news organization), though trend analysis indicates increasing news borrowing. Borrowed news was most common in items from Second World (Communist) nations, but the proportion has dropped significantly during the ′80s. Third World borrowed news continues to increase significantly.
New York City's Penny Press and the Issue of Woman's Rights, 1848–1860
Authors: Hoffert Sylvia D.
Published: December 2011

Historians have generally held that before the Civil War the popular press did little to help the woman's rights movement. But careful analysis of the New York Daily Herald, the New York Daily Tribune, and the New York Daily Times during the antebellum period indicates the movement received wide attention in New York's penny press. These papers became a conduit through which woman's rights activists communicated with the general public and helped to rescue a movement without a newspaper of its own from relative obscurity.
Chaos, Polemics, and America's First Newspaper
Authors: Sloan Wm. David
Published: December 2011

In starting Publick Occurrences, Benjamin Harris was influenced greatly by religious purposes. The newspaper's suppression after one issue was not, as some historians have declared, the handiwork of Massachusetts' Puritan clergy. On the contrary, the government's action was motivated in part by efforts of an energetic faction opposed to the leading clergyman, Increase Mather.
Sourcing Patterns of National Security Reporters
Authors: Hallin Daniel C. , Manoff Robert Karl , Weddle Judy K.
Published: December 2011

This article explores the use of sources in national security reporting by twenty-three reporters for seven major newspapers, with particular emphasis on the distinction between “statist” and “civil” sources and on the degree of variation among reporters and papers.
Representation, Roles, and Occupational Status of Black Models in Television Advertisements
Authors: Licata Jane W. , Biswas Abhijit
Published: December 2011

This study updates information on the representation, roles, and occupational portrayal of African-Americans in television advertisements. A content analysis often prime time television shows revealed that black representation in television ads exceeded the percentage distribution of blacks in the population in 1991. The percentage of ads showing blacks in major roles has remained relatively stable over time. However, a black model's level of product interaction was found to be a function of the value of the product, with lower valued products having higher black model-product interaction than higher valued products. This study also compared black portrayal and representation on “typical” versus “black-oriented” television shows. The results indicate that “black-oriented” shows had a greater percentage of all black ads, ads with blacks in major roles, and ads depicting blacks in skilled occupational categories compared to “typical” shows.
The Newspaper Industry's Campaign against Spacegrabbers, 1917–1921
Authors: Lucarelli Susan
Published: December 2011

Newsprint scarcity and post-World War I advertising volume caused a major revaluation of newspaper space, and the “new profession of public relations” was accused of grabbing free space. The ensuing newspaper industry campaign helped establish the foundation of continuing hard feelings between the press and public relations practitioners.
Color Quality in Print Advertising
Authors: McGann Anthony F. , Snook-Luther David
Published: December 2011

This experimental study shows that use of color is important to the reader, but that quality of color is not critical. The authors suggest this finding may suggest to newspaper editors that use of color advertising could heighten their competition with magazines.
Conflict and Public Opinion: Rallying Effects of the Persian Gulf War
Authors: McLeod Douglas M. , Eveland William P. , Signorielli Nancy
Published: December 2011

This study examines the dissipation of “rally effects” in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War using data from a panel of 167 New Castle County (Delaware) respondents interviewed during the war and one year later. Public support for the war and confidence in the president, Congress, and the military declined significantly. Hostility toward antiwar protesters also diminished. The study combines the “rally around the flag” literature from political science and functional conflict theory from sociology to explain the impact of this major external conflict on support for government institutions and intolerance for elements perceived as a potential threat.
Source Credibility during the Gulf War: A Q-Study of Rural and Urban Saudi Arabian Citizens
Authors: Al-Makaty Safran S. , Boyd Douglas A. , Van Tubergen G. Norman
Published: December 2011

This study of how Saudi Arabians sought and placed credibility in information sources about the Gulf War found that those studied fell into two groups: (1) global oriented individuals, primarily urbanites, who were international radio-oriented; and (2) traditional or village oriented individuals, primarily rural, who placed more trust in domestic media. All relied more heavily on broadcast media than on print media. Sources of information were Q-sorted by male Saudi nationals in western Saudi Arabia.
Minnesota Publishers and Editors as Elected Officials, 1923–1938: A Comparison of Journalistic Rhetoric and Conduct
Authors: Dooley Patricia L.
Published: December 2011

This study compares occupational rhetoric of early-twentieth-century newspaper journalists on the involvement of journalists in politics to the actual conduct of a group of 146 Minnesota journalists who practiced their craft between 1923 and 1938. A quantitative collective biography of the personal, journalistic, and community lives of Minnesota editors and publishers suggests that a number of them either did not know about, or chose not to abide by, the admonishments of some members of their occupational group who warned that serving simultaneously as politician and journalist would call into question their ability to act in the best interests of the public.
The Effects of Credibility, Reliance, and Exposure on Media Agenda-Setting: A Path Analysis Model
Authors: Wanta Wayne , Hu Yu-Wei
Published: December 2011

This study examined three audience attributes in the agenda-setting process: individuals' perceived credibility of the news media, their reliance on the news media for information, and their exposure to media messages. A model of agenda-setting is proposed based on the assumptions that if individuals perceive the media to be highly credible, they will rely on the media for information, will increase their exposure to media messages, and in turn will become more susceptible to agenda-setting effects. A path analysis supports the model. All path coefficients in the final model are statistically significant. Effects coefficients suggest that only exposure plays a major role in determining the intensity of agenda-setting effects. A secondary analysis discovered that a credibility index - dealing with community affiliation - also had a direct effect on media agenda-setting.
Editorial Rights of Telephone Carriers
Authors: O'Neill Patrick
Published: December 2011

An ongoing issue in communications policy concerns the proper role of the local telephone exchange carriers in the provision of con tent. Historically, these regulated monopolies acted solely as content-neutral common carriers. This status is undergoing a dramatic change, as the telecommunications system becomes a conduit for mass communication services and as local carriers begin to face competition. The removal of the information services ban by the federal district court in 1991 was only one action of many in the past decade applying First Amendment principles, especially the recognition of editorial rights, to the telephone carriers.
Media Coverage of AIDS, Cancer, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A Test of the Public Arenas Model
Authors: Hertog James K. , Finnegan John R. , Kahn Emily
Published: December 2011

This study explores the development and maintenance of topics on the public agenda and tests whether, for a new issue to compete for attention, an old issue must be displaced. This study finds little support for that assumption, and argues that the maintenance of topics is complex and the displacement effect is not as powerful as once assumed.
Interpersonal Communication in News Diffusion: A Study of “Magic” Johnson's Announcement
Authors: Basil Michael D. , Brown William J.
Published: December 2011

A meta-analysis of thirty-four news diffusion studies shows that the general importance of a story is positively associated with the level of diffusion and likelihood of hearing the news interpersonally, but not the rate of telling others. A second study examined the spread of the news of “Magic” Johnson's positive HIV test. Results indicate that personal importance affected whether a person tells others. These findings identify the important role of individuals and the importance of the news in the diffusion process. News that is personally relevant to an individual is more likely to be discussed with others.
Commercial Breaks: A Viewing Behavior Study
Authors: Moriarty Sandra E. , Everett Shu-Ling
Published: December 2011

This study used in-home episodic sampling by trained participant observers to analyze viewing behavior in a naturalistic setting. The observers tracked screen activity moment-by-moment, as well as the viewers' responses and activities, which were then transformed by the observers into scripts of the viewing episode. This study analyzed channel changing and other commercial avoidance behaviors. The study found that channel changing is stimulated more by commercials than by programs, and that 90 percent of channel changers click the switch during commercial breaks. The results also lead to serious questions about program and station loyalty.
The Financial Affairs of Wisconsin and Iowa Weekly Newspapers in 1860: An Analysis of Products of Industry Census Data
Authors: Dyer Carolyn Stewart , Adams Douglas B.
Published: December 2011

Data from the 1860 U.S. Products of Industry censuses on Iowa and Wisconsin are analyzed to provide benchmarks against which to compare other data on investment, raw materials and labor costs, and the volume of products for frontier weekly newspapers. They answer questions about what it cost to start a paper, how many people were employed, what raw materials cost, how productive weeklies were as businesses, and how newspapers compared to other businesses.
African-American Photo Coverage in Four U.S. Newspapers, 1937–1990
Authors: Lester Paul Martin
Published: December 2011

In a study that analyzed more than 250,000 photographs, among the findings was that coverage of African-Americans had increased, but that the price for added visibility was an increase in stereotypical (crime, sports, and entertainment) content categories. This finding supported a previous study of magazines for a similar time period. It is concluded that journalists need to be sensitive to the needs of all members of a community and not merely those who subscribe.
Development News in Elite and Non-Elite Newspapers in Indonesia
Authors: Shah Hemant , Gayatri Gati
Published: December 2011

This study examines development news in one elite and one non-elite newspaper in Indonesia. Results show that topical categories and reporting criteria methods are both useful methodological tools in understanding development news.
Importing Foreign News: A Case Study of the German Service of the Associated Press
Authors: Wilke Jürgen , Rosenberger Bernhard
Published: December 2011

News agencies play a significant role in procuring foreign news. This study analyzes how the Associated Press (AP) “imports” foreign news to Germany, seeks to determine by what criteria the news is selected, and examines how it is translated and revised. In the German central office in Frankfurt, the “slotter” determines which news should be passed on to the German media; selected news is given to other editors for revision. Although there are similarities in the structure of the selected and discarded news, differences do emerge. The importing of foreign news does not consist of a mere translation of news, but of a reduction and transformation of contextual details. Thus, the news is adapted to the specific journalistic style of Germany.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Public Affairs Knowledge
Authors: McLeod Douglas M. , Perse Elizabeth M.
Published: December 2011

This study investigates the impact of socioeconomic status (SES), perceived utility indicators, and news media use on public affairs knowledge. A LISREL model was used to evaluate various theoretical arguments that have been used to account for public affairs knowledge. Results reveal that SES was significantly linked to knowledge through each of the aforementioned factors. In addition, we located a strong direct SES effect on public affairs knowledge.
Representation and Reality in the Portrayal of Blacks on Network Television News
Authors: Entman Robert M.
Published: December 2011

This paper probes the images of African Americans in a thirty-day sample of videotaped news programs on ABC, CBS, and NBC, and in a computer analysis of verbatim transcripts of ABC's nightly news program for one year. Network news appears to convey more stereotyped impressions — a narrower range of positive roles — for blacks than for whites. Representations of whites in network news are more varied and more positive than of blacks, not because of conscious bias, but because of the way conventional journalistic norms and practices interact with political and social reality. The findings raise theoretical and normative questions about journalists' ability to “represent” the “reality” of black America while adhering to the professional practices that currently shape network news.
The Advertising Content of African-American Newspapers
Authors: Lacy Stephen , Ramsey Karyn A.
Published: December 2011

This study analyzed seventy-two issues from May 1989 of thirty-five African-American newspapers. Results showed a lower percentage of advertising from local sources than was found in newspapers that participated in the Inland Press Association's 1989 study of weekly newspapers. The African-American newspapers also had little advertising support from group-owned businesses. Large-circulation African-American newspapers had less advertising linage than did medium-circulation newspapers, which resulted in a smaller newshole for the large-circulation newspapers.
Explaining the Little Bighorn: Race and Progress in the Native Press
Authors: Coward John M.
Published: December 2011

The Cherokee Advocate and the Indian Journal were promoters of Indian progress, an idea jeopardized by the Sioux and Cheyenne victory at the Little Bighorn in 1876. The papers responded by dropping their ideas of racial solidarity and emphasizing the differences between the progressive tribes of Indian Territory and those of the northern plains. The papers used indirect criticism of government policies and selective commentary from the white press to bolster support for their tribes and reassert their progressive ideology.
The Fight for Access to Government Records round Two: Enter the Computer
Authors: Splichal Sigman L. , Chamberlin Bill F.
Published: December 2011

Federal, state, and local governments are converting public records to computer formats at a rapid pace, creating novel issues with respect to public access. Record requesters are finding access laws, written when most documents were on paper and stored in file cabinets, inadequate when applied to requests for records held in government computers. As a result, requesters have turned to the courts to define the contours of public access in the computer age. Several court cases suggest government agencies are using the fact information is in a computer as an excuse to withhold records. This paper underlines the need to rewrite access laws to acknowledge the pervasive role of computers in government. It proposes a fifteen-point approach to computerized information to help guide the public and media in their quest to ensure computers are used to enhance public access, not undermine it.
The Impact of Competition and Group Ownership on Radio News
Authors: Lacy Stephen , Riffe Daniel
Published: December 2011

A secondary analysis of a national survey of managers at radio news stations was used to examine the impact of group ownership and competition on news content and the news department. Group ownership had no impact on the financial commitment or the local and staff emphasis of news coverage. Competition resulted in more staff-prepared news and a higher proportion ofairtime devoted to staff-prepared news, but in a lower percentage of staff-prepared reports devoted to local news.
Television Self-Regulation: Organizational Processes and the Network Censors
Authors: Weispfenning John
Published: December 2011

The work of the network television censors in administering self-regulation through subjective program content standards is built upon a complex web of organizational processes. The censors' use of both collaboration and negotiation allows the networks to routinize decisions and control their relationships with producers, viewers, interest groups, and government regulators. As such, the censors provide a model of self-regulation for media organizations that must maintain relationships with diverse constituencies.
The Relationship of Information Needs to Issue Relevance and Media Use
Authors: Chew Fiona
Published: December 2011

Utilizing the model of information needs which focuses attention on reorientation and construction in addition to orientation, this study compared questioning behaviors toward a low versus high relevance issue. Analysis showed that information needs varied by issue relevance. The high relevance issue elicited questioning behavior pertaining to obtaining expert opinion, gathering various viewpoints for decision making, and developing an opinion. Individuals focusing on the low relevance issue more frequently wanted to find out about how the issue affected them. By focusing on the qualitative differences in information needs, this research also showed that information needs affected the nature of media use.
Boundary Spanning Activities in Public Relations
Authors: Springston Jeffrey K. , Leichty Greg
Published: December 2011

A survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence of boundary spanning activities among public relations practitioners. The survey drew from previous measures of boundary spanning activities in the organizational behavior literature and added new items to index public relations practice. Six factors were derived in a factor analysis. All six boundary spanning factors were positively and significantly correlated with the public relations roles of Expert Prescriber, Communication Facilitator, and Process Facilitator. Comparisons were also made between the actual frequency of various roles and boundary spanning activities and practitioners' estimates of the ideal level of these activities.
Women Editors at the “Seven Sisters” Magazines, 1965–1985: Did they make a Difference?
Authors: Jolliffe Lee , Catlett Terri
Published: December 2011

This historical study of the “Seven Sisters” magazines examines whether, when women are in editorial control, sex-role stereotyping is found less often in magazine content. Findings indicate that the presence of women editors did not reduce stereotypical portrayals in the magazines studied, but did increase positive portrayals of women.
Sex and the Soaps: A Comparative Content Analysis of Health Issues
Authors: Olson Beth
Published: December 2011

A sample of 105 hours of network daytime soap opera programming from 1989–90 was analyzed for depictions of sexual behaviors, safe sex, and pregnancy. The content analysis indicated occurrences of sexual behaviors were slightly lower than previous studies showed. A few discussions about safe sex (prevention of pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and AIDS) were found. Because these discussions of sexual health issues were not found in previous content analyses, soap opera programming may be beginning to reflect a trend toward more responsible portrayals of sexual behavior. Although most characters engaged in these activities were Caucasian, in their thirties, and not married to each other, the occurrences of married partners in these depictions were increasing.
Measuring the Tie between Funding and News Control at Student Newspapers
Authors: Bodle John V.
Published: December 2011

Although a perception exists that student newspapers are commonly intimidated by administrators over news content, this study indicates that the actual affect is relatively small. Advertisers have had even less success. Just 4.3% of advisers nationally have complied with administrative requests not to publish news articles, and only 12.2% believe there is a link between administrative funding and news selection. This national survey (n=233) also indicates that advisers at two-year colleges and private institutions are significantly more willing to comply with administrative news requests than are those at other institutions.
Young Readers and the Newspaper: Information Recall and Perceived Enjoyment, Readability, and Attractiveness
Authors: Wanta Wayne , Gao Dandan
Published: December 2011

In this study students read and rated twenty newspapers for enjoyment, readability, and attractiveness. The newspapers' efficiency of transmitting information was also tested through knowledge recall questions. The regression analyses generally show that students preferred papers that used accompanying materials, such as pullout quotes and many, though smaller, photographs.
The Mundane and the Arcane: Prestige Media Coverage of Social and Natural Science
Authors: Evans William
Published: December 2011

This study compares coverage of social and natural science in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and network television news ( ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News). The analysis reveals that journalists demarcate social and natural science, but sometimes fail clearly to demarcate social science and lay perspectives. In comparison to natural science, social science is portrayed in the media as a less distinctive and valid way of knowing.