bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pretrial Publicity: A Field Study
Authors: Riley Sam G.
Published: December 2011

In the MacDonald case, no evidence was found to support a change of venue or venire; yet what people know about a crime appears to influence prejudgment, and—again—mere arrest seems to predispose to ‘guilt’.
Urban Magazine Journalism Thrives During City Crises
Authors: Burd Gene
Published: December 2011

Special audiences grow in ferment of pluralistic society as mass circulation media decline. Growth parallels that of the muckraking era at the turn of the 20th century.
News Diffusion: An Overview
Authors: Rosengren Karl Erik
Published: December 2011

Systematic analysis of reported news diffusion studies shows relationships between importance, rate and amount of diffusion, and role played by media and personal communication.
Rosemont v. Random House and the Doctrine of Fair Use
Authors: Gross Jeanne
Published: December 2011

Ruling in case involving earlier Hughes biography broadened judicial doctrine of fair use to give greater weight to public interest and benefit.
Research Article Productivity of U. S. Journalism Faculties
Authors: Cole Richard R. , Bowers Thomas A.
Published: December 2011

Study identifies schools and departments which produced greatest number of mass media research articles from 1962 to 1971.
Media Effects on Changes in Attitudes Toward the Rights of Young People
Authors: Wade Serena E.
Published: December 2011

Respondents who knew, through media, of change in voting regulations changed more in willingness to allow youth to participate in political activities.
Adolescent Perceptions of Police: Actual and as Depicted in TV Drama
Authors: Rarick David L. , Townsend James E. , Boyd Douglas A.
Published: December 2011

Q analysis shows youth's image of TV police is not correlated with his image of actual police; television images held by delinquents and middle-class youngsters aren't much different.
Purloined Information As Property: A New First Amendment Challenge
Authors: Dennis Everette E.
Published: December 2011

Pentagon Papers case brought question of defining government documents as property into focus, but Dodd case set the stage for this approach.
Perceived Powerlessness and Sensitivity to Content Types
Authors: Nielsen Richard P.
Published: December 2011

Three experiments support the inference that powerlessness affects sensitivity to content more than do demographics, e.g. the powerless are more sensitive to content that explains than to content promising reward.
Covering the Environment: A New ‘Afghanistanism’?
Authors: Hungerford Steven E. , Lemert James B.
Published: December 2011

Content analysis shows coverage of environment tends to deal with problems of the community ‘up the road a piece’ rather than local issues.
Cross-Media Comparison of Coverage of the 1972 Presidential Campaign
Authors: Meadow Robert G.
Published: December 2011

Newspaper and television coverage found highly similar. McGovern had more campaign coverage, but Nixon had edge when coverage of administrative activity was included.
Problems in Developing Indices of News Value
Authors: Fathi Asghar
Published: December 2011

In reanalyzing diffusion data, the author shows that indices that ignore time of day are misleading; ‘ego involvement’ proves to be superior as a predictor variable.
Gratifications Found in Media by British Teenage Boys
Authors: Dembo Richard
Published: December 2011

Other exciting gratifications more important than aggression. Aggression bigger factor for comics or television.
Trends in Media Coverage of the Issues of the ′60s
Authors: Funkhouser G. Ray
Published: December 2011

A content analysis suggests that issues prominent in the news during the 1960s, did not necessarily deserve the attention at the times they received it.
West European Newspapers and the Cable Revolution
Authors: Le Duc Don R.
Published: December 2011

West European newspapers face competition for advertising revenue from cable systems which possess potential to provide new outlets for media
Inadequate to Prevent the Present: The American Mercury at 50
Authors: Anderson Fenwick
Published: December 2011

The once respected magazine continues publishing, but its former influence has waned under a succession of publishers in recent years.
16 Months After Chappaquiddick: Effects of the Kennedy Broadcast
Authors: Kraus Sidney , Meyer Timothy , Shelby Maurice
Published: December 2011

The striking finding here is an inverse relationship between amount of media exposure to campaign information and ability to name candidates.
Agreement with Opinionated TV Characters across Cultures
Authors: Tate Eugene D. , Surlin Stuart H.
Published: December 2011

Canadian adults see less humor and realism in Bunker show than does U.S. sample. Dogmatism is related to agreement with Archie.
Can TV Advertising Influence Employers to Hire or Train Disadvantaged Persons?
Authors: Haefner James E.
Published: December 2011

Campaign using prime time spots achieves higher recall and comprehension rates than is usual for informational campaigns.
Public Interest Program Performance of Multimedia-Owned TV Stations
Authors: Wirth Michael O. , Wollert James A.
Published: December 2011

Analysis of FCC reports shows group-owned and multimedia-owned stations have at least as much news and public affairs programming as other stations.
The Federalist Party and Creation of a Court Press, 1789–1801
Authors: Prince Carl E.
Published: December 2011

The institutional place of the press was transformed by the emerging “spoils system.”
High School Students and the Newspaper: Educating Media Consumers
Authors: Benedict Mary , Weaver David H. , Altschull J. Herbert
Published: December 2011

Use of school newspaper in classroom produces gain in understanding commercial newspaper but not in use of such newspapers by students.
Comparison of Young Subscribers and Nonsubscribers to Newspapers
Authors: Schweitzer John C.
Published: December 2011

Differences found in North Carolina and Wisconsin studies of adults did not show up for most part in study of persons 18 to 24 years old.
How Farmers View Advertising
Authors: Sandage C.H. , Barban Arnold M. , Haefner James E.
Published: December 2011

Study of Illinois farmers finds less favorable attitudes toward advertising than in similar study 16 years ago, but overall attitudes are still favorable.
An Assessment of Quantitative Research in Mass Communication
Authors: Chase Lawrence J. , Baran Stanley J.
Published: December 2011

Analysis of 48 articles in two mass communication journals finds statistical power relatively high. Interdisciplinary comparisons are favorable.
The Contemporary Status of Television Group Ownership
Authors: Howard Herbert H.
Published: December 2011

Approximately 71 percent of TV stations in top-100 markets are licensed to group owners.
Harrison Reed: An Editor's Trials on the Wisconsin Frontier
Authors: Lorenz Alfred Lawrence
Published: December 2011

The frontier editor had to be in step with party politics to survive.
Assessing the ‘Press on Wheels’: Individualism in Frontier Journalism
Authors: Heuterman Thomas H.
Published: December 2011

A study of the Frontier Index questions whether the press mirrored frontier society.
News Selection Patterns among Non-White, Urban Slum Residents
Authors: Ryan Michael
Published: December 2011

Analysis of responses by non-white residents of urban slum finds three factors account for news interest of respondents.
News vs. Advertising: Does the Audience Perceive the ‘Journalistic Distinction’?
Authors: Grotta Gerald L. , Larkin Ernest F. , Carrell Bob J.
Published: December 2011

Evidence indicates the audience does not perceive either news or advertising as a homogeneous content category, distinct from the other, in the media.
The Impact of Gertz on the Law of Libel
Authors: Stonecipher Harry W. , Trager Robert
Published: December 2011

Opinion has been cited in at least 23 states, but interpretation has varied on public figure criteria and standard of liability for private person.
What Publications Are Most Frequently Quoted in the Congressional Record
Authors: Grau Craig H.
Published: December 2011

More than half the items put in the Record come from the Washington Post and the New York Times, and the proportion from these two papers seems to be rising.
Family Communication and TV Program Choice
Authors: Dimmick John
Published: December 2011

This department is devoted to shorter reports on research in the communications field. Readers are invited to submit summaries of investigative studies interesting for content, method or implications for further research.
International Communication as a Field: A Study of Journalism Quarterly Citations
Authors: Kent K.E.M. , Rush Ramona R.
Published: December 2011

This department is devoted to shorter reports on research in the communications field. Readers are invited to submit summaries of investigative studies interesting for content, method or implications for further research.
Possible Effects of Major Criminal Events on Audience Size and Channel Switching
Authors: Pride William M.
Published: December 2011

This department is devoted to shorter reports on research in the communications field. Readers are invited to submit summaries of investigative studies interesting for content, method or implications for further reasearch.
Congressional Committee Hearings and the Media: Rules of the Game
Authors: Miller Susan H.
Published: December 2011

Study of media and politicians finds that Congressional committees have four kinds of relationships with media-hostile, neutral, publicity seeking and collaborative.
Effectiveness of a TV Counter Ad
Authors: Lull James , Mulac Anthony
Published: December 2011

Experiment with aspirin ads finds no evidence a counter ad will significantly alter attitudes toward product.
How Source Affects Response to Public Service Advertising
Authors: Lynn Jerry R. , Wyatt Robert O. , Gaines Janet , Pearce Robert , Bergh Bruce Vanden
Published: December 2011

Advertising Council produces highest evaluation but lowest behavioral response of three sources used for PSAs
Inner-Directed and Other-Directed Values of Professional Journalists
Authors: Schwartz Stuart H.
Published: December 2011

Linkage analysis of response to SO value items yields two types. Those scoring high in professionalism also show high degree of individualism
Editorial Practices of Television Stations
Authors: Meeske Milan D.
Published: December 2011

National survey finds more than half the country's TV stations editorialize, with local topics most frequent.
Adoption of Modern Newspaper Design
Authors: Stone Gerald C. , Schweitzer John C. , Weaver David H.
Published: December 2011

Analysis of sample of joint ownership newspapers identifies 22 variables related to modernization of format.
A General Psychographic Analysis of Newspaper Use and Life Style
Authors: Schwartz Stuart H.
Published: December 2011

Choice of lifestyle is related to reading interests, but newspaper is of little importance to person in each of the four life styles identified.
Media Credibility: A Use-Gratifications Approach
Authors: Mulder Ronald
Published: December 2011

This department is devoted to shorter reports on research in the communications field. Readers are invited to submit summaries of investigative studies interesting for content, method or implications for further research.
Taxing Newspaper Advertising Supplements: A Study of State Trends
Authors: Stefaniak Greg
Published: December 2011

This study compares 21 states that allow advertising supplements to be taxed with some states that do not. Based primarily on legal sources, the study finds that states normally consider such factors as where the supplement is published and whether it is called a “supplement,” or readers would miss it, or is indexed, or is under control of the newspaper. States that do not allow taxing generally rule the supplements are part of the newspaper, while taxing states do not. The study argues this area may become more important in an era of declining government revenues, but the study does not find a national trend toward supplement taxation.
News Source Use in the Crash of 1987: A Study of Four National Media
Authors: Lasorsa Dominic L. , Reese Stephen D.
Published: December 2011

Employing content analysis, this study examines coverage of the stock market crash in 1987 for October and November by CBS Evening News, Newsweek, The New York Times, and Wall Street Journal. The news media published/presented 167 crash stories, citing 1022 sources from business, government, academic life, Wall Street, lobbyists, and others. Sources differed, with the government sources mentioning causes of the crash — most often the national debt — while business and lobbyist sources focused more on effects. Print media favored Wall Street sources — and used more sources in general — while CBS favored government sources. This study finds, as hypothesized, that news media favor high prestige sources, and that use of different sources resulted in distinctly different slants. Public views of the crash would have been shaped as much by the sources cited as medium read/viewed.
Sportswriters Talk about Themselves: An Attitude Study
Authors: McCleneghan J. Sean
Published: December 2011

This study, based on a summer 1989 mail survey of 68 sportswriters from 10 Southwestern newspapers, used Likert scales to measure attitudes toward such topics as accuracy, ethics, and writing styles. The sportswriters, who had a median age of 35, 12 years of sports writing experience, and (mostly) earned college degrees, judged themselves more often ethically tested than were other reporters. They regarded their work as creative, liked it, and generally felt good about themselves. Many aimed eventually to write sports columns.
African-American Photo Coverage in Life, Newsweek and Time, 1937–1988
Authors: Lester Paul , Smith Ron
Published: December 2011

This content analysis of the pictures in three major magazines for an entire year for each of 11 sampled years in the 1937 through 1988 period shows that African Americans increased visibility from a low of 1.1% to a high of 8.8% of all photographs. This included the presence of African Americans on covers, in advertisements, sports, everyday life, and in other areas. The authors found the African-American photos could be grouped into periods of stereotyping (1937–1952), civil rights (1957–1972), and working within the system (1978–1988).
Television News Viewing by Older Adults
Authors: Goodman R. Irwin
Published: December 2011

Based on personal interviews with 166 men and women older than age 65 and 246 mail questionnaires, this study finds that older people prefer television for national and world news, but newspapers for local news. Of television programs, both men and women prefer news and public affairs programs highest, but thereafter women prefer educational programs next while men favor sports programs. Women watch early evening television news more than do men, while men more often watch late night television news. Men and women who rely on television news tend to think of news anchors and television reporters as like real people they know, and women often report they learn information from television to pass on to others in conversation.
News about State Community Block Grant Programs: A Survey of State Directors
Authors: Brintnall Michael , Folkerts Jean , Musson Trudie
Published: December 2011

One legacy of the Reagan administration was the transfer of many responsibilities from federal to state levels. Under Reagan, the federal government combined various programs into block grants for state administration. This mail survey of 35 of the 50 state directors of state community block grant programs reveals that most directors do not find much coverage by newspapers, television, or radio about how the money — once allocated (often covered) — is actually spent. Such as it is, newspapers provide most coverage. Most stories are descriptive, but some are analytical and investigative. Most directors spend little time with the news media but those that do report generating more coverage. The study speculates that news media do not give these federal-to-state programs enough coverage, providing a weak link between government and people.
Outside Over National News Agencies? A Study of Preferences in the French Regional Press
Authors: Gaunt Philip , Pritchard David
Published: December 2011

This survey of 27 French journalists responsible for choosing foreign news from the wire services to publish in regional newspapers outside Paris shows that Agence France Presse remains the major wire source. But the concise, unadorned style of the French language service offered by the Associated Press has gained many users. French journalists are specializing more, and about one-fourth of younger journalists have formal journalism training. There is less time for editing on some newspapers. The study suggests the unique style of Agence France Presse may have to give way to be more competitive, at a cost to a unique French emphasis on foreign news. International news may become like foreign news in any press.
Reportage of Agricultural News in Nigerian Newspapers
Authors: Olowu Terry A.
Published: December 2011

This content analysis of 17 Nigerian daily newspapers from 1980 through 1985 reveals the publication of about one story in 20 devoted to agriculture. Of these, the largest category dealt with general agricultural news and the smallest with pricing and marketing news. Unlike many other content analysis studies, this project finds a relatively low correlation between the length and number of agricultural stories, measured separately.
Advertising in Taiwan Newspapers since the Lifting of the Bans
Authors: Lay Yun-Ju , Schweitzer John C.
Published: December 2011

This content analysis of two major papers shows that the lifting in January 1988 of a three-decade old ban in Taiwan on numbers of newspapers and newspaper pages did not result in any radical changes in the percentages of pages allocated to ROP or classified advertising. There was a relative increase in some types of advertising, such as for food, and a decline in other types, such as for consumer electronics. A survey shows readers spent more time with fewer, larger papers and have some resistance to newspaper changes.
Word Wars at Home: U.S. Response to World War II Propaganda
Authors: Nagy Alex
Published: December 2011

The United States used the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Foreign Agents Registration Act to require those mailing propaganda to the United States to register with the government, a requirement that offended the Soviet Union even after 1941 when the USSR changed from supporting to opposing Cermany. Empowered to evaluate, stop and burn incoming materials, the Post Office played an active role under direction of Postmaster General Frank Walker. Soviet materials did not fare well throughout the war. In all, the Post Office was responsible for burning an estimated 50 tons of materials, despite the concerns of some who argued that “book burning” was alien to United States tradition.
Effects of Information and Evaluation in Film Criticism
Authors: Wyatt Robert O. , Badger David P.
Published: December 2011

This study reports results of an experiment in which student subjects read various types of film reviews and then reported interest in attending the film. One review had high information content about the film and no positive or negative opinion about it, while other reviews contained high or low information and either positive or negative evaluation. The study finds that higher amounts of information—regardless of evaluation—leads to more interest in the film. Reviews with high information plus positive evaluation lead to most interest, but high information alone raised interest nearly as much.
Career Values as Predictor of the Perceived Role of Media
Authors: Dillon John
Published: December 2011

Based on a survey of communication and noncommunication college majors, this study, using factor analysis, finds that communication students absorb professional values in the classroom. Similar to the conclusions of Weaver and Wilholt, these data find students can be divided into “adversary,” “interpreter,” and “disseminator” types. Journalism training represents socialization as well as the teaching of skills.
American Muckraking of Technology since 1900
Authors: Stein Harry H.
Published: December 2011

This study contrasts the muckraking of Ray Stannard Baker and others in the early 20th century with that of Ralph Nader, Vance Packard, and others recently. The study defines muckraking—a term often loosely used—and points out that muckrakers of both periods generally attacked those whom muckrakers see as in control of (mostly) dehumanizing technology. Most muckrakers seek to increase the power of individuals and to make business and government more responsive, yet muckrakers never expressed a coherent, integrated philosophy in any period.
Horns of a Dilemma: The Sun, Abolition, and the 1833–34 New York Riots
Authors: Whitby Gary L.
Published: December 2011

The earliest years of the N.Y. Sun found the newspaper publishing more than entertaining police court news. Benjamin Day and police reporter George Wisner—soon a half owner of the Sun—opposed slavery, with Wisner favoring an immediate and Day a gradual end. Both used columns and stories to support their positions, sometimes at variance with each other. Their coverage may have touched off a 1834 pro-slavery riot in New York. The dilemma is: News may have an effect different from that intended.
Perceptions of Credibility of Male and Female Syndicated Political Columnists
Authors: Andsager Julie L.
Published: December 2011

This study, based on an experiment using college students, finds that there was little prejudice against female versus male bylines in political interpretative columns. There was a small tendency for male readers to evaluate male bylines higher in some stereotypical ways, but female readers did not do this. In general, the strongest findings were: There were few differences. The study argues that journalism should be wide open to female columnists, who currently are greatly outnumbered by their male colleagues.
Graphic Forms in Network Television News
Authors: Foote Joe S. , Saunders Ann C.
Published: December 2011

This study compares different forms of graphics—such as symbols, film, video and still photographs—used by CBS, ABC and NBC in 430 stories sampled in 1988. There were 674 graphics used by the networks in these stories, an average of 25 per evening news program. A total of 78% of the stories used some kind of visual, with ABC using more visuals than the other two networks. The study speculates on the potential influence of graphics in such areas as agenda-setting.
A Newspaper's 900 Telephone Poll: Its Perceived Credibility and Accuracy
Authors: Gerhard Michael E.
Published: December 2011

Comparing results of a telephone poll based on a random sample with those from a call-in poll (at 50 cents per call for unlimited calls) shows that call-in polls contain very substantial errors. Even so, as many as one-third of newspaper readers held call-in polls in high regard, especially readers with less formal education. This study suggests call-in polls cash in on the respect gained in recent years by soundly conducted polls, and that newspapers should avoid call-in polls or at least clearly warn readers that results may be widely at variance with real opinion.
Shotgun Marriage: A Study of Tennessee Law Enforcement, Reporters and Sources
Authors: Grusin Elinor Kelley
Published: December 2011

This study is based on in-depth interviews with 23 police reporters and 30 law enforcement officials located in the cities and counties of Tennessee's 11 major newspapers. The study finds that reporters are far younger than their source counterparts and less likely to have much experience or come from the local community. Law enforcement officials complain: Reporters are passing through the beat toward greater glory. Reporters, hardpressed to meet deadlines, often have to rely on the telephone, and find it difficult to deal, on occasion, with the bureaucracy. In evaluating such areas as “honesty,” “fairness,” “knowledge,” and “effectiveness,” law enforcement officials evaluated reporters slightly higher than the reverse evaluation. Police complain about “training” young reporters over and over.
Video Policy in Guyana
Authors: Sidel M. Kent
Published: December 2011

Guyana, until recently one of the few countries with no official television service, has initiated limited television to support nation building and economic development. This English-speaking nation—independent since 1966—has found it has to contend with strong marketplace forces. The study speculates that public tastes may already be too shaped by the market for the government to influence them.
Use of Endorsers in Magazine Advertisements
Authors: Stout Patricia A. , Moon Young Sook
Published: December 2011

This study content analyzed 655 full page advertisements sampled from Reader's Digest, Newsweek, Ladies' Home Journal and Esquire for 1980 and 1986. It found that endorsements occurred in about half of the advertisements. Endorsers most used were celebrities (51%), typical consumers (24%), CEOs (14%), and experts (11%). Between 1980 and 1986, CEOs appeared less often, celebrities more often. Advertisements with endorsers generally contained less information. Celebrities most often endorsed personal care or apparel products. The study outlines strategies for advertisers.
The Use of Blacks in Magazine and Television Advertising: 1946 to 1986
Authors: Zinkhan George M. , Quails William J. , Biswas Abhijit
Published: December 2011

Secondary analysis of several major content analysis studies, combined with original data from five magazines in 1986 (including Time, Ladies' Home Journal, and Life), reveal an increase in the black presence in advertising. Data from 1967–1986 television commercials indicate that the black presence, in as many as 16% of commercials in one 1986 study, sometimes approaches the percentage of blacks in the population. This trend, while increasing over the 1946–1986 period, is less dramatic for magazines.
Mass Communication Research in Latin America: Views from Here and There
Authors: Chaffee Steven H. , Gomez-Palacio Carlos , Rogers Everett M.
Published: December 2011

Somewhat different pictures of communication research in Latin America emerge from parallel surveys of journals and scholars in that region, and of interested U.S. researchers. Latin Americans cite Europeans and influence one another more than U.S. scholars realize. By far the most cited author in the period 1960–84 was Armand Mattelart, a European critical theorist who lived in Chile until 1973; his influence is underestimated by the U.S. scholars surveyed. The study is based on analysis of eight Latin American journals and interviews with more than 100 scholars in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and the United States.
An Analysis of Japanese Television Commercials
Authors: Ramaprasad Jyotika , Hasegawa Kazumi
Published: December 2011

Content analysis of 410 prime time television commercials sampled from four Japanese television stations finds that, at all product involvement levels, Japanese commercials use the emotional appeal more than the informational appeal, sometimes with very indirect product selling approaches. At the same time, only a small percentage of these commercials do not use information cues at all. In the sample, the modal length was 15 seconds and the modal product was food/drinks. Also, Western influence was evident: a majority of the commercials used spoken and written English and about a sixth used Western music and non-Japanese (particularly Western) characters; the Japanese attach attributes such as modernism and value to Western symbols.
Alternatives to Newspaper Advertising, 1890–1920: Printers' Innovative Product and Message Designs
Authors: Badaracco Claire
Published: December 2011

The years studied, 1890 to 1920, saw the many changes in commercial language. Some printers, trained in newspapers and advertising agencies, used their skills to open independent shops of their own, from which they issued booklets, catalogs, posters, and also printed house organs and employee magazines. These printers absorbed advertising revenues and provided an alternative to newspaper and magazine advertising. When advertising posters appeared in railway cars and elsewhere, newspapers protested. This study is based on a content analysis of more than 200 trade journals of the period, including American Printer and The Bookman.
From Black Politics to Black Community: Harry C. Smith and the Cleveland Gazette
Authors: Stevens Summer E. , Johnson Owen V.
Published: December 2011

In 1883, at the age of 20, Henry C. Smith founded the Cleveland Gazette. He put his stamp on the newspaper and black public life in the city for more than one-half century. Smith, who served three terms in the Ohio legislature, initially was a strong supporter of the Republican Party and gave his paper a strong political focus. By 1896 politics, although not absent, was off the front page. The Gazette shows how the black press played an increasingly important sociocultural role in the late 19th century as a community builder.
Exposure to What? Integrating Media Content and Effects Studies
Authors: Shoemaker Pamela J. , Reese Stephen D.
Published: December 2011

This essay argues that communication scholars should make more effort to match content with readership/viewership because audience members can read or view widely different aspects of a particular medium on any given day. Citing George Gerbner, among others, the essay argues that a field that has borrowed so much from other disciplines will not progress far unless communication scholars develop better measures and locate better fits between media content and audience use.
Value Coding Consensus in Front Page News Leads
Authors: Corrigan Dennis M.
Published: December 2011

A content analysis of more than 900 stories taken from two national and two regional newspapers suggests that news stories can be sorted more easily by certain values—such as conflict, proximity, and prominence—than by the traditional five Ws and H. This study argues that journalists employ a common “value coding,” and—using this coding—one can account for about 98% of the leads of stories appearing on sample front pages.
How Local Television Learns What is News
Authors: Mcmanus John
Published: December 2011

An economic model is tested against a journalistic model at the first stage of news production in three local television newsrooms, one each in a medium, large and very large market. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to measure effort the station exerted to learn of newsworthy events. The economic model of inexpensive, passive discovery is generally supported over the journalistic model of active surveillance.
Ownership, Operating, Staffing and Content Characteristics of “News Radio” Stations
Authors: Riffe Daniel , Shaw Eugene F.
Published: December 2011

A total of 146 radio stations (a 61% response rate) listed as “all-news” in a broadcasting yearbook responded to a mail survey, and demonstrated that larger market stations, stations with a local affiliate, and stations with a group affiliation regularly broadcast more news. Despite the yearbook listing, only 27% of these stations — representing 38 states — reported that they in fact presented news all the time, while 59% reported they broadcast editorials. A higher level of news programming was also associated with emphasis on soft news.
Organizational Factors and Nonresponse in a Survey of Newspaper Editors
Authors: Chang Tsan-Kuo , Voelker David , Lee Jae-Won
Published: December 2011

Three mailings of a six-page survey questionnaire to a circulation-weighted newspaper sample group of 540 editors in 1987 resulted in a final response rate of 51.6%. Follow-up study with nonresponders did not find any regional variations in nonreponse, but did discover that editors from smaller, noncorporate newspapers were more likely to respond. Among reasons given for nonresponse were lack of time—especially from editors of larger newspapers—and complaints that the survey was too long. Some editors said they received too many mail questionnaires.
Science Stories: Risk, Power and Perceived Emphasis
Authors: Hornig Susanna
Published: December 2011

This study investigates the relationship between readers' perceptions of story emphasis and the degrees of risk from and control over science and technology developments felt by readers. Contrary to expectations, respondents saw scientific and technological developments as higher in risk and with outcomes less under their control when they read stories that emphasized the social and political over the scientific and technical aspects of these developments. Exploratory research bearing on the validity of the powerfulness scale used is also reported.
Correlations of Newspaper Content with Circulation in the Suburbs: A Case Study
Authors: Lacy Stephen , Sohn Ardyth B.
Published: December 2011

This study follows the “umbrella” hypothesis that newspapers compete in layers radiating out from the newspaper(s) published in the central city to those published in distant suburbs. The assumption is that there is more competition between than within layers. A content analysis of four central city dailies in Denver and Detroit with selected surrounding suburban newspapers tests the hypothesis that circulation success in the suburbs is related to certain kinds of content and that if a larger newspaper is successful in these same suburbs there will be similarity of content. But the study found only weak support for this hypothesis.
Attributional Bias in Predictions of Retail Advertising Content Preferences
Authors: Major Ann Marie
Published: December 2011

Using Q sort technique, the study examines a number of perceptions about advertising from the point of view of congruence and coorientation theory. Retailers and advertising representatives participated in the study. For some types of retailers the estimates of customer perceptions were quite high, but this was less so for other retailer types. The study found coorientation a useful and robust theory.
Media Reliance and Public Images of Environmental Politics in Ontario and Michigan
Authors: Pierce John C. , Lee-Sammons Lynette , Steger Mary Ann E. , Lovrich Nicholas P.
Published: December 2011

Knowledge and images of environmental issues depend in part on the type of media to which one is exposed, according to a cross-national survey reported here. A mail survey showed that, in general, respondents in Michigan saw more conflict in environmental issues than did a sample from Ontario. Canadian respondents focused more on the issues themselves. In both countries, those who relied mainly on television for environmental news were less likely to hold purely ideological positions on the environment, but Canadian newspaper readers were inclined to be ideological. In Michigan, those who took environmental cues from friends or politicians were most likely to be ideological.
Community Ties in a Rural Midwest Community and Use of Newspapers and Cable Television
Authors: Viswanath Kasisomayajula , Finnegan John R. , Rooney Brenda , Potter John
Published: December 2011

This telephone survey of 377 persons in a Middle West community finds civic involvement related to local and regional newspaper subscription but not to cable TV subscription. The same is true of political involvement and active voting. Those living longest in the community and most committed to staying there were most likely to take the local paper, but this had little effect on taking local cable. Income was unrelated to cable subscription but was positively associated with local and regional newspaper subscription. There are a number of other findings, some substantiating findings of other community studies.
Information Richness and Newspaper Pulitzer Prizes
Authors: Hansen Kathleen A.
Published: December 2011

A comparison of 30 stories that won or were nominated for newspaper Pulitzer Prizes with 30 matched newspaper enterprise stories from the 1985–1989 period suggests that, as hypothesized, the Pulitzer winners used more sources—reflecting more source diversity—and made greater use of such enterprise research techniques as use of library, document, and statistical sources. Winners used simple journalistic interviews proportionally less than did nonwinners. Entries from five Pulitzer Prize categories were examined, including the public service and investigative reporting categories.
Objectivity in Journalism: A Search and a Reassessment
Authors: Streckfuss Richard
Published: December 2011

Journalists did not begin to use the word “objective” to describe their work until the 1920s. The term originally represented a rigorous reporting procedure growing out of the broader cultural movement of scientific naturalism. Rather than serve as a vehicle of neutrality, the objective method was seen as an antidote to the emotionalism and jingoism of the conservative American press.
Effects of Newspaper Competition on Public Opinion Diversity
Authors: Lasorsa Dominic L.
Published: December 2011

This study used survey data from the 1988 American National Election Study by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research to compare the diversity of opinions on public issues held by individuals in communities that have newspaper competition versus individuals in noncompetitive newspaper communities. The study also controlled for socioeconomic status, population density, and racial and ethnic mix in the 92 counties studied. Findings are that socioeconomic status accounted for 13% of the variance in diversity of opinions reflected in a public opinion survey, while newspaper competition accounted for 4%, a smaller but still significant amount. Racial and ethnic mix was not related to diversity of public opinion but population density did account for 6% of the diversity. Findings argue that newspaper competition remains important for encouraging diversity of views on public issues.
Influence of News Coverage of the “Scandal” on PTL Viewers
Authors: Abelman Robert
Published: December 2011

A sample of 179 faithful viewers of religious television with divergent patterns of secular television exposure were found to possess significantly different perceptions of religious broadcasters in light of the PTL scandal. High consumers of secular television and magazine reports of the scandal became far more critical and increasingly negative. Low consumers were more supportive of religious broadcasters after the scandal. The interaction between viewer motives, media exposure, interpretive processing of media information and the effects on viewer perceptions are discussed.
Trust in Government and News Media among Korean Americans
Authors: Chaffee Steven H. , Nass Clifford I. , Yang Seung-Mock
Published: December 2011

Korean immigrants to the United States provide insights into how individuals assess trust in mass media similarly to trust in government in some countries, such as in Korea where press and government are closely related. But this close relationship does not hold in the United States, this mail survey of 239 Korean immigrants finds. As contact with the new country builds, and with the old one weakens, newcomers learn to fit, as natives, into a culture in which institutions like the press and government perform independently.
Discrepancy between Perceived First-Person and Perceived Third-Person Mass Media Effects
Authors: Tiedge James T. , Silverblatt Arthur , Havice Michael J. , Rosenfeld Richard
Published: December 2011

Surveys conducted in two midwestern cities investigated the hypothesis that says people will perceive effects of mass media as being greater on others than on themselves. Findings demonstrate this, with almost 90% of respondents judging they were less influenced than were others. Respondents with more education saw others as being even more influenced, but not themselves so much. Older respondents were most likely to feel mass media influenced them less than others, perhaps because older people feel they have other sources of information.
When Characters Speak Directly to Viewers: Breaking the Fourth Wall in Television
Authors: Auter Philip J. , Davis Donald M.
Published: December 2011

What is the reaction of viewers when characters speak directly to the audience—breaking the invisible “fourth wall” of the theater—in films or television programs? Mel Brooks did this in “Blazing Saddles” and, more recently, Gary Shandling did in his television program with questions like: “Does my hair look OK?” This experiment using college students suggests that audiences do, within limits, like to be so involved in the program. Clips that broke the fourth wall were rated significantly more entertaining on a semantic differential scale, and significantly more sophisticated than were clips that did not break the wall. The study concluded that programs that break the fourth wall are more cognitively involving.
Using Expert Sources in Breaking Science Stories: A Comparison of Magazine Types
Authors: Martin Shannon E.
Published: December 2011

Science magazines did not use expert sources more often or even carry proportionately more breaking science news than did business and news magazines, this content analysis of coverage of the 1989 “cold fusion” controversy shows. News and business magazines—contrary to study expectations—just about matched science magazines in the various comparisons made. The study suggests that readers of general news magazines can expect to be informed of major breaking science stories about as well as readers of specialized science magazines.
Pricing of Advertising in Weeklies: A Replication
Authors: Lacy Stephen , Dravis Stephen
Published: December 2011

Competition's effects on advertising rates and cost per thousand were studied at 168 Michigan weekly newspapers in a replication of a 1980 Wisconsin study. Like the earlier research, this study found that competition was not related to ad rates. Among the Michigan newspapers, however, competition was related to cost per thousand. The results are consistent with studies of daily newspapers, suggesting that cost per thousand may be a better measure of advertising price than the absolute rate.
Sibling Interactions in 1950s versus 1980s Sitcoms: A Comparison
Authors: Larson Mary Strom
Published: December 2011

A Comparison of how children interact with their brothers and sisters on such 1950s situation comedy television programs as Leave It To Beaver and Father Knows Best with those on such 1980s programs as The Cosby Show and Family Ties finds that children interacted more positively in the early period but were important and central—if more conflictual—to the main story action in the 1980s. Drawing on Bandura's social learning theory the study speculates: What is learned by children watching? Also, do these program changes reflect changes in television production, or changes in society? Perhaps both, this study speculates.
Use of Message Stimuli in Mass Communication Experiments: A Methodological Assessment and Discussion
Authors: Slater Michael D.
Published: December 2011

Using six major mass communication research journals, including Journalism Quarterly, this article examines current practices in mass communication research with respect to message experiment design, analysis, and inference, and provides a logically consistent framework for mass communication researchers to make experimental design and data analysis decisions. The proposed conceptual framework is outlined in the context of recent controversies about such experiments, including the challenge of when to treat message stimuli as random versus fixed effects.
Gratifications of Grazing: An Exploratory Study of Remote Control Use
Authors: Walker James R. , Bellamy Robert V.
Published: December 2011

Audiences have used remote control devices to zap content (such as ads), zip on past content, and graze from program to program in search of more interesting material. Approximately 70 million households have these devices. This research employs survey method to study RCD users in two cities and finds a variety of motives for using RCDs. Among chief reasons are simply to avoid materials, such as commercials. But many also avoid political content they do not like, with some implications for a truly informed electorate.
FCC Standard-Setting with Regard to FM Stereo and AM Stereo
Authors: Huff W.A. Kelly
Published: December 2011

A careful look at FCC records and other documents reveals the philosophy and discussions that led to approval of a stereo broadcast standard for FM radio, helping FM overtake AM by the 1970s and 1980s. But the FCC, despite much discussion, has not yet adopted a stereo standard for hardpressed AM radio, although at least 10% of AM stations now broadcast with some kind of stereo technique. The study concludes: the FCC shows a growing tendency to avoid regulation, reflecting recent trends.
Changes in the International Focus of U.S. Business Magazines, 1964–1988
Authors: Mayo Charles , Pasadeos Yorgo
Published: December 2011

About one of every six business stories focuses on international news, increasingly with a global emphasis, this content analysis of Business Week, Forbes, and Fortune reveals. The sample of 1964–1968, 1974–1978, and 1984–1988 stories finds there are more stories in the later than earlier period, but they are shorter so the amount of total space devoted to international stories has remained constant. Stories mention a U.S. connection about half the time. The relationship between U.S. trade and international coverage was relatively weak, with Western Europe covered more than U.S. trade would justify and the Americas covered less. Cultural ties proved as important as proximity.
Civil Rights Vanguard in the Deep South: Newspaper Portrayal of Fannie Lou Hamer, 1964–1977
Authors: Bramlett-Solomon Sharon
Published: December 2011

At age 45, Fannie Lou Hamer began registering black voters in Mississippi. Before her death in 1977, this courageous black woman—like other under recognized women—played many roles in the civil rights movement. Night visitors riddled her house with bullets; she suffered other dangers and indignities. But she persevered; her comments on national television galvanized many. A content analysis of five leading national newspapers for 1964–1977 shows, however, little recognition of her achievements, until the end of her life. Early coverage often mentioned physical attributes, as often reflected in coverage of other women, but there was some insight into her contributions at the end.
A Clash over Race: Tennessee Governor Ellington versus CBS, 1960
Authors: Sumner David E.
Published: December 2011

In 1960 a CBS news team went to Nashville to make a documentary, “Anatomy of a Demonstration,” and—in fact—touched off a racial demonstration by its very presence, according to Gov. Buford Ellington. The historical evidence is less clear but, apparently, there was an agreement by black leaders to allow only CBS to film training sessions for demonstrators—training that included simulations of violence. News, in a sense, was created, even if there is no hard evidence of the network unwittingly instigating a larger racial incident.
Effects of an AIDS Communication Campaign
Authors: Perloff Richard M.
Published: December 2011

With intravenous drug users as a target audience, distribution of brochures and pamphlets, along with use of some billboards, in Cleveland, Ohio, resulted in an increase in general public awareness of AIDS as a social problem, but did not result in much increase in knowledge of how to prevent AIDS, with the exception that citizens in Cleveland, versus another control city in Ohio, did know that needles can be sterilized with bleach. The campaign did prove its ability to influence public concern about issues by moving one concern up, an example of agenda-setting.