Archives for January 2012

Media Ethics Division

Bad Apples or Rotten Culture: Media Discourse on the Corporate Scandals of 2001 and 2002 • David Craig, and Kristy Turner, Oklahoma • This paper evaluates 263 print media pieces and broadcast segments to assess how the discourse of 18 major news organizations addressed the ethical dimension of the scandals involving Enron and other companies. Ethical discussion emerged at several levels • individual, organizational, professional, and social • in a variety of formats including in-depth analytical reporting, commentary, and question and answer. Though much of the discourse was not in depth, the best examples point to ways that news organizations can effectively address business ethics.

Balancing News Reporting with National Security in an Age of Terrorism • David Cuillier, Washington State • In the shadow of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, this paper examines the ethics of reporting information in the media that could help citizens but also aid terrorists. Three cases are used to illustrate the ethical considerations journalists face to aggressively obtain and report the truth while minimizing the likelihood that the information could be used for future attacks.

Punctuation and Epistemic Honesty: Do Photos Need What Words Have? • Scott Fosdick and Shahira Fahmy, Missouri • This research begins a discussion of the ethics of sampling reality by drawing together parallel research on quotations and photography. Interviews with editors at leading magazines reveal internalized standards that draw nothing from formal codes of ethics. Editors do not support the adoption of “photation marks” to serve as the visual equivalent of the quotation mark. The authors argue that news practitioners should consider replacing Truth with Honesty as their guiding light when presenting samples of reality.

A Bellwether in Media Accountability: The Work of the New York World’s Bureau of Accuracy and Fair Play • Neil Nemeth, Purdue-Calumet • This paper provides the first detailed analysis of the New York World’s Bureau of Accuracy and Fair Play, which existed from 1913 until 1931. The bureau had been created in an effort to “promote accuracy and fair play, to correct carelessness and to stamp out fakes and fakers.” The paper argues that the bureau represents a bellwether in the efforts of media organizations to make themselves more accountable to readers, listeners and viewers.

Eight Arguments for the Importance of Philosophical Thinking in Journalism Ethics • Hendrik Overduin, McNeese State • This paper presents eight arguments to establish the importance of philosophical thinking in journalism ethics. The arguments address general issues as well as six philosophical problems unique to journalism. These are the paradox of news judgment, the choice among professional models, the imperative of professional autonomy, the need to reconcile professional values with scientific knowledge, the primacy of discursive reason in news judgment, and the communitarian challenge to traditional arguments for freedom of the press.

Perry Meets Freire: Moral Development’s ‘Leap of Faith’ in the Classroom • Maggie Patterson and Matthew Gropp, Duquesne • The ways teachers can help students through ethical development are explored by drawing upon William G. Perry’s Forms of Intellectual and Ethical Development in the College Years (1970) and, to a lesser extent, Mary F. Belenky, et al.’s Women’s Ways of Knowing (1986). The paper argues that the middle stage of moral development, called Realizing of Relativism, is a critical turning point at which students can turn back, freeze in place, or move on to an eventual commitment to ideas and values.

A Gang of Pecksniffs Grows Up: The Evolution of Journalism Ethics Discourse in The Journalist and Editor and Publisher • Patrick Plaisance, Colorado State • This content analysis explores how journalism’s first trade publications reflected discussion of ethical issues before and during the Progressive Era. While issues of normative behavior for reporters and editors were thought to have developed from earlier efforts to professionalize the field, this study suggests that the two areas, while intertwined, developed along different trajectories.

Questions of Judgment in the Newsroom: A Journalistic Instrumental Value Theory •Patrick Plaisance, Colorado State • Current media theorizing remains preoccupied with building competing normative philosophical frameworks yet does not often focus on the construction and operation of human value systems • which arguably are the engines that drive most ethical deliberations. This study uses social psychology research on value systems to construct a profile of journalistic values using a modified version of the Rokeach Value Survey. A nationwide probability-sample survey of 600 newspaper journalists produced a response rate of 59 percent (N=355).

The Randal Case: An Analysis of the Legal and Ethical Arguments Regarding Journalists Testifying in a War Crime Tribunal • Bastiaan Vanacker, Minnesota • No abstract available.

An Examination of Diversity Issues at Southeastern Journalism Conference Newspapers • Kathleen Wickham, Mississippi • College newspapers are the incubators for young journalists as they develop writing styles, become part of the journalism culture, test ethical problems and determine the news they want to cover. To produce a fair and balanced representation of a diverse population a newsroom must include professionals with varying backgrounds and experience. This study examines a common breeding ground for professional journalists—the college newsroom.

Conflicted Interests, Contested Terrain: Journalism Ethics Codes Then and Now • Lee Wilkins and Bonnie Brennen, Missouri • By analyzing ethics codes, a professional statement of what constitutes good work, this essay links codes to a theory of culture and history. It considers two early journalism ethics codes and assesses the latest New York Times ethics code in light of philosophical theory. The paper suggests that professional tensions outlined in Good Work are reified in the Times code • and that history and culture may be less supportive of a positive outcome of this struggle over values than the insights of psychology might suggest.

Opposing Influences: Reporters’ Perceptions of Structural Constraints • Young Jun Son, Kookmin University-Korea • Political journalists identified a wide variety of structural variables that influenced their ability to select and frame news stories in the coverage of the 2000 Bush-Gore campaign. Newsroom power arrangements were perceived as more influential in selecting and framing stories than media practices. While reporters viewed the influence of editors and wire services on their autonomy in a positive light, they held negative views of the influence of horizontal colleagues and priorities of other media.

<< 2003 Abstracts

Mass Communication and Society Division

The First Hours Of September 11th: How Accuracy and Sourcing Fared in Three Television Networks’ Breaking News Coverage • Scott Abel, International University of Estonia, Andrea Miller, Louisiana State and Vincent F. Filak, Ball State • No abstract available.

Beyond Censorship: Real World Third-Person Effects • Stephen Banning, Lousiana State • Recent focus on the third-person effect has centered on behavioral implications, especially those relating to censorship. The third-person effect is the tendency for people to believe that others, “third-persons,” are more likely to be affected by media messages. This study examined behavioral implications in the context of messages with a random telephone survey (n=835) of people in a mid-sized city. Crime Stoppers is a program that uses local media to involve citizens in tracking down alleged criminals.

Confidential: Florida Child Abuse and Neglect Records • Courtney Anne Barclay, Florida • Florida has recently been in the national spotlight because of tragic child welfare cases, resulting in a call to loosen Florida’s confidentiality laws to create more accountability. This paper comprehensively discusses Florida’s laws regarding child abuse and neglect records. First, it discusses Florida’s constitutional and statutory laws providing for confidentiality of these records. Then, it discusses the relevant operating procedures for Florida Department of Children and Families. Finally, the paper analyzes the relevant case law.

Maturity And Interest In Movies, Videotapes, Or Advertisements And Reviews Of Movies Or Videos An Ohio Survey • Joseph Bernt and Marilyn Greenwald, Ohio • Based on questions in an October, 2001, random-digit telephone survey, this study examined entertainment preferences and sources of entertainment information of 403 Ohio residents, looking at media use, views of importance of film advertisements, promotions, reviews, and word-of-mouth comments, and other topics. Younger respondents were more frequent moviegoers and more dependent on media and interpersonal sources. Heavy television viewers in the survey had not attended a movie theater and half had not rented videotapes in the past month.

Sports Model, Sports Mind: The Relationship Between Entertainment and Sports Media Exposure, Sports Participation and Body Image Distortion in Division I Female Athletes • Kimberly L. Bissell, Alabama • Many studies offer clear evidence that exposure to TDP (thinness depicting and promoting) media leads to distorted body image perceptions in school-age females and college women. This study investigated Division I female athletes’ exposure to two types of media- entertainment and sports media-and looked for possible associations with body image distortions and eating disorders. Sports participation and interest in sports media were important control factors for this study.

Public Perceptions of the Phrase “God Bless America” • John V. Bodle and Larry Burriss, Middle Tennessee State • The phrase “God bless America” has been virtually everywhere people are following the events of September 11, 2001. Through random sampling of Tennessee residents in 2002, this study probes what people mean when they use the phrase. Significant variables include political perspective, education, age, gender, income and race. Information from public (conversations with clergy) and media (newspaper readership) sources also appears to have influenced perspectives. Respondents were split over what President Bush means when he says “God bless America.”

Cognitive Mapping: Another Window into the Ethical Reasoning of Journalism • Sandra L. Borden, Western Michigan • The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential of a coding technique called cognitive mapping, which is a systematic way of coding discourse that allows researchers to transform data into a visual representation of another’s thinking. A subset of data from an earlier study was coded using cognitive mapping to analyze journalists’ ethical reasoning in the first phase of a project that also will involve transferring coding decisions to mapping software in a second phase of analysis.

The Print Media And The Quality Of Governance As A Reflection Of The Existing State Of Social Capital In India’s States • Sumana Chattopadhyay, Missouri-Columbia • This paper attempts to analyze the effect of the print media using proxies like the vernacular language newspaper circulation as also the total newspaper circulation on the level of social capital as reflected by the quality of governance using a panel of fourteen Indian states. Newspaper circulation significantly affects the level of government development expenditures especially on social services like education and medical service.

Beyond Good and Evil: The Binary Discourse of George W. Bush and an Echoing Press • Kevin Coe, David Domke, Erica Graham, Sue John and Victor Pickard, Washington • Binary communications represent the world as a place of polar opposites. Binaries are commonplace in Western thought, but take on a heightened importance when they are used in political and media environments. With this in mind, this research (a) examines the presence of binary discourse by U.S. President George W. Bush in 15 national addresses, from his inauguration in January 2000 to commencement of the war with Iraq in March 2003; and (b) analyzes the response of editorials in 20 U.S. newspapers to the president’s communications.

Access to the Internet in the Context of Community Participation and Community Satisfaction • Mohan J. Dutta-Bergman, Purdue University • The introduction of the Internet in American life has led to debates among media scholars, sociologists and political scientists about the role of the Internet in society. Two areas of research that have received substantial attention in the domain of Internet effects are digital divide and social capital. Digital divide researchers have pointed out the critical gaps in society among different groups in the context of their access to new media and technology.

Reaching Unhealthy Eaters: Applying a Strategic Approach to Media Vehicle Choice • Mohan J. Dutta-Bergman, Purdue • Founded upon the argument that unhealthy eaters need to be reached through strategic choices that are driven by adequate formative research, this paper examines the media consumption patterns of unhealthy eaters. Based on an analysis of the 1999 Lifestyle data, the paper points out that healthy and unhealthy eaters differ systematically in their media choices. While television news is the most effective channel for reaching healthy eaters, television sports and entertainment-oriented Internet are the two major media categories consumed by the unhealthy eater.

When the Terrorist is American: Analyzing News Frames of the September 11, 2001 Attacks and the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing • Jacqueline M. Eckstein, Oklahoma • The September 11, 2001 attacks and 1995 Oklahoma City bombing offer an opportunity to examine the performance of the U.S. news media under conditions of unprecedented civilian death and destruction. Guided by the theory that media frame what terrorism is and suggest its appropriate response (Iyengar, 1991), this study examined whether news frames differ when an American. is the terrorist perpetrator, or when non-Americans are believed the culprits.

September 11 and the Newslore of Vengeance and Victimization • Russell Frank, Pennsylvania State • The September 11, 2001 attacks inspired an outpouring of electronic folklore. This “newslore” is of two types. The newslore of vengeance consists of fantasies of annihilation or humiliation aimed at Osama bin Laden or Afghanistan. The newslore of victimization expresses bewilderment at the role of fate or chance in who lived and who died. This article analyzes the newslore of September 11 as a “strategy of rebellion” against the decorousness of the mainstream news media.

Follow the Leader: The Bush Administration, News Media, and Passage of the U.S.A. Patriot Act • Erica S. Graham, David Domke, Keven Coe and Sue L. John, Washington • Following September 11, 2001, the U.S. Congress quickly passed the U.S.A. Patriot Act with strong support. We hypothesize that President Bush, Attorney General John Ashcroft, and the news media were instrumental in this process via their communications about this anti-terrorism legislation. We content analyzed Bush and Ashcroft’s public communications and news coverage about the U.S.A. Patriot Act to identify both (a) the themes emphasized and (b) the timing of communications.

Is “Fat Free” Good for Me? A Panel Study of Television Viewing and Children’s Nutritional Knowledge and Reasoning • Kristen Harrison, Illinois • The family diet is influenced by children’s attitudes toward food, which in turn are influenced by television. In a panel study involving 135 1st-3rd grade children, television viewing, nutritional knowledge, and nutritional reasoning were measured six weeks apart. Television viewing predicted a subsequent decrease in nutritional knowledge and reasoning, but only for foods that tend to be heavily marketed as weight-loss aids. Television’s framing of diet foods may confuse children by equating weight-loss benefits with nutritional benefits.

Free Congress Research and Education Foundation: An Extremist Organization in Think Tank Clothing? • Sharron M. Hope, Purdue • No abstract available.

Information Control and Journalistic Performance: A Content Analysis of News Coverage in Two Chinese Websites • Qiping Hu and Glen T. Cameron, Missouri-Columbia • To better understand the relationship between information control and journalistic performance, two Chinese news websites, one inside China named SINA and one outside the borders named CNN, were compared using systematic content analysis. Results show that contrary to much conventional thinking, news organizations that are freer from information control do not necessarily perform better in terms of fairness and objectivity.

Sources of Influence on People’s Perceptions of the Quality of Life Available in their Communities and Elsewhere • Leo W. Jeffres, Kimberly A. Neuendorf, Cheryl Campanella Bracken and David Atkin, Cleveland State • Research into the “good life” has recognized that people’s assessments of their quality of life may be affected by their assessment of the larger environment and its impact on them. Few researchers have empirically examined sources of influence as people make comparisons based on personal experiences and observation as well as the mass media and interpersonal communication channels.

Compelling Arguments & Attitude Strength: Exploring the Impact of Second-Level Agenda Setting on Public Opinion of Presidential Candidate Images • Spiro Kiousis, Florida • This study explores the relation between attribute agenda setting and public opinion of political candidates. Specifically, media salience of presidential candidate attributes across 5 national elections is compared to public opinion data that measured perceived candidate salience and the strength of public attitudes regarding those candidates. Findings suggest that media salience of attributes is strongly linked with strengthened attitudes and is moderately liked with candidate salience. The implications of the findings are also discussed.

Is the Internet Shaping our Perceptions and Attitude? A Cultivation Analysis Perspective to Internet Use • Madhukar Kumar and Robert Meeds, Kansas State • A secondary analysis was conducted to investigate possible relationships between the amount of time a respondent spends on the Internet responses to cultural indicator questions from the perspective of cultivation theory. Data from the General Social Survey (2000) were analyzed and results showed that some of the cultural indicator variables had significant relationships with the amount of time a respondent spent on the Internet even when demographic control variables were taken into consideration.

A Multidimensional Approach to Socio-Political Internet Use: Patterns of Internet Use, Informal Associations, and Public Affairs Participation • Nojin Kwak, Ann Williams, Sung-Hee Joo and Xiaoru Wang, Michigan • This research project explores the ways in which distinct factors of socio-political Internet use influence offline political and civic engagement. Our analysis reveals that the three principal components of socio-political Internet-use: instrumental use, communal use, and expressive use each have unique associations with participatory outcomes. An examination of socio-recreational web-use, confirms that these types of activities are negatively related to traditional participation; however, it is found that offline informal socializing may be a conduit through which socio-recreational Internet use harbors a positive influence on participatory behaviors.

Health Communication Ad Campaigns: A Content Analysis of Televised Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertisements • Karla M. Larson Hunter and Sharlene R. Thomson, Oklahoma and Lisa Sparks Bethea, George Mason • This pilot content analysis of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising extends analysis of this ad phenomenon to arguably their most impacting medium, television. Shimp’ s (1981) foundational Affective versus Cognitive Processing theory provides the research lens. Findings indicate that DTC ads’ persuasive appeals are overwhelmingly affective in nature, and that adverse information is omitted or presented in ways which negatively impact recall of it, thus raising concern for the social implications of this form of advertising.

Outcome as a Determinant of Families’ Adoption of a Seasonal Allergy Drug • Yulian Li, Jackson State • This study is an experimental study of the effects of outcome description in a media message on families’ adoption of a seasonal allergy drug. The experiment randomly assigned the family subjects into two groups: outcome-present and outcome-absent. The results demonstrated that the family members exposed to the outcome-present message showed greater anticipation of outcome, more favorable attitude toward the brand, and greater purchase intention of the drug.

Presence in Informative Virtual Environments: The Effects of Self-Efficacy, Spatial Ability and Mood • Lynette Lim, Linda A. Jackson, Frank Biocca, Gretchen Barbatsis, Keith Bradburn, Ming Tang, Yong Zhao and Hiram Fitzgerald, Michigan State • The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether 3-D virtual environments have an effect on learning in virtual environments. The same information is presented on a regular webpage and a custom constructed 3D spatial environment. The results show (1) a correlation between an individual’s positive attitudes about the environment and a sense of presence; and (2) partial support for the hypothesis that users with high computer and Internet self-efficacy would experience a higher sense of presence in the 3D virtual environment.

The Role of Media Dependency in the Wake of September 11 • Wilson Lowery, Alabama • This pilot study uses Micro-Media Systems Dependency Theory to examine dependencies on media after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Generally findings show that socio-economic status and degree of social capital and connectedness matter little to either degree of dependency or to subsequent attitudinal and behavioral effects. Degree of perceived threat and age are the important predictors of overall media dependency, and prior use patterns most strongly predict dependencies on individual media types.

Patriarchy v. Functional Truth: Assessing the Feminist Critique of Intimate Violence Reporting • John McManus, Stanford and Lori Dorfman, Berkeley Media Studies Group • Journalism assumes reporters are able to pursue “functional truth”-an account of issues and events reliably describing social reality. Critical feminist scholars, however, contend that journalists working in male-dominated corporations are constrained by a culture of patriarchal values. The present study is the first in the U.S. to test this critique as it applies to reporting the vast social pathology of intimate partner violence. Contrary to that critique, newspapers very rarely blamed female battering victims or mitigated suspect blame.

F Is For Fat: Constructions Of A Weight Ideology In Children’s Books • Alissa A. Nolan and Michael P. Boyle, Wisconsin • Although research has examined weight portrayals in various media, little research has looked at representations of body size in children’s literature. Children’s media play an important role in the development of norms associated with weight. Our content analysis of children’s books takes a step toward understanding how weight is portrayed in children’s media. Findings demonstrate heavy characters were described according to weight almost four times as often and were shown with twice as many emotional reactions as thin characters.

Quantifying Globality in Hollywood Film • Jonathan Obar, Syracuse • This study examines the globalization of Hollywood film content, questioning the existence of a contemporary preference towards increasingly homogenous texts that transcend national/cultural boundaries. A quantitative system was formulated to evaluate the ten highest grossing films domestically in each five-year-period from 1951-2000. The findings show that globality (the ability to transcend boundaries) in Hollywood films has increased over time, but universal qualities in films from each decade assert that Hollywood films have always had global elements.

Media Perceptions and Public Affairs Apathy in the Politically Inexperienced • Bruce E. Pinkleton and Eric Weintraub Austin, Washington State • Political scholars and others regularly express concerns about a lack of public affairs involvement among young people. Although they are able to vote, college-aged citizens are notorious for their failure to engage in even the most basic forms of public affairs participation. The mass media are a primary source of political information for young citizens, though some researchers have expressed concern that the media discourage young people from participation.

Surveying the Home Media Environment: Family Characteristics, Media Deployment and Family Use Patterns • Jennifer A. Robinson, Alabama and Jinhee Kim, Penn State • A home media ecology survey of college and middle school students was conducted. Family media rules were related to the pattern of family communication and parental attitudes towards different media. The most used medium is still television, which is primarily used for entertainment and whole family viewing; whereas the computer is primarily used for information and individual use. Understanding family characteristics that moderate media use can assist families in wisely using the media at home.

Hypermasculinity, Aggression, and Television Violence: An Experiment • Erica Scharrer, Massachusetts-Amherst • This experiment tests the role of hypermasculinity (HM) and trait aggression in predicting aggressive responses to violent television. 91 male college students were exposed to a violent and HM television program, a violence only program, or a control program. Results find that some dimensions of HM and pre-existing aggression interact with exposure to the treatment stimulus to predict aggressive responses, and that HM can also be treated as a dependent variable that is affected by television exposure.

The Differential Effects of Exposure to “Youth-Oriented” Magazines on Adolescent Alcohol Use • Steven R. Thomsen, Brigham Young and Dag Rekve, Norwegian Ministry of Social Affairs-Norway • Objective: To examine the effects of exposure to “youth-oriented” magazines, those that typically contain high levels of alcohol advertising and that have a substantial number of readers under the legal drinking age, on normative beliefs about teenage drinking, drinking expectancies and drinking frequency during the past 30 days by a group of adolescents. Three specific magazine categories were considered: music and entertainment, sports and men’s lifestyle.

Mapping Deviance: The Role of News Content in Communicating Legitimacy • Tim P. Vos, Syracuse • This study examines the news media’s in mapping social deviance and legitimacy. Newspaper journalists are surveyed for their assessment of the relative deviance of several political, entertainment, and business organizations. Then a content analysis of newspapers is performed to assess the legitimacy of those same organizations. Three types of deviance are hypothesized as predictors of three types of legitimacy. The results show that normative deviance was a partial predictor of stability legitimacy.

Agenda Setting and International News: Media Influence on Public Perceptions of Foreign Nations • Wayne Wanta and Cheolhan Lee, Missouri and Guy Golan, Louisiana State • A national poll and a content analysis of network newscasts examined if coverage of foreign nations had an agenda setting influence. The more media coverage a nation received, the more respondents were to think the nation was vitally important to U.S. interests, supporting the first level of agenda setting. The more negative coverage a nation received, the more respondents were to think negatively about the nation, supporting the second level of agenda setting.

I Just Had to Look, Having Read the Book: Determinants of Film Attendance in the Information Age • Patricia Williamson, Central Michigan, Robert LaRose and William War, Michigan • What influences individual decisions to attend movies? Multiple regression analysis revealed that special effects and the books on which they were based were important predictors of intentions to attend The Fellowship of the Ring and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone among a sample of 343 college students. Visits to movie Web sites were also an important influence. Surprisingly, the perceived movie preferences of dating partners and friends had a relationship to movie attendance.

Exploring the Effects of Web Advertising on Readers’ Perceptions of On-line News • Hyeseung Yang and Mary Beth Oliver, Penn State • This study examines the idea that the commercialization of Internet news sites can have a negative impact on perception of news. An experiment (N=260) shows that perceptions of on-line news stories vary as a function of the presence or nature of webadvertising and Internet use (light versus heavy). Specifically, findings suggest that among light Internet users, the inclusion of advertisements results in significantly lower perceived news value of hard news stories.

Modeling Internet Current Affairs News Usage from Perceived Credibility of Internet News, Internet Dependency Relations and Social Locus • Jin Yang, Southern Illinois-Carbondale and Padmini Patwardhan, Texas Tech • Using an attitudinal, relational, and social locus perspective, this study constructed and tested an exploratory model of Internet current affairs news use. It examined causal relationships between Internet credibility, Internet dependency relations, age, education, and Internet usage for current affairs news. Data were collected through an email survey in a university population.

The Effects of Trust, Social Connectedness, and Mass Media Use On Civic and Political Participation • Weiwu Zhang, Austin Peay State and Stella C. Chia, Wisconsin-Madison • More recently, many scholars have lamented the declining levels of social capital and civic participation in American society. This study attempts to clarify the concept of social capital and its major components. We differentiate three dimensions of social capital: interpersonal trust, institutional trust, and social connectedness. In addition, we investigate the differential effects of newspaper and television hard news use, internet use, and entertainment programs viewing, on civic and political participation.

<< 2003 Abstracts

Magazine Division

Media Coverage Of Sexually Transmitted Infections: A Comparison Of Popular Men And Women’s Magazines • Aimee Barrows and Maria Elizabeth Grabe, Indiana • Sexually Transmitted infections (STI) have been increasing steadily since the late 1980s in the United States. This study comparatively examines coverage of sex and STI’s in two men’s and two women’s magazines. The results show that, overall, STI information is in short supply. Several differences between men and women’s magazines in covering sex and STI’s emerged. Some of these findings are consistent with the evolutionary psychology perspective on gender variance in mating behavior.

An Analysis of Vietnam War-Related Coverage in Good Housekeeping and Mademoiselle Magazines • Julie Collins, Drake • Of 35 magazine/war studies located, none examined how women’s magazines covered that war. Here, feature articles about the Vietnam War in all issues of Good Housekeeping and Mademoiselle from 1960-1970 were analyzed. Overall, coverage of the Vietnam War was scant, “fluffy,” and opinion-driven. Few factual articles were run. Mademoiselle did the better job of coverage, with more in-depth features on the war.

Working Women in Mainstream Women’s Magazines: A Content Analysis • Juanita J. Covert, North Carolina-Chapel Hill • This study examines whether dominant gender stereotypes about working women exist in women’s magazine content, thereby supporting the cultural ratification model. It also considers whether portrayals of women disconfirming those stereotypes are likely to weaken the stereotypes by employing subtyping and subgrouping theories. Findings demonstrate cultural ratification and it is argued that some portrayals (in Glamour and Good Housekeeping) that discomfirm stereotypes are likely to weaken stereotypes while others are not (in Cosmopolitan, Family Circle, and Woman’s Day).

No Business like Show Business: Tracking Commodification over a Century of Variety • Scott Fosdick and Sooyoung Cho, Missouri • Since 1905, Variety has thrived as a business magazine serving the producers of popular entertainment. As such, it is a rich chronicle of pop culture. This content analysis uses the concept of commodification, borrowed from the field of critical studies, to explain shifts in the mix of coverage from 1906 to 2001. It finds significant evidence of commodification, which correlates strongly with increases in coverage of recorded entertainment and decreases in coverage of live entertainment.

Making Connections: Exploring The Interactive And Integrative Dimensions Of Magazine Influence • W. David Gibson, Rutgers • In the menagerie of mediated communication, the magazine is frequently seen as a rather mundane beast — tame, predictable and taken for granted. Yet, while much attention has rightly focused on the expanding capabilities of the “new” media, there is also crucial need to fully appreciate the ongoing interactive and integrative contributions of a more traditional and familiar medium, the magazine. Both by editorial intent and by force of circumstance, magazines exert connective powers that shape and reshape the communication environment.

Henry Luce’s Anti-Communist Legacy: A Qualitative Content Analysis of U.S. News Magazines’ Coverage Of China’s Cultural Revolution • Daniel Marshall Haygood, North Carolina-Chapel Hill • Critics have long accused Henry Luce, a fervent anti-Communist, of using his stable of Time, Incorporated media vehicles, particularly Time magazine, to promote causes and governments with which he supported such as General Chiang Kai-shek’s Chinese Nationalist government in the Chinese civil war and pro-American regimes in the Korean and Vietnam wars. The common theme throughout was always to fight Communist regimes around the globe, and Luce developed his staff, including reporters and managers, along this ideological line.

Gender Images in Global Versions of Gentlemen’s Quarterly • Hong Ji, Ohio • This study intends to explore the gender images displayed in global versions of Gentlemen’s Quarterly, a men’s magazine. Non-advertising pictures of people in eight zoned versions of GQ are content analyzed. The study finds that the GQ depicts its men and women “glocally.” Each version prefers male and young models to different degrees. Males are less explicitly exposed than female models, and females show more subordinate markers than males in each version.

Selling Silicon: The Framing of Microcomputers in Magazine Advertisements, 1974-1997 • Jean P. Kelly, Ohio • Guided by social construction of technology theory and framing theory, this study investigates the “frame building” process by which the microcomputer became a common and trusted appliance in offices, homes and schools. Using content analysis of 233 advertisements appearing in select consumer magazines from 1974-1997, the role of marketing in defining uses and values of computers was investigated.

‘A Working-Class Hero Is Something to Be’: The Narrative Legacy of September 11 • Carolyn Kitch, Temple • Within 24 hours of the September 11th attacks, a specific narrative about heroism, and a particular American hero, had emerged in news media. In the form of a prototypical fireman, working-class manhood became a media symbol of national strength and determination. This cultural construction, which occurred in journalism as well as other types of media, intertwined nationalism with ideas about gender and class, in a heroic civilian story that foreshadowed a military one.

Is There a Maxim Effect? Men’s Magazine Covers “Sexed-Up” for Sales • Jacqueline Lambaise, North Texas and Tom Reichart, Alabama • Since its 1997 American debut, Maxim magazine has featured a scantily dressed woman on its cover every month and circulation has skyrocketed to 2.6 million readers. The popular press has charged Maxim with changing the men’s magazine landscape, noting that GQ, Esquire, Details, and even Rolling Stone have hurried to mimic the newcomer.

Magazine Professors vs. Editors: Are We Teaching Students What They Need to Get Jobs in the Magazine Industry? • Carolyn Lepre and Glen L. Bleske, California State-Chico • This study was designed to fill a gap in the literature by analyzing the attitudes of magazine editors and educators toward various skills that recent graduates should exhibit when applying for magazine jobs. As expected, there was a noticeable gap between educators and editors. Educators rated 18 of the 23 skills, courses, and educational experiences significantly more important than did the editors.

Deeper Than the Fictional Model: Origins of Literary Journalism in Greek Tragedy and Aristotle’s Poetics • Charles Marsh, Kansas • This paper demonstrates that the narrative structure of literary journalism originated not simply in the novel or short story but, rather, in Greek tragic drama. In ancient Greece, the adaptation of mythology from oral tradition to tragic drama necessitated structural changes – a process called “literary transfiguration” by anthropologist/mythologist Claude Levi-Strauss and “displacement” by literary critic Northrop Frye. The first and greatest critic of mythology’s displacement into drama was Aristotle, in his Poetics.

Cultivation and Social Comparison of The Thin-Ideal Syndrome: The Effects of Fashion Magazine Exposure on Body Image Disturbance and The State Self-Esteem of College Women • Josephine T.C. Nino, Southern Taiwan University of Technology • This study examined the media effects on college women’s cultivation of and social comparison to the thin-ideal, body image disturbance and state self-esteem, using an experiment, with natural stimuli (fashion and non-fashion magazines). Subjects were 130 White college women (age 18-28) randomly assigned to the fashion and non-fashion groups. Five out of twelve hypotheses were supported.

Combining Mass and Class:’ The Story of O, The Oprah Magazine • April L. Peterson, Washington • The proof is in the numbers. And, O, what numbers! When it debuted in the April 2000, O, The Oprah Magazine sold 1.6 million copies, nearly selling out. As of December 2002, 2.3 million subscribers welcomed the magazine into their homes. And how about those ad numbers? The muscular 318-page debut issue featured 166 pages of ads. Moreover, in 2001 the magazine earned more than $140 million in advertising revenues.

Advertiser Pressure And Editorial Favoritism In Consumer Auto Magazines: A Content Analysis • Quint Randle, Jennia Parkin and Brad L. Rawlins, Brigham Young • This study sought to provide evidence of advertiser pressure and editorial favoritism in the two largest circulation auto magazines. Through a content analysis, it examined the relationship between advertising pages and several types of editorial coverage during 1995 and 2000 in Car & Driver and Motor Trend magazines. It was hypothesized that as advertising increased so would editorial coverage.

Media Perspectives: 2001-2002 Canadian and U.S. News Magazine Coverage of the War on Terror • Amanda Rudloff, Ohio • The purpose of this study is to attempt to identify the reactions of both American and Canadian news magazines to the “War on Terror” which followed the September 11, 2001 attacks. The study was conducted using framing as a theoretical outline and the sample consisted of feature articles on the War on Terror which appeared in Time and Maclean’s from September 2001 to September 2002, which encapsulated the time from which the event that precipitated the War on Terror occurred, through the time when that event was heavily revisited by the news media.

“Like Feeding Time At The Zoo”: Analysis Of U.S. Newsmagazine Coverage Of The Iraqi Kurds • Melissa A. Wall, California State-Northridge • This study employs qualitative frame analysis of US newsmagazines’ coverage of the Iraqi Kurds just after the first Gulf War in 1991 when they were urged by then President Bush to rise up against Saddam Hussein who quickly suppressed their rebellion. Afterward, the U.S. set up a relief operation establishing military encampments for the Kurds that were guarded by the coalition forces.

Shifting the Gaze: Male Objectification, Nudity, and Generation Y Lifestyle Depictions in Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly • Andrew Paul Williams and Kaye D. Trammell, Florida • Recently magazines increased the use of male models as objects of desire. Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly (A&FQ) takes the trend to an extreme. Content analysis explored the level of male objectification in one-year A&FQ sample. Images included semi-nude models (25.6%), of which mostly were male (62.1%), supporting the first hypothesis. The second hypothesis was supported in that men (31.7%) and women (12.9%) were objectified. Other frames examined levels of objectification were also measured.

<< 2003 Abstracts

Law Division

Clicking Your Speech Rights Away: The Constitutionality of Gagwrap Licenses • Genelle I. Belmas, California State-Long Beach and Brian M. Larson (attorney at Law) • While the courts have recognized the constitutionality of “shrinkwrap” licenses to protect the rights of software producers, an insidious clause has crept into some of these licenses. Dubbed “gagwrap clauses,” these terms of use may include content-based restrictions on speech that the authors believe are invalid. This paper examines one such clause and subjects it to a combination of contract and First Amendment jurisprudence, providing a possible test for the constitutionality of gagwrap clauses.

Applying First Amendment & Regulatory Constructs To The Internet • Justin Brown, Florida • Varying structural and technological characteristics within mass communication systems provide the basis for courts to interpret the First Amendment differently across media. Congress and the FCC have also invoked similar calculations to promote broader public interest goals and construct specific regulatory classifications for different communication services. The collective effect of the medium-specific application of the First Amendment and the FCC’s regulation of electronic media has established sets of legal constructs that confer varying degrees of editorial rights and access obligations.

Proving Dilution: Survey Evidence in Trademark Dilution Actions • Matthew D. Bunker and James Glen Stovall, Alabama • Trademark dilution is an important new development in federal trademark law. Dilution provides a remedy to owners of famous trademarks when others use their mark in a way that blurs or tarnishes the famous mark. Federal courts have been less than helpful in explaining how dilution can be proved. This paper examines the current state of dilution law and suggests that consumer surveys may be the most useful means of proving dilution.

The Winds of Change and the Power of Students’ Voices: The Student Movement, the Vietnam Era and the Supreme Court Case of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District • Jennifer Cioffi, Ohio • In Des Moines, Iowa, in 1964, student protesters wore black armbands to school. They were suspended and they sued the school, leading to the seminal 1969 Supreme Court case called Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District. This study, including an interview with John Tinker, examined the context of the times and legal demands by students for empowerment. Student power is central to this study. The particular facts of this case promoted the final decision.

Hyperlink Proximity: Operationalization of FDA- Mandated Fair Balance on Pharmaceutical Web Sites • Colleen Connolly-Ahern, Florida • U.S. FDA regulations require that pharmaceutical advertisements in traditional media include a “fair balance” of information. This study examined pharmaceutical Web sites to determine what effects the lack of FDA guidance have on site content. The study found FDA-mandated elements were not present on all sites. Using hyperlink proximity as a measure of “fair balance,” the study found that pharmaceutical Web sites are likely to place positive information closer to the Web site’s main homepage than negative information.

Websites and Incitement to Violence: A Case Study of the Application of the Brandenburg Standard to Planned Parenthood v. American Coalition of Life Activists • Juanita J. Covert, North Carolina-Chapel Hill • Can old standards be used for a new medium? This paper examines whether the incitement standard in Brandenburg v. Ohio can be appropriately applied to Planned Parenthood v. ACLA and whether the Nuremberg Files website would have been considered unprotected speech using that standard. Cases citing Brandenburg and findings regarding the nature of the Internet in ACLU v. Reno were considered. It is argued that the Brandenburg standard is applicable and that the website could be considered unprotected.

Victor’s Victory • Sandra Davidson, Missouri-Columbia • This paper covers the unanimous Supreme Court victory of “Victor’s Little Secret” over “Victoria’s Secret.” The bottom line is that unless the plaintiff can prove damage, its trademark dilution case will fail. This case continues the unthawing of puckish creativity of Campbell v. Acuff-Rose. In exploring the changes Victor’s victory makes, past cases are covered, including ones that involve Gucci Goo diaper bags and Lardashe jeans, and appropriation cases such as “Here’s Johnny.”

Stealing Information: Application Of A Criminal Anti-Theft Statute To Leaks Of Conhdential Government Information • Irina Dmttrieva, Florida • The article explores whether the federal government holds a property interest in confidential government information and, if it does, whether that interest is protected by a criminal anti-theft statute, 18 U.S.C. § 641. The article argues that application of Section 641 to leaks of government information might unduly restrict the legitimate speech of government employees and impede media investigations into government misconduct.

Can the Effect of Richmond Newspapers Stretch Even Further? An Analysis of the Right of the Press to Cover Immigration Hearings • Dale L. Edwards, North Carolina-Chapel Hill • Two 2002 district court cases found a right of public access to deportation hearings. On appeal, two appeals courts applied the Richmond Newspapers test to determine whether that First Amendment right existed and arrived at opposite conclusions. This paper suggests a right of access to deportation hearings is reasonable because of the hearings’ similarity to criminal court trials, a history of openness, and lower court decisions extending access to civil and some administrative proceedings.

How Masson v. New Yorker Has Shaped the Legal Landscape of Narrative Journalism • Kathy Roberts Forde, North Carolina-Chapel Hill • Masson v. New Yorker’s interpretation of the actual malice standard has been shaping the legal landscape in which narrative journalism is practiced for over a decade. Of the twenty federal court and state high court defamation cases citing Masson that have involved substantive issues of narrative technique, Masson provided clear victories for defendants in eighteen of the cases. In the two remaining cases, as in Masson itself, disputed questions of material fact sent the cases to juries for resolution.

Kasky v. Nike, Inc.: The End of Constitutionally Protected Corporate Speech? • Karla K. Gower, Alabama • At issue in Kasky v. Nike, Inc. is whether statements made by Nike in response to allegations about its overseas labor practices are commercial or corporate speech. In ruling that the speech was commercial, the California Supreme Court proposed a limited-purpose test that essentially makes all corporate speech commercial speech and subject to strict liability. This paper examines the court’s decision and proposes a test for determining when speech by a corporation should be considered commercial speech.

Let the Record Speak: How the Freedom of Information Act’s Legislative History Debunks the Supreme Court’s “Central Purpose” Doctrine • Martin E. Halstuk, Penn State and Bill F. Chamberlin, Florida • The U.S. Supreme Court defined the “central purpose” of the Freedom of Information Act in Dept. of Justice v. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in 1989. Over the years, this decision has had a profound impact on public access to government-held information, substantially narrowing the scope of the FOIA. An examination of the FOIA’s legislative history strongly suggests that the Court’s “central purpose” test contravenes FOIA’s congressional intent for a broad policy of full disclosure.

The Chickens Have Come Home To Roost: Individualism, Collectivism, And Conflict In Commercial Speech Doctrine • Elizabeth Blanks Hidman, Washington State • Using individualist and collectivist political philosophies, this paper analyzes the Supreme Court’s conception of commercial speech protection since 1980. It concludes that the Court’s commercial speech doctrine has suffered from a fundamental internal conflict arising from the difficulty in choosing one or the other of those political philosophies, and suggests that that conflict will continue-as will the Court’s inability to express a coherent commercial speech doctrine-until the Court makes an overt choice between collectivist and individualist approaches to the protection of commercial speech.

Cross Burning Revisited: What The Supreme Court Should Have Done in Virginia v. Black And Why it Didn’t • W. Wat Hopkins, Virginia Tech • The Supreme Court’s 1992 decision RAV. v. St. Paul holding a cross-burning ordinance to be unconstitutionally discriminatory created as many questions as it answered. By granting certiorari in a cross-burning case out of Virginia, the Court has the opportunity to set things right, holding cross burning to be protected political speech. The Court, however, is likely to err again and hold the Virginia law to be constitutional.

Protecting Kids or Attacking the First Amendment? Video Games, Regulation and Protected Expression • James D. Ivory, North Carolina-Chapel Hill • This paper inspects a recent federal court decision, Interactive Digital Software Association v. St. Louis County, Mo., in which the court ruled that video games did not constitute expression meriting First Amendment protection. Via an examination of the history of similar cases in federal courts, the Interactive Digital ruling is here found to be inconsistent with other rulings; an affirmation of this decision in the U. S. Court of Appeals would prolong an unacceptable contradiction.

The Meikleojohn Model: Reassessing Alexander Meiklejohn’s “Town Meeting” Theory in the Supreme Court’s Corporate Speech Jurisdiction • Robert L. Kerr, Oklahoma • The free-speech paradigm of Alexander Meiklejohn has provided fundamental direction for the Supreme Court’s protection of a free press and democracy since the mid twentieth century. This research examines the body of 27 Supreme Court cases that have drawn on Meiklejohnian reasoning, with particular attention to application of his “town meeting” model. Analysis of the many Court opinions citing Meikeljohn supports that model as a more effective manner for regulating corporate speech in a manner consistent with self governance.

The First Amendment Regime for Direct Satellite Broadcasting (DBS): Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Association v. FCC • Seung-Eun Lee, Florida • This study explored what the First Amendment status of the satellite broadcasting is, particularly as it is compared to other media such as cable and over-the-air-broadcasting. The author examined Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association v. FCC’ that interpreted the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act’s “carry one, carry all” provision. The author argues that the First Amendment regime for satellite broadcasting should be established in relationship with other media such as over-the-air broadcasting and cable.

Defamation and Mental Disorder: The Enduring Stigma • Karen Markin, Rhode Island • Court opinions provide evidence that an allegation of mental disorder continues to be defamatory, despite modern treatments for the condition. This paper traces the history of cases based on “imputations of mental derangement” and identifies several important trends. Generally, contemporary claims are actionable if they are based on a medicalized allegation that affects the plaintiff’s professional status. But courts have been quick to recognize a qualified privilege for employers and physicians to make such allegations.

Faculty Copyright in International Online Distance Education: Case of U.S. and Mexico • Lisa M. Paulin, North Carolina-Chapel Hill • Parallel to current growth in globalization and digitalization of information is the growth of international online distance education. This trend has prompted both education and legal research scholars to ponder copyright ownership of faculty-authored works in this setting. Using Mexico as a case study, this paper examines U.S. copyright law, Mexican copyright law, and the Berne Convention, yet finds that the concerns of many remain unanswered. The clearest answer lies in well-defined university policies.

Critique of Dilution Law: A Re-examination of the Bases of Trademark Protection • Amanda Reid, Florida • Federal trademark dilution law is a subset of trademark law. This paper explores whether dilution law is necessary in light of the expansion and evolution of the traditional “likelihood of confusion” analysis and the law of unfair competition. Dilution seeks to prevent the “whittling away” of a mark’s uniqueness, even when consumers are not confused about the origin of the goods. Hypothetical examples of dilution include Dupont shoes, Buick aspirin, Schlitz varnish, and Kodak pianos.

Privacy Versus Public Access: An Analysis of How Courts Balance These Competing Social Interests When Government Records Are Computerized • Joey Senat, Oklahoma State • Using as its framework the six factors applied by courts when the government records are ink and paper, the study analyzed how computerization of the requested data affected the balancing of privacy and public access. It also examined if judges’ attitude toward technology, as reflected in the language of their written opinions, influenced their decisions, identified problems with the way courts resolve this conflict, and recommends ways to help courts be more consistent, predictable and balanced in weighting these social values.

Personal Jurisdiction Over Media Libel Cases In The Internet Age. • Robert L. Speilman, Miami • When the Internet edition of a newspaper or magazine is published, it is instantly available to a worldwide audience. Potentially it opens the publication to libel suits in any forum. This paper explores the evolving United States law of personal jurisdiction over Internet publishers and journalists in libel actions. Federal appeals court decisions in Young v. New Haven Advocate and Revell v. Lidov are analyzed. The decisions are victories for the press. Nevertheless, some second-guessing of editorial decisions by editors is inevitable.

Newsgathering And The First Amendment: Toward A Progressionist Theory Of Constitutional Interpretation • Erik F. Ugland, Marquette • Despite three decades of litigation, the law of newsgathering remains substantially unsettled. Doctrinal disparities need to be eliminated and essential definitional questions (e.g., who is a journalist?) need to be answered. This requires a comprehensive free press theory that is built upon a clear theory or approach to constitutional interpretation. This paper addresses some of these fundamental questions, and provides at least some preliminary answers, by applying a progressionist approach to interpreting the First Amendment.

A Framework for Access to Court Records in Florida • Roxanne S. Watson and Bill F. Chamberlain, Florida • As federal, and state Courts formulate policies on which court documents should be placed on their websites, a Florida Committee, relying on the experiences of other states, formulated guiding principles for its policy on access to court records in February 2003. This paper examines the effectiveness of the Florida Recommendations and the extent to which Florida built on the State-wide Guidelines and Maryland’s experience to formulate a comprehensive policy.

The Neutral Reportage Doctrine 25 Years After: An Update On The Still “Fledgling” Libel Defense • Kyo Ho Youm, Oregon • The debate about the viability of neutral reportage as a constitutional defense to libel continues. And given the “current limbo” that the neutral reportage doctrine is facing as it enters its 25-year evolution, the constitutional libel defense deserves another in-depth look. This article examines the theoretical underpinnings and judicial interpretations of the neutral reportage doctrine.

<< 2003 Abstracts

International Communication Division

Comparative Critical Analysis of Advertorials and Articles in Nigerian Mass Media During the Fourth Republic • Emmanuel C. Alozie, Governors State • This study uses textual analysis to explore the messages embedded in Nigerian mass media advertorials to determine if their contents agree or contrast with articles dealing with the prevailing economic, social and political conditions in Nigeria. The themes in the selected articles contradict those in the selected advertorials. While the advertorials extol the achievements of the civilian administrators, the articles dispute those claims and blame politicians for their failure to improve the welfare of Nigerians.

Online Journalists in Germany 2002: The First Representative Survey On German Online Journalists • Klaus-Dieter Altmeppen, Thorsten Quandt, Thomas Hanitzsch and Martin Loeffelholz, Technical University Iknenau, Germany • This paper presents the key findings of the first representative survey of online journalists in Germany. It focuses on the most important aspects of online journalism, such as the basic demographics of online journalists, their working conditions, job satisfaction and structural factors (e.g. business models). The findings support the conjecture that online journalists are facing economic and professional pressure. Nevertheless most of the respondents still show some fascination in online journalism.

Hungry For News And Information: Instrumental Use Of Al-Jazeera TV Among Viewers In The Arab World And Arab Diaspora • Mohamed M. Arafa, Georgia DOT, Philip Auter, Louisiana-Lafayette and Khaled Al-Jaber, Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Over 5000 Arabic speakers who access Al-Jazeera TV and website responded to a survey of their uses and motivations. Responses were consistent with some predictions regarding instrumental vs. ritualistic use of TV, while others were not upheld. Education was a positively correlated factor in usage, but age was negatively correlated. Implications for understanding how Al-Jazeera fits into the global media mix as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.

Audience Involvement and Its Antecedents: An Analysis of the Electronic Bulletin Board Messages about an Entertainment-Education Drama on Divorce in Korea • Hyuhn-Suhck Bae, Yeungnam University and Byoungkwan Lee, Michigan State • No abstract available.

Media War Between Israelies and Palestinians: Uses of news sources in four mainstream U.S. Newspapers • Kuang-Kuo Chang, Nanyang Technological University-Singapore • No abstract available.

The Analysis of National Images of South Korea and Japan in the News Coverage of The New York Times & Los Angeles Times • Jinbong Choi, Minnesota • The purpose of this research was to examine how two major American daily newspapers, The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, represent South Korea and Japan and what the differences are between South Korean and Japanese national images in these two newspapers. “National image” is socially constructed largely by mass media. In short, mass media affect the audience’s image of countries and their understanding of reality of the countries.

A Functional Analysis Of Online Debates On Political Candidates: An Application Of Functional Theory To Online Forum Messages About 2002 South Korean Presidential Election • Yun Jung Choi, Cheolhan Lee and Jong Hyuk Lee, Missouri-Columbia • This study examined how online users used three functional utterances – acclaim, attack, and defense – in supporting their favorite candidates and criticizing counter-candidates during the 2002 presidential election campaign in Korea. With approval rates of candidates at nine different points, this study observed how online users in favor of a strong candidate and a weak candidate had reacted to approval rate changes of their favorite candidates.

Entertainment East and West: A Comparison of Prime- Time U.S. and Asian TV Content Using the Methodology of the National Television Violence Study • Anne Cooper- Chen, Ohio • The three most TV-saturated countries in the world all have advertising-based, entertainment-heavy TV content: China (370 million receivers); the United States (233 million); and Japan (91 million). This paper compares U.S./China/Japan domestic programming, as well as pan-Asia satellite services, by replicating in Asia the National Television Violence Study. The Hofstede (2001) research on cultural dimensions can elucidate differences in nations’ tolerance for violent TV content.

Preparing For The Future: The Level Of Journalism Skills In South African Media – A Reason For Concern? • Arnold S. de Beer, University of Stellenbosch and Elanie Steyn, Potchefstroom University • This paper draws on results of the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) 2002 journalism skills audit. The research purpose was to conduct a national situation analysis of journalism skills among reporters. The research followed on on-going efforts by Sanef to re-position journalism skills training at tertiary level. Results showed a lack of reporting, writing and accuracy skills among reporters as highlighted both by reporters themselves, and news editors’ evaluation of these skills.

Operation Iraqi Freedom: Interrogating the Objectivity of Objective U.S. Journalism • Mohan J. Dutta-Bergman, Purdue • The ideas of a free press and objective journalism inform the practices of Western media. These ideas are in fact held as ideals for judging the rest of the world and for justification on Western interventions (persuasive or coercive or some combination of both). Using a grounded theory analysis of the coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom, this paper demonstrates the biased frames that are present in American war coverage.

New News For A New South Africa? The Possibilities Of Public Journalism And Development Journalism As Interventionist News Models • Margaretha Geertserna, Texas-Austin • As post-Apartheid South Africa is going through immense change, a necessary debate about the role and function of the press is taking place. Should the press be completely free or should some limitations be in place in terms of its responsibility to nation building and reconciliation? The aim of this paper is to inform this debate from a theoretical perspective and to discuss the possibilities of the interventionist models of public and development journalism in this context.

The Determinants of International News Coverage: A Contextual Approach • Guy Golan, Louisiana State and Ryan Bakker, Florida • The current study investigates key country based determinants of international news coverage. A content analysis of the ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN networks from 1999 reveals a disparity in network coverage of 190 nations. The current study analyzes 190 nations for more than a dozen variables that previous research found to be highly associated with coverage. A generalized linear model that identified several key country based variables as highly associated with television network news coverage.

Thank You Newton, Welcome Prigogine ‘Unthinking’ Old Paradigms And Embracing New Directions • Shelton A. Gunaratne, Minnesota State-Moorhead • The premises and propositions of the Newtonian-Cartesian model associated with classical science-determinism, linearity, reversibility, timelessness, equilibrium, etc.-are applicable primarily to closed systems. Prigogine’s theory of dissipative structures has affirmed that nonlinearity, irreversibility, unpredictability, chaos and far-from-equilibrium conditions characterize interdependent open systems. Because closed systems are rare in nature, the linear findings of empirical studies tied to the presumptions of classical science face potential challenge.

German and American Students’ Perceptions of Social Values as Depicted in Magazine Advertisements: A Copy Testing Approach • Frauke Hachtmann, Nebraska-Lincoln • This study explores, through a copy-testing procedure, American and German consumers’ recognition of social values as depicted in print advertisements. Respondents’ identification with situations depicted in the advertisement with different value content were also explored. Results indicate that both German and American respondents did recognize the social values as depicted in the advertisements, but their identification with the situations shown in the advertisements was complex, indicating both similarities and differences between the two groups.

Media and the Crisis of Democracy in Venezuela • Eliza Tanner Hawkins, Brigham Young • The mass media have been integral players in the conflict dividing Venezuela since Hugo Chavez took power in 1998. This paper explores how the public sphere is shaped by Chavez’s use of the mass media, the government- owned and alternative media, and the increasing politicization of the private media. The paper also highlights the status of press freedom and the challenges facing media organizations with the implications this has for democracy.

Globalization through Global Brands: Purely an American-Made Phenomenon? • Daniel Marshall Haygood, North Carolina-Chapel Hill • Globalization is a highly controversial issue among many in academia, business, and government. It has been faulted for a number of problems afflicting societies and credited for the benefits it bestows upon others. Those opposing globalization usually place blame on America as the primary force behind the phenomenon. This paper looks at global brands, a potent symbol of globalization representing a country’s economic and cultural might, to determine if America is the driving force behind globalization.

On the Eve of Conflict: How Five News Agencies Handled the US-Iraq Story • Beverly Horvit, Texas-Arlington • No abstract available.

What Sustains the Trade Winds? • The Pattern and Determinant Factors of International News Flows • Youchi Ito, Keio University at Shonan Fujisawa • This paper describes the pattern of international news flows and analyzes the determinant factors of flows using the content analysis data provided by 46 country teams, As a result, it was found that the top seven countries that are covered on a worldwide scale are five UN Security Council members and two economic powers, Germany and Japan.

Mexican Presidential Elections and Inaugurations Through the Lens: U.S. Television Coverage 1970-2000 • Melissa A. Johnson, North Carolina State • This qualitative content analysis examines U.S. network coverage of Mexican presidential elections from 1970 through 2000. President-elect characterizations were simplistic and reflected networks’ captivation with election contests. Verbal narratives often didn’t align with visuals. Networks embraced glastnost themes to describe political shifts. While cheerleading for political reforms, networks were quick to suggest that changes could lead to violence. Networks did little to inform U.S. policy makers and other U.S. viewers about Mexican campaign issues.

A Complex National Mind, Contested National Justices: A Frame Analysis Of The Koreans’ Vietnam War Debate In Cyberspace • Nam-Doo Kim, Texas-Austin • South Korean weekly Hankyorch21 ran an apology campaign after it uncovered the Korean army’s alleged civilian killings in the Vietnam War. This paper examines Korean citizens’ Vietnam War online debate during the campaign period. Through a two-level frame analysis, the researcher analyzes how a diverse of pros and cons over the apology campaign were linked to various applications of socio-political values and national identities.

The Demise Of Nicaragua’s Barricada Newspaper: Slipshod Journalism Or Political Sabotage? • Kris Kodrich, Colorado State • Barricada, a daily newspaper in Nicaragua, closed suddenly and without warning in 1998. The editor said his newspaper was a victim of a government policy to pull state advertising from Barricada, which was the official newspaper of the opposition Sandinista political party and had been highly critical of the government. This study examines the role of state advertising as a means of governmental control of the news media in Nicaragua.

Korean Immigrants’ Viewing Patterns of Korean Satellite Television and Its Role in Their Lives • Changho Lee, Texas-Austin • This research is based on in-depth interviews with 10 Korean immigrants who watch Korean satellite television. The paper analyzed their program preferences, viewing time, and the extent of satisfaction in relation to their demographic characteristics. It also examined the role of satellite television in Korean immigrants’ lives. The results showed that Korean satellite television contributed much to the reinforcement of the viewers’ ethnic identity. In addition, satellite television replaced other Korean ethnic media due to its real time news delivery.

Enhancing Inoculation Strategy In The Spiral Of Silence- Public Opinion Changes On Taiwan’s Political Future With The PRC • Wei-Kuo Lin, Fu-Jen Catholic University-Taiwan • This study explored inoculation strategies in the process of spiral of silence, especially focusing on resistance to counter attitudinal attack, willingness to speak out, fear of isolation, and change of attitude. A two-wave survey was employed in a context regarding the issue of Taiwan’s political future with the PRC. Results show that inoculation treatments enhanced people’s resistance to attitude change whereas decreased their fear of isolation. The decreased fear of isolation, furthermore, elevated people’s willingness to speak out in public.

Democratic and Non-Democratic Framing in Foreign News: An Analysis of Effects of International Perceptions • Jensen Moore, Giovanna Dell’Orto, Dong Dong and Adina Giurgiu, Minnesota • This study seeks to join research into media framing with research into image formation and investigates whether, in fact, media frames do affect readers’ images of foreign realities, Does framing of a country as democratic engenders positive readers’ images of that country, its government and its people (and vice versa) Findings show that even a subtle framing in news stories had an effect on readers’ perception of a foreign government and people, though not on the overall evaluation of a country.

Women in Advertisements Across Cultures • Pamela K. Morris, Syracuse • There are few cross-cultural studies that investigate women’s representation in advertisements. As a powerful force, advertising influences women’s identity and relations with others. Cross-cultural comparisons can help identify factors determining depictions of women. Using content analysis, this study reviews magazine advertisements over 24 different countries for the presence of women. It focuses on the visual and on bodies within advertising space. Findings link social system dimensions of individual countries to the presence of women in advertising.

The New World Information and Communication Order, A Sequel: The Many Models of Media Development in Arab Gulf Countries • Orayb Najjar, Northern Illinois • The study reviews some highlights of the NWICO and the “free flow of information” debates to assess how four satellite stations in some Gulf Arab countries have responded to Mustapha al-Masmudi’s call for change in the direction and content of information in the Middle East. The study answers Gardner and Stevenson’s question: “What would a developing nation do if it had the economic and political resources to implement some of the proposals that have emerged from the global debate?

Representation of China: A Longitudinal Analysis of Coverage in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times • Zengjun Peng, Missouri-Columbia • This study examined the coverage of China in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times between 1992-2001. Across time comparison were made both within and between the two newspapers in terms of total number of stories, media frames used and favorability differences. Findings show that coverage on China has increased significantly over time, but the overall tone remained negative. Political frames and ideological frames were more likely to be unfavorable. No significant differences were found between the two newspapers.

Job Satisfaction And Professionalism Among Private Radio Station Employees In Bulgaria • Gregory Pitts, Bradley • The fall of the Berlin Wall resulted in political and economic changes in 28 countries once part of the former Soviet Union. Bulgaria has taken steps to establish democratic governance and a market economy. A quantitative study of employees at private radio stations in Bulgaria found a young, highly educated and generally satisfied workforce. A distinct professional orientation among employees, who place high value on developing professional expertise with less concern about job permanence, is emerging.

Selling the Shortwaves: Commercial Shortwave Broadcasting to Latin America and the Limits of the “American System” • Robert A. Rabe, Wisconsin • This paper examines the development of commercial shortwave to Latin America and the role of propaganda in the 1930s and 1940s. American broadcasters attempted to establish an advertising-supported schedule of programming that had the dual function of generating revenue and promoting the American image and message through the hemisphere in the absence of an official government radio service. As World War II approached, this programming was increasingly viewed as insufficient and the US government gradually assumed control.

Nepalese Journalists: Idealists, Optimists, and Realists • Jyotika Ramaprasad, Southern Illinois-Carbondale • This paper studies Nepalese journalists using a convenience sample from the major cities of Kathmandu and Pokhara, representing all the major newspapers, radio stations and the government television station. Despite reports of the dismal condition of the press in Nepal, Journalists in Nepal appear optimistic about their freedoms and idealistic in the reasons for which they join the profession.

Images of Islam: Exemplification as Elegance in the Post-9/11 Works of Thomas Friedman • Lisa Rodgers, Ohio • This paper provides a close analysis of the exemplars of Arab peoples in Thomas Friedman’s works since the 9/Il Twin Towers attacks. The paper argues that the skill Friedman uses to convey the complexity of the Islamic world directly calls into question many of the basic assumptions and premises behind Dolf Zillmann’s exemplification theory.

Business News Channels In Asia: Strategies And Challenges • Seema Shrikhande, Oglethorpe • This paper examines the strategies adopted by international business channels, Asia Business News and CNBC to enter the Asian market. The analysis focuses on market entry timing, content customization and the role of strategic alliances. I find that audiences prefer regional content, the competitive advantage of being first in the market is difficult to sustain and that strategic alliances are critical. The implications for other content providers and for the audience of these channels are considered.

Punch And Counterpunch: Jurisdiction Over International Libel Suits In The Internet Age • Robert L. Spellman – Southern Illinois-Carbondale • In Berezovsky v. Michael and Gutnick v. Dow Jones, Inc. the high courts of the United Kingdom and Australia have conferred jurisdiction for their courts over American magazines that published stories primarily for American readers. Small numbers of printed copies of the magazines and their Internet editions were available to readers in the United Kingdom and Australia. Application of the common law of libel poses a threat to transnational media.

Location of Foreign Reporting • Denise St. Claire, Paul Hampton, Jessica Miller and Erin Rushmer, Wisconsin-Madison • This paper addresses the need to examine the media’s dedication to foreign correspondents and their commitment to diversified sources and voices. We focused on the Iraq-US conflict in our study of ten international papers from six countries. We then recorded the location of reporting and compared it to the frequency of specific sources in the story. Our analysis showed that reporting from the location of conflict provided more variety of voices and less reliance on US official sources.

Globalization or Alienation?: A Comparative Study of News Coverage Between AP and IFS • Eunjung Sung and Won Yong Jang, State University of New York at Buffalo • This research is to examine how concepts of globalization has developed and changed during the last decade by analyzing news articles that were reported from 1995 to 2000. Within the framework of the ‘World-Systems theory, this study provides who has occupied a central position in the globalization process, and what issues have emerged and facilitated the globalization. The computer-based content analysis, CATPAC, is used for analyzing news articles from The Associated Press (AP) and Inter Press Service (IPS).

Construction of “Supporting” versus “Opposing” War Framings: A Cross-national Analysis of Newspaper Coverage on War with Iraq • Atsushi Tajima, Andrea Falkenhagen, Lam Tao, Eric Bain, Diana Wu and Chelsea Ross, Wisconsin-Madison • By specifically focusing on the recent on-going debate about war with Iraq, this paper analyzes 14 different newspapers across the world to reveal how “supporting” and “opposing” war frames are constructed. It quantitatively analyzes 523 articles over a three-month period to determine the proportions of each frame. It then performs an in-depth textual analysis on 11 articles from 9 different papers covering the same issue to explore how various elements, such as value words, rhetoric, and types of sources quoted, were utilized construct certain frame.

Gen Zeds: Arab Women Speaking With “Still Small Voices” • Timothy N. Walters, Zayed University, Stephen Quinn Ball State, Lynne Masel Walters, Texas A&M • The “Gen Zeds” of the title are female Emirati students in their early twenties at Zayed University who oscillate between the traditional Islamic culture of their families, and the highly mediated global culture they experience at university and on the Internet. In a typical week these women spend as much time on the Internet as they do in the combined activities of reading magazines, newspapers and books. They spend twice as much time on the Internet as they do watching television.

E-Governance And E-Publicanism • Preliminary Perspectives On The Role Of The Internet In South African Democratic Processes • Herman Wassarman, University of Stellenbosh • The role of the internet in democratic processes in sub-Saharan Africa, with a specific focus on South Africa is discussed in terms of the use of the internet (a) for e-governance, and (b) to protest against government policy. To frame the discussion an overview is given of recent trends and developments. The authors conclude that while serious impediments remain, the internet’s potential for democratic purposes in South Africa is being realized.

Acculturation and Media Usage Among the Chinese Students In the US • Cui Yang, Huaiting Wu, and Ma Zhu, Minnesota • The purpose of this study is to extend the Uses-and-Gratifications approach to a cross-cultural context, focusing on the relationship between need for acculturation, the acculturative motives and the media use among Chinese students in the US. Eight-four Chinese students have been chosen as the subjects. The data show’ that need for acculturation is correlated to motives of acculturation in both TV watching and Internet use.

Press Freedom in Asia: New Paradigm Needed in Building Theories • Jiafei Yin, Central Michigan • Four theories of the press are well established in journalism education and research and arguably do a good job of describing media systems in the West. However, it is hard to fit Asian media systems into the existing theories. This paper does a review of the existing press theories and tries to identify the difficulties in using the theories as a guide to understand media systems in Asia.

Cultural Profiles of Global and Local Advertising on Primetime Chinese Television: A Comparative Content Analysis • Yuan Zhang, North Carolina-Chapel Hill • A comparative content analysis explores the cultural profiles of global and local advertising on primetime Chinese television by examining manifest cultural values in advertising themes and cultural symbols and icons in advertising executions. The purpose is to test the explanatory power of three theoretical perspectives on the outcomes of global cultural interactions: globalization, localization, and glocalization.

Who Gets Hurt by Pretty Faces? The Impact of Makeup Ads on Chinese Female College Students From a Social Comparison Perspective • Peiqin Zhou, Alabama • This paper investigated the interaction effect of self-efficacy and exposure o pretty faces in ads in China. Results indicated that the hypothesized negative effects of upward comparison on inefficacious individuals existed. Specifically, exposure to pretty faces increased individuals’ state of depression and decreased their self-esteem. However, the study failed to get the evidences to support the predicted positive effects on efficacious individuals. Neither positive impact nor negative impact was found on efficacious individuals.

Perception of Romanticism and the Ideal Spouse Among Chinese Youth • Shuhua Zhou and He Zhu, Alabama • This exploratory study investigated perceptions of romanticism and the ideal spouse among Chinese youth. Results suggest that gender was strong predictor of romanticism and opposite sex preferences. However, television exposure did not seem to have much impact in shaping these perceptions. But the individualism/collectivism index, when used on the individual, proved to be a reliable predictor of many of the outcome variables. Implications were discussed.

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