A Comparison of Gender Portrayals in News Content across Platforms and Coverage Areas • Cory Armstrong, University of Florida; Fangfang Gao, University of Florida • With the continuing disparity between male and female mentions in news content, this study seeks to compare how news organizations employ men and women in Twitter feeds and how that connects to portrayals in news stories. In particular, researchers examine how mentions in tweets of men and women may influence mentions in news stories that were linked from tweets. The study employed a content analysis of national, regional and local newspaper and television tweets, along with their accompanying news stories to compare media platforms and coverage areas. Results indicated a positive relationship between male and female portrayals in tweets and portrayals in news content. Further, male mentions were more likely to appear in national news stories than other regions and more frequently than female mentions in print media than in television. Implications were discussed.

More of the same old story?: Women, war and news in Time magazine • Dustin Harp, University of Texas at Austin; Jaime Loke, University of Texas at Austin; Ingrid Bachmann, University of Texas at Austin • Feminist media scholarship has long examined the role of women in journalism and criticized the gendered nature of news in general and war coverage in particular. This content analysis of 406 stories from Time magazine explores the intersection of war reporting and gender in the coverage of the war in Iraq. The results show than in war news, women are still scarce. Female reporters accounted for a fifth of the bylines, but tended to cite more diverse sources, including more women. Female sources were mostly private individuals without affiliation, and represented less than a tenth of the subjects cited. These findings indicate that when it comes to war, women are still symbolically annihilated through omission.

Mammy Revisited: How Media Portrayals Of Overweight Black Women Affect How Black Women Feel About Themselves • Gina Chen, Syracuse University; Sherri Williams, Syracuse University; Nicole Hendrickson, Syracuse University; Li Chen, Syracuse University • In-depth interviews with 36 black women, ages 18 to 59, reveal that exaggeratedly overweight depictions of black women in television and film had a strong effect on their identity. The women reported portrayals, such as Rasputia in Eddie Murphy’s Norbit, were mammy-like and made them feel conflicted over their own identity because of the disconnect between the dominant white ideal of thinness and media portrayals of black women. Social comparison theory is used for interpretation.

Plugging old-media values into ‘new media’: Social identity and the attitudes of sports bloggers toward issues of gender in sport • Marie Hardin, John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, Penn State University; Bu Zhong, Pennsylvania State University; Thomas Corrigan, College of Communications, Penn State University • This research suggests that individual-level, social identity factors in gatekeeping by sports bloggers present a critical dilemma for the exposure and promotion of women’s sports. Using a survey of independent bloggers linking their social identities to their attitudes toward women’s sports and Title IX, this research suggests that the sports blogosphere will not become an egalitarian space for sports commentary without more participation from female bloggers who cover female athletes and advocate for women’s sports.

Silent No More: Regan Hofmann and POZ Magazine • Robin Donovan, Ohio University • During the emergence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, AIDS was largely seen as a problem faced by gay men and intravenous drug users. POZ magazine was founded to educate people with HIV and AIDS and provide a way to live positively despite these illnesses. With the addition of Regan Hofmann as editor-in-chief in 2006, that mission was well on its way. Hofmann was such an unlikely face of HIV in the 1990s that she hid her identity from all but her family and closest friends for a decade. This study examines the anonymous columns she wrote for the magazine from 2002 to 2006. In each column, she shared her status with someone, documenting both the reactions she received and the process of becoming more comfortable with disclosure. The columns exemplify her personal and professional transformation from hiding her HIV status with shame to publicly announcing her identity on POZ’s cover in April 2006.

Gender violence in the Twilight phenomenon: A feminist analysis of blood, lust and love • Meenakshi Durham, University of Iowa • This paper seeks to interrogate the tensions in the construction of masculinity in the Twilight books and films, vis-à-vis issues of implicit and overt gender violence. The analysis addresses the overarching research question, How is gender implicated in the vampire mythology of Twilight? A combination of feminist rhetorical analysis and semiology are used to examine the verbal and visual texts at work in the Twilight books and films. The analysis identifies four dominant themes in these texts: (1) the representation of violence as an inherent and presumptive characteristic of masculinity; (2) the portrayal of male violence as an acceptable and justifiable by-product of male-female relationships; (3) the continual imperilment of girls in situations from which they were rescued by boys; and (4) the definition of masculinity in terms of a dualism wherein good boys recognized and repudiated their own instinctive predilection for violence and bad boys allowed it to go unchecked. I conclude that Twilight works rhetorically and visually to coax audiences to expect boys to be violent and girls to be compliant in regard to that violence.

Framing Gender Amid Crisis: A Woman University President Faces the Press • Frank Durham, CCS • Women in positions of leadership are more likely than men to be framed according to dominant, gendered themes, in ways, which limit their access to power. This text analysis of the role of gender in the framing process that is evident in coverage by the Iowa City Press-Citizen takes the case of University of Iowa President Sally Mason as she faced two crises in 2007-08. In the first, she was confronted with an alleged rape by two football players of a woman athlete in the Hillcrest dormitory on campus. In the second, she was called to respond to the floods, which inundated the University campus, as well as much of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. As it finds that Mason was framed differently in each case, the study theoretically interrogates how dominant gender ideology played a role in the framing process.

Agency, Activism or Both? Feminism and Mothering in the Pubic Sphere • Katherine Eaves, University of Oklahoma • Until fairly recently mothers and issues relating to motherhood have been relegated to the private. In the late 1960s, however, the personal became political, giving women and mothers the freedom to talk about elements of their lives that were previously deemed inappropriate for public discourse. This new found freedom, coupled with the proliferation of electronic media, particularly niche media geared toward women and mothers, has led to a considerable amount of public political discourse about motherhood issues. This paper specifically examines the concepts of agency and activism as they relate to mothering in feminist public spheres, and examines the ways in which feminist Web sites about motherhood promote agency and activism.

Mother as Mother and Mother as Citizen: Mothers of Combat Soldiers on National Network News • Karen Slattery, Marquette University; Ana Garner, Marquette University • This study examines national television news images of mothers of U. S. combat soldiers during the first seven years of the Iraq War. News stories presented mothers as archetypal good mothers engaged in maternal work long after their childrens’ deployment. Mothers were depicted as vocal vis a vis their position on the Iraq war, a contrast to the historical depiction of archetypal patriotic mother who is stoic and silent. The resulting image is more complex suggesting the archetype may be shifting.

Building bias: Media portrayals of postpartum disorders and mental illness stereotypes • Lynette Holman, UNC-Chapel Hill • Postpartum depression (PPD) is a disorder that affects one in 10 new mothers. Symptoms include fatigue, anxiety, and excessive concerns about the baby or alternatively, feeling detached from the baby. Only about one in 1,000 new mothers develops postpartum psychosis. Only 4% of these women commit infanticide; however, they make the news. Through a content analysis of 11 years of print media coverage of postpartum disorders, this study illuminates the media’s misrepresentation of these disorders.

From Social Control to Post-Feminism: A Longitudinal Analysis of Reporting on Title IX by Journalist Gender • Kent Kaiser, Northwestern College, University of Minnesota Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport • This longitudinal study uses quantitative content analysis of frames to investigate differences in newspaper coverage, by journalist gender, on Title IX as it relates to women in sports. The investigation seeks to discern whether female journalists, when given an explicit opportunity to advocate for women’s rights and advancement in a traditionally male domain, a) succumb to social control and therefore conform to the male hegemonic dynamics of newsrooms, b) embrace a feminist predisposition to advocate for women and promote equality or c) distance themselves from the feminist view in post-feminist fashion. The study’s findings suggest that female journalists may have succumbed to social control in the earliest years of Title IX, as their use of frames was similar to that of their male colleagues. Later, female journalists asserted more advocacy frames than their male colleagues, consistent with a feminist style. Yet in the most recent years analyzed, female journalists returned to using frames more like their male colleagues. The findings suggest that, rather than the lack of a critical mass of female journalists, a transformation from social control, to a feminist style, to a post-feminist style is operative in the assertion of Title IX advocacy and opposition frames over time.

Sex & Glamour in the Hillbilly Field: The Objectification of Women in Country Music Videos • Ann McClane-Bunn, Middle Tennessee State University • Despite its rich history as an authentic American art form, country music remains a largely untapped area of scholarly research, especially where women in music videos are concerned. This has been particularly true since 2000, when Viacom, Inc., the parent company of MTV Networks, purchased Country Music Television (CMT). Applying framing theory, objectification theory and the male gaze theory, this thesis employs textual analysis to examine country music videos’ portrayal of women before and since the Viacom purchase. The findings indicate three prevalent frames: Focus on Women’s Bodies, Women’s Gratuitous Presence and Scantily Clad Women. This research identifies parallels between women in country music videos and women in advertisements, suggesting that a musical genre once called the heart of America has become an industry that uses women as sexual objects. Furthermore, this study briefly discusses the implications that such reckless and needless use of women may have on society.

Gender Framing in the 2008 Presidential Election • Erin O’Gara, University of Iowa • This study examines newspaper coverage of the Democratic and Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2008 U.S. election through the lens of framing theory. The study especially focused on the ways in which gender was framed in newspaper coverage of the election. A total of 225 newspaper articles randomly collected from The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune and USA Today were content and textually analyzed. The results show that the media continued to cover male and female candidates in very different ways. The discussion of gender and the one female candidate was stereotypical and used harsher and more negative language than that used for the male candidates. This suggests that contrary to what some believed were improving conditions for female political candidates, the media still put a much greater emphasis on their gender. In doing so, the media are sending a message to potential voters that they are somehow less qualified than their male counterpart: women first, politicians second.

Examining Effects of Romance Consumption on Feminism and Social Media Use • Kristin Russell, Kansas State University; Ruochen Qiu, Kansas State University • Previous research has analyzed feminist themes in romance media mainly through content analysis. The present study attempts to examine the association among romance consumption, feminism and social media use through a cross-sectional survey method. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the more females consumed romance, the less feminist ideas they maintained and that the more females consumed romance, the more they participated in romance-based social media. However, no relationship between romance-oriented social media and feminist ideas was found.

Newspaper Coverage of Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama during the Presidential Election • Tiffany Shoop, Shenandoah University • This research project examined a sample of three prominent newspapers’ coverage of Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama during the 2008 presidential election. One of the major findings of this research project was the common reference made in the newspaper articles to controversies related to McCain and Obama, raising the question of if increased coverage of controversies is one of the prices paid for having it all, both personally and professionally, as a presidential candidates’ spouse.

Navigating the Invisible Nets: Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Traditionally Male-Dominated South Asian Newsrooms • Elanie Steyn, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma; Kathryn Jenson White, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma • Invisible nets, labyrinths, glass ceilings and other obstacles create obstructions along women’s paths toward leadership positions, including those in media settings. Expanding on exploratory research, this paper investigates newsroom management expectations and experiences related to communication and teamwork as managerial competencies among a sample of female journalists in Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Using a quantitative research design, the researchers outline opportunities and challenges for women in navigating these obstacles in traditionally male-dominated South Asian newsrooms.

Gender Framing on the Covers of Media Guides • Lacey Duffy, Ackerman McQueen; Natalie Tindall, Georgia State University • Past research on women, sports, and the media has produced two consistent themes: Female athletes are not given equal media attention compared to men, and when portrayed, women are more often framed in traditionally feminine and passive roles compared to men. This exploratory study explored gender framing of 2006-2007 Big 12 Conference intercollegiate athletic media guides through a content analysis of 97 athletic media guide covers from sports having both male and female versions. Overall, the majority of male and female athletes on all of the guides examined were portrayed on court, in uniforms, in action, and with sporting equipment. Male and female athletes were not portrayed in sexually suggestive poses. The majority of these athletes were also pictured from eye level and from close or medium range.

Examining New-technology-related Content in Women’s and Men’s Magazines: 2007- 2009 • Wei-Chun Wang, Ohio University • Women are often marginalized in discussions of new technology as portrayed in the media. To examine whether traditional gender biases exist in magazines, this study explored new-technology-related content in popular magazines intended for three groups: men, women and general interest readership. Different from previous research which analyzes the image and advertisements in magazines, this research analyzed the content of magazines, and thus, can be seen as an exploratory study in the field. Through the content analysis approach, this study examined a total of 216 issues of popular magazines from 2007 to 2009. Results indicate that from the 2,967 women’s magazines’ articles sampled, only one article (0.034%) was found that related to technology. Also, among all magazines, news magazines whose readership includes more men than women provided more content oriented to new technology. Results reveal that traditional social roles are reinforced, with males being considered to have more knowledge of IT and new technological subjects.

What is Sexy? How Young Women Ages 19-26 Define Sexiness in the Media and in Real Life • Meng Zhang, University of Florida • Women ages 19-26 participated in a qualitative research on the topic of what is sexy. The study revealed that these women defined sexy broadly as attractive for both men and women, yet their personal ideals of sexiness tended to diverge from what they believe represented in the media. The women in general considered sexy a compliment although there were mix feelings about being sexy. Media were both direct and indirect sources of their feelings and thoughts about sexiness.

<< 2010 Abstracts

The Differences That Matter: Identifying Predictors of Attitudes toward Binge Drinking and Anti-Binge Drinking Public Service Announcements among College Students • Hoyoung (Anthony) Ahn, University of Tennessee; Lei Wu, University of Tennessee; Stephanie Kelly, University of Tennessee • Bing drinking is a prevalent problem on college campuses which has been shown to affect students’ health, social life, and academic performance. Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are government funded social marketing campaigns whose purpose is to present specific audiences with unbiased information in hopes of inducing beneficial behavioral change. Despite almost three decades of initiative, PSAs targeting the college drinking issue have been largely ineffective at inducing behavioral change. This study sought to better understand the college drinking phenomenon by investigating how norms of drinking acceptability and perspectives of PSAs differ between sexes. A number of sex differences were identified. Findings and implications are discussed for both researchers and PSA practitioners.

Models: The Missing Piece in Climate Change Coverage • Karen Akerlof, George Mason University • As the sole tool for projecting future climate trends under conditions of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, climate models form the basis for global warming risk assessments and are inextricably linked to policy formation. In an analysis of media coverage across four U.S. national newspapers from 1998-2007 and 20 media sources frequented by high-knowledge U.S. audiences for the year 2007, there was little mention of climate models overall though comparatively high levels in political commentary outlets.

The shifting agenda: A scientific event and its print and online coverage • Ashley Anderson, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dominique Brossard, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin • While much is known about how science is covered in traditional media, including sources journalists tend to use (e.g. Tanner, 2004) and what news values inform how an issue is covered (e.g. Galtung & Ruge, 1965), scholars are still exploring how scientific issues end up in online media. Here, we analyze as a case study media coverage of a scientific study examining the deaths of Chinese factory workers due to lung damage from their repeated exposure to nanoparticles. We argue that the scientific study results embody the news values that would make them a prime candidate for news coverage. Nevertheless, mentions of the event in traditional print media were nearly non-existent. Online media, on the other hand, covered it widely. We offer an explanation for why the agenda for print and online media were different in this particular context and discuss why this case exemplifies the importance of the online media environment for science communication scholars.

Public Information Officers’ Perceived Control in Setting Local Public Health Agendas and the Impact of Community Size • Elizabeth Avery, University of Tennessee • Using an agenda-setting perspective, this research analyzes data collected from 281 local public health information officers (PIOs) serving various community sizes, from rural to urban, across the country to reveal how size of their communities as well as state and federal agencies affect public health promotion. Findings reveal low levels of perceived control in setting the local public health agenda among urban PIOs while rural practitioners reported surprisingly high levels of control.

Talking Green: Green Quad, Communication Behavior and Environmental Norms • Daphney Barr, University of South Carolina; Caroline Foster, University of South Carolina • The current study explores the role of Green Quad living on student residents’ attitudes and tendency to action, including talking, information seeking and conserving/recycling resources, on environmental issues. While residents are talking about the environment, their conversations are frequently inhibited by lack of knowledge, lack of interest within social groups and lack of prompts to talk about these issues. When they seek environmental information, they first turn to the internet and then to resources provided by the Green Quad Residence Hall. Residents indicated concern for reliability and credibility of environmental information. Residents note a lack of internalization of environmental actions and a lack of interest in environmental topics among peer groups. This research related residents’ lack of internalization of environmental actions to the lack of environment as a normal part of daily life.

Measuring Perceptions of Emerging Technologies: Errors in Survey Self-Reports and Their Potential Impact on Communication of Public Opinion Toward Science • Andrew Binder, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Michael Cacciatore, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin; Bret Shaw, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Elizabeth Corley, Arizona State University • This study present an extensive comparison of two alternative measures of citizens’ perceptions of risks and benefits of emerging technologies. By focusing on two specific issues (nanotechnology and biofuels), we derive several important insights for the measurement of public views of science. Most importantly, our analyses reveals that relying on global, single-item measures may lead to invalid inferences regarding exogenous influences on public perceptions, particularly those related to cognitive schema and media use. Beyond these methodological implications, this analysis suggests several reasons why researchers in the area of public attitudes toward science must revisit notions of measurement in order to accurately inform the general public, policymakers, scientists, and journalists of trends in public opinion toward emerging technologies.

The low-down on low-fat and sugar free: Using media to improve children’s health literacy, knowledge of nutrition, and attitudes toward eating and exercise • Kim Bissell, University of Alabama; Scott Parrott, The University of Alabama • While a variety of factors may be related to a child’s likelihood to be overweight or obese, relatively little is known about the factors most relevant in the prevention of the disease. The overarching objective for this study was two-fold in that it provided broader understanding of children’s general level of knowledge, attitudes, and behavior as it relates to health, and it implemented an intervention program designed to increase children’s overall health literacy. The health literacy program developed and implemented here integrated critical thinking skills along with project-based and activity-based learning so that participants received more than a one-time lecture on health and physical activity. Results suggest that gains in health literacy are possible. Using experimental data to test the effectiveness of a health literacy program, post-test measures of cognition, attitudes, and behavior related to health, nutrition, and exercise demonstrated significant gains across demographic groups in all three areas. More importantly, the greater gains in all three key areas of health literacy were found in children at the greatest risk of becoming overweight or obese–younger children and non-White children. The present study summarizes the health literacy intervention program and presents results from a pre-test/post-test within-subjects experiment conducted during the fall of 2009. These and other findings are discussed.

Emergency Risk Communication in the University Community: Exploring Factors Affecting Use for SMS Emergency-Alert service • Jee Young Chung, University of Alabama; Doohwang Lee, University of Alabama • The present study aims to investigate determinants of college students’ use of emergency-alert service provided by their educational institution, especially the use of a Short Message Service (SMS), which has become one of effective communication tools among college students. The results suggested that social norm and individuals’ perceived intrusiveness toward the service were primary determinants of being SMS emergency-alert service subscriber.

Empowering the Patient to Maximize the HealthCare Exam Andrea Ciletti, Hawaii Pacific University; Penny Pence Smith, Hawaii Pacific University • Previous research has focused on improving health communication, mostly targeting healthcare providers or systems. Recent thinking suggests that patient’s health literacy and preparedness may be an important key to a successful outcome. This study considers more patient participation in doctor patient communication, exploring the PACE guide, to assist patients in exam preparation. A patient sample was willing to use the guide, but healthcare providers interviewed about the guide were less confident about its contribution.

Amplifying Risk to Activate Protection Motivation: Merck’s Gardasil Campaign • Susan Grantham, University of Hartford; Lee Ahern, Penn State; Colleen Connolly-Ahern, Penn State University • In 2006 Merck introduced Gardasil in the United States through its One Less campaign. The campaign highlighted how the three-shot series of vaccines protected against the transmission of HPV and minimized the risk of cervical cancer. The occurrence of cervical cancer has dropped dramatically in recent decades through the use of annual pap smears and no longer ranks in the top 10 of health issues affecting women today. The One Less campaign effectively used social amplification to heighten the perceived health risk associated with HPV. The issue was framed to create the impression that one could either forego the vaccine series, thereby increasing their risk of catching HPV, or undergo the vaccine series and minimize their risk The purpose of this study was to determine how young women (current age 18-25) learned about Gardasil, how the campaign dealt with various dimensions of risk from HPV and cervical cancer and how much of an impact the One Less campaign had on the patient’s decision to receive or decline the Gardasil vaccines. Overwhelming, the participants learned about Gardasil from television advertising. Additionally, the participants felt that the campaign addressed the control and empowerment dimensions of the risk associated with HPV and cervical cancer. While the campaign effectively raised awareness about these issues, participants reported that physicians remained the primary sources of influence when the young women chose to receive or decline the vaccine series.

Unrealistic optimism: A systematic review of perceptions of health risks. • Sherine El-Toukhy, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • This paper is a systematic review of the literature on optimistic bias in perceptions of health risks. Out of 518 studies, the study included a total of 55 studies that met the inclusion criteria, from 2000 to 2008, to (a) examine the level of support for the optimistic bias phenomenon, (b) identify the most significant predictors or correlates with optimism, and finally (c) examine whether optimistic bias influences health behavior, and if so, in what way. The study found immense support for optimism in perceptions of health risks. People do underestimate their perceptions of health risks. This holds true even in the presence of objective risk factors that require a person to take proactive behaviors. However, other variables exercise an influence on optimistic bias, thus enhancing or diminishing it. These variables fall under one of three categories: individual-specific, target-specific, or situation-specific factors. For individual-specific factors, prior experience/ history with a disease, self-esteem, sense of uniqueness, perceived control and ability to protect oneself were consistently found to be associated with optimistic bias. Similarly, size of the target group and similarity with the target were two target-specific variables that have been found to correlate with optimism. Finally, for situation-specific factors, frequency or commonness of a health risk has been found to correlate with lower levels of optimism. Finally, the relationship between optimism and health behavior was found to be inconsistent. Implications for health communication theory and practice are discussed.

Employing Strategic Ambiguity in a Multimedia Message: The Case of Hurricane Charley • Gina Eosco, University of Kentucky; Shari Veil, University of Oklahoma; Kevin Kloesel, OU College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences/National Weather Center • This study examines how uncertainty is communicated during hurricane forecasts, specifically focusing on Hurricane Charley in 2004. In the case of Hurricane Charley, the audience’s interpretation of the visual representation of a hurricane track projection, called the cone of uncertainty, was that the situation was certain, causing some to forgo preparations that could have limited damage in the wake of the storm. This study explores the verbal and visual message objectives of hurricane forecasters to determine whether strategic ambiguity is employed in presenting the cone of uncertainty. Nineteen interviews with hurricane forecasters are analyzed to determine the objectives of the verbal and visual messages in hurricane forecasts. The study found that forecasters unconsciously use strategic ambiguity for their verbal messages and explores two explanations for why there was still public confusion: inconsistent multi-organizational use of strategic ambiguity, or the power of the visual to unravel the ambiguity

A Content Analysis of Prosocial Behavior on Sid the Science Kid • Caitlin Evans, Western Michigan University; Jocelyn Steinke, Western Michigan University • Sid the Science Kid is a science-based educational program aired on PBS. Using Social Cognitive Theory, this study focuses on the potential prosocial behavior displayed in Sid the Science Kid. In the 25 episodes analyzed, the most prevalent prosocial behavior was appreciation/appraisal behavior/giving a compliment followed by cooperation/sharing and close behind was rule adherence/compliance. The current study also found preschool-aged characters displayed more prosocial behavior than adult characters.
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The Role of Perceived Risk and Self-efficacy in Health Information Seeking, Preventive Behaviors and Choice of Media Channels • Eun Go, University of Florida • This study examined the ways in which the interaction of perceived risk and efficacy on information seeking and, preventive behavior. In addition, it explored how risk perception and self-efficacy guide people’s selection of health information channels in the context of cancer prevention. By identifying the media usage patterns of individuals with regard to their level of perceived risk and self-efficacy, this study aims to provide useful insights into the factors that the effectiveness of health-related messages.

Across the Great Divide: Boundaries and Boundary Objects in Art and Science • Megan Halpern, Cornell University • This paper explores collaboration between artists and scientists through participant observation. Four artist/scientist pairs worked together to create ten-minute performances for a festival held in January, 2009 in Ithaca, New York. Each pair created their piece over the course of three two-hour meetings, the first of which employed a cultural probe to open a discourse between the artist and scientist and to facilitate collaboration. My role as a participant observer allowed me to closely observe collaborative processes in which pairs engaged in boundary work and made use of boundary objects. The boundary work helped the pairs establish authority and autonomy within their respective subfields, while at the same time provoking discussions that led to the creation of their projects. The pairs used three types of boundary objects: existing, created, and appropriated. These established a common language by which they could create and present their performances to an audience.

Framing Health Disparity News: Effects on Journalists’ Perceptions of Newsworthiness • Amanda Hinnant, U. of Missouri; HyunJee Oh, University of Missouri; Charlene Caburnay, Washington University in St. Louis; Matthew Kreuter, Washington University in St. Louis • This study examines health journalist feedback on framing effects of disparity health news. It extends the research of Nicholson et al. (2008), which found that African Americans reacted more positively to colon cancer stories that emphasize the progress African Americans have made against the disease. More specifically, African Americans had positive affective responses and indicated a greater desire for CRC screening when exposed to the progress frame. Participants exposed to the disparity frame reported opposite reactions (negative emotional response/less desire for CRC screening). This study builds on these findings by exposing how health journalists react to disparity and progress frames in cancer communication stories. This double-blind randomized experiment (N = 179) gauged reactions to the progress and disparity frames on news value measures. This study also included a condition in which half of the participants were exposed to the findings from the Nicholson research. Results show that journalists respond more positively to the disparity-frame story than to the progress-frame story in variables across all news value categories. The journalists who saw the Nicholson findings still evaluated the disparity-frame story more positively, but it was across fewer variables. After seeing the Nicholson findings, they did respond more positively to the progress-frame story. Informing journalists of the benefits of using a progress frame could influence story framing on health disparity news.

The Cognitive Mediation Model: Factors Influencing Public Knowledge of the H1N1 Pandemic and Precautionary Behavior • Xianghong Peh, Nanyang Technological University; Veronica Soh, Nanyang Technological University; Shirley Ho, Nanyang Technological University • This study uses the Cognitive Mediation Model as the theoretical framework to examine the influence of motivations, communication, and elaborative processing on public knowledge of the H1N1 pandemic and behavioural intentions in Singapore. Generally, we found that knowledge levels among the public were high. However, the public were willing to engage in basic protective measures rather than H1N1-specific behaviours. Notably, motivations significantly influenced behavioural intentions, as partially mediated by communication, elaboration, and knowledge.

Swine Flu Shift: Effects of risk and concern on health information sources during a pandemic • Avery Holton, University of Texas at Austin • A multi-regional survey of United States respondents suggests that the public seeks health information largely from news and health websites, health professionals and newspapers. As a pandemic – the H1N1 virus – elevated risk levels, health concern increased, but health information sources remained relatively unchanged. Those at high risk during the H1N1 outbreak may ultimately have sought health information from two traditional health information sources – the newspaper and health professionals.

Testing The Effects of The Social Norms Approach to Correct Misperceptions Related to Sexual Consent • Zijing Li, Washington State University; Stacey Hust, Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University • Norm corrective messages may encourage individuals already practicing healthy behaviors to adopt unhealthy behaviors in an attempt to conform to the norm. Yet, exposure to both descriptive and injunctive norms may alleviate this boomerang effect. An experiment with 394 college students tests the effectiveness of social norms related to sexual consent seeking. Results indicate use of both types of norms has a stronger effect on perceptions and intentions than the use of only descriptive norms.

It’s Easy Being Green: The Effects of Argument and Imagery on Consumer Responses to Green Product Packaging • Virginia E. Board, Virginia Tech; Lindsay M. Crighton, Virginia Tech; Phillip K. Kostka, Virginia Tech; Justine A. Spack, Virginia Tech; James D. Ivory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • Although green product advertising is increasingly widespread, the quality and format of green product claims vary substantially. To assess how some elements of green advertising claims influence consumer responses, this study examines the effects of argument strength and imagery used in green product packaging on consumers’ perceptions of product packaging credibility, perceptions of product greenness, attitudes toward product, behavioral purchasing intent, and general attitudes toward green product advertising. A 3 (argument: strong, weak, or none) X 2 (image: present or absent) factorial experiment was conducting using different versions of green product packaging on a bottle of laundry detergent. Results indicated that while argument strength influenced perceptions of credibility, product greenness, and attitude, a weak argument was as effective as a strong argument in eliciting purchasing intent. Similarly, the presence of a green seal image influenced purchasing intent regardless of argument strength. These results suggest that though consumers are able to evaluate the quality of green arguments, the mere presence of any green argument or image serves as a cue that affects purchasing intent similarly regardless of format, modality, or quality.

Individual Differences, Awareness/Knowledge, and Acceptance Attitude of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) as a Health Risk on Willingness to Self-discipline Internet Use • Qiaolei JIANG, The Chinese University of Hong Kong • This exploratory study proposed that Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is a health risk and examined the effects of individual differences (such as flexibility/rigidity, stigma tolerance, and face-loss concern), awareness/knowledge, and acceptance of IAD as a new mental illness among urban Chinese Internet users on willingness to self-discipline the maladaptive Internet habit. Data were gathered from an online survey of 497 Internet users in urban China in 2009. Based on Young’s (1998) classic definition of Internet addiction and Tao’s (2010) Chinese diagnostic criteria, results showed that 12.3% can be classified into the high-risk group. The high risk group tended to be significantly more rigid in personality, more concerned with face-loss, and more aware of IAD as a mental illness. As expected, being flexible, tolerant to stigma, concerned about face-loss, and in the low risk group were found to be more willing to self-discipline their problematic Internet use. Being female, non-student, and with low income tended to be more determined to seek self-help to recover from IAD on their own as addiction clinic in China is still scarce and expensive. Practical health policy implications were discussed.

A Content Analysis of Health- and Nutrition-Related Claims in Food Advertisements in Popular Women’s and Men’s Magazines • Xiaoli Nan, University of Maryland, College Park; Rowena Briones, University of Maryland, College Park; Hongmei Shen, San Diego State University; Hua Jiang, Towson University; Ai Zhang, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey • This article reports a content analysis of health- and nutrition-related (HNR) claims used in food advertisements in popular women’s and men’s magazines published in the year 2008. A total of 734 food ads were analyzed. Our research shows that the nutrition content claim is the most predominantly used claim and that the health claim is the least used. The use of HNR claims also differ for different types of food and magazines.

Stressful university life: The relationship among academic self-efficacy, academic performance, goal characteristics, and psychological well-being of university students in Singapore Hannah Wen Ya Tay, Nanyang Technological University; Zhu Ian Juanita Toh, Nanyang Technological University; Suu Yue Lim, Nanyang Technological University; Elena Owyong, Nanyang Technological University; Younbo Jung, Nanyang Technological University • This study examines how academic concerns influence the well-being of university students by investigating the relationship among academic self-efficacy, academic performance, goal characteristics (i.e., ideal GPA, goal importance, goal motivation, and GPA difference), and psychological well-being (i.e., depression and satisfaction with life). Based on the two-stage stratified sampling method, a self-administered paper-and-pencil survey was conducted with 603 final-year undergraduate students from the two public autonomous universities in Singapore. The results showed that academic self-efficacy negatively predicted students’ levels of depressive symptoms and positively predicted their satisfaction with life. The relationship between students’ academic self-efficacy and their level of depressive symptoms as well as satisfaction with life was found to be mediated by goal importance and goal motivation. In addition, academic self-efficacy was a significant predictor of academic performance, ideal GPA, goal importance, goal motivation, and GPA difference. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.

The Priming Effects of Entertainment-Education on Viewers’ Responses to PSAs: An Application to Binge Drinking among College Students • Kyongseok Kim, The University of Georgia; MINA LEE, University of Georgia • The purpose of this study was to examine the priming effects of an Entertainment-Education message on viewers’ responses to a PSA. An online experiment was conducted with 232 participants using a 2 (E-E: present vs. absence) _ 2 (issue involvement: high vs. low) between-subjects design. The results provided evidence of the priming effects of a health message (related to binge drinking) embedded in a primetime drama. The effects were also moderated by issue involvement.

Perceived or Real Knowledge? Comparing operationalizations of science knowledge. • Peter Ladwig, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Kajsa Dalrymple, University of Wisconsin – Madison; Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin; Dominique Brossard, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Elizabeth Corley, Arizona State University • This study compares two frequently used operationalizations of science knowledge: factual knowledge of an emerging technology, measured using true-false options, is the same as self-reported nanotechnology knowledge (perceived familiarity). We argue that these measurements – which have been used interchangeably in past research – are conceptually distinct and should be treated as such. Using hierarchal linear OLS regression, we provide evidence that these two measurements do in fact capture different concepts and should be treated differently in the future.

Defining obesity: Second-level Agenda Setting in Black Newspapers and General Audience Newspapers • Hyunmin Lee, University of Missouri-Columbia; Maria Len-Rios, U. of Missouri This paper examines how obesity is defined in Black newspapers and general audience newspapers applying the framework of second-level agenda setting theory. A content analysis (N = 391) of a national sample of Black newspapers and general audience newspapers showed that while both Black newspapers and general audience newspapers generally ascribed individual reasons for causing, Black newspapers were more likely than general audience newspapers to suggest both individual and societal solution methods to treat obesity. Additionally, regardless of the audience of the newspaper, negative stories of obesity appeared on front pages. Implications for theory and health communication research are discussed.

Influencing Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation Intentions in Singapore based on the Protection Motivation Theory • Shallyn Leow, Nanyang Technological University; May O. Lwin, Nanyang Technological University; Kaiyan Lin, National Chengchi University; Chrong Meng Ng, Nanyang Technological University; Kenneth Mu Mao Chia, Nanyang Technological University Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is crucial for survival during sudden cardiac arrest (Hopstock, 2007). Statistics have shown that the typically low survival rate of cardiac arrest victims can increase manifold when the public is CPR-trained. To date, only 20% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Singapore receive bystander CPR (Lateef & Anantharaman, 2001). This research aims to help develop CPR promotion campaigns by examining the CPR-learning intentions amongst youths in Singapore, utilizing the Protection Motivation Theory.

Comprehensive resource to enhance consumer health informatics evaluation research: A description of a pilot project • Glenn Leshner, University of Missouri; Rob Logan, National Library of Medicine; Glen Cameron, University of Missouri – Columbia • The purpose of this paper is to report on a pilot project that will prepare a master resource of outcome variables and suggested measures to guide comprehensive consumer health informatics evaluation. This pilot project is being conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) Office of Communications and Public Liaison as well as NLM’s consumer health informatics working group. The resource is envisioned as an online tool kit NLM can use and also will be available as a professional development tool to other consumer health informatics researchers. The resource will be comprised of at least 25 outcome variables, with a specific suggested measure for each variable, and a citation of the source. The variables presented here, which represent a small sample, are health literacy, health orientation, spiritual health locus of control, and self-efficacy.

Analyzing Health Organizations’ Use of Twitter for Promoting Health Literacy • Hyojung Park, University of Missouri, School of Journalism; Shelly Rodgers, University of Missouri School of Journalism; Jon Stemmle, Health Communication Research Center, Missouri School of Journalism This study explored health-related organizations’ use of Twitter in delivering health literacy messages while promoting their images and brands. Content analysis of 571 tweets from health-related organizations revealed that the organizations’ tweets were often quoted or republished by other Twitter users. There were some differences among the various types of organizations in regard to addressing health literacy topics in tweets, although in general, most tweets focused on the use of short sentences and simple language.

A comparative analysis of Chinese and American newspapers’ coverage of the milk scandal in China • Lulu Rodriguez, Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, Iowa State University; Jiajun Yao, Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, Iowa State University Anger and panic spread across China in the wake of country’s latest food scare—melamine-tainted milk that sickened nearly 300,000 children and caused the death of at least six infants in 2008. This study analyzed the content of news, feature and editorial reports from the Economic Daily (China) and the Wall Street Journal (U.S.) to determine the risk information items present in the coverage. A discourse analysis was also conducted. The two papers differed in five information areas: the government’s plans of action; the definition, description and explanation of the cause of disorders and deaths; the extent of assurances made; the number of people harmed; and assignment of blame. The Daily referred to the issue as an event or incident while the Journal called it a disaster and a tragedy. Stories from the Daily contained fewer details about what led to the crisis and emphasized the revitalization of the dairy industry while the Journal expressed concern about the enforcement of food safety laws. The Chinese paper consistently showed a positive attitude toward its government while the Journal took a strong negative position toward Chinese authorities.

What Science Communication Scholars Think about Training Scientists to Communicate • Andrea Tanner, University of South Carolina; John Besley, University of South Carolina • This study assesses the volume and scope of the training taking place in the science communication field and explores the views about the skills of several different types of science communicators. Nearly 46% of scholars publishing in academic journals across the sub-fields of science, health, environment and risk communication report conducting formal training for bench scientists and engineers, science regulators, medical personnel or journalists. For most groups, the main focus of training was in the area of basic communication theories and models. There is near unanimity in the field that the science community would benefit from additional science communication training and that deficit model thinking remains prevalent.

Effect of ecological, proximal, and psychometric risk perception on reported self-protective behavior for West Nile virus. • Craig Trumbo, Colorado State University; Raquel Harper, Colorado State University; Emily Zielinski-Gutiérrez, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Cindy Kronauge, Weld County Department of Health and Environment.; Sara Evans, Weld County Department of Health and Environment • Little is known about the manner in which individuals perceive risk for West Nile virus and how risk perception may affect protective behavior against exposure. To investigate these questions data were collected using a mail survey. The questionnaire included measures of cognitive-affective risk perception, combined with ecological and proximity risk perception constructs, and the Health Belief Model. Results show that all three of the newer risk perception models provide some power to explain protective behavior.

The effect of proximity to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on subsequent optimistic bias and the perception of hurricane risk. • Craig Trumbo, Colorado State University; Michelle Lueck, Colorado State University; Holly Marlatt, Colorado State University; Lori Peek, Colorado State University • In this study we evaluated how individuals living in Gulf Coast counties perceived hurricane risk in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The analysis examined optimistic bias and perception of hurricane risk in January 2006, evaluating these concepts as functions of distance from the area of the Katrina-Rita impact. Data were collected by mail survey (n = 824). Results show hurricane risk perception has a number of significant associations, while optimistic bias does not.

News media and the social amplification of risk for seasonal influenza. • Craig Trumbo, Colorado State University • The effect news media may have had on patients visiting physicians for influenza was examined for 2002-2008. The basis for this investigation rests on theories of media effects applied to the Social Amplification of Risk. It was hypothesized that controlling for the rate of influenza, a positive relationship exists in which increases and decreases of news media attention to influenza precede increases and decreases in the percentage of patients visiting physicians for flu symptoms. The percentage of visits and the percentage of positive flu tests are taken from the Centers for Disease Control’s flu report. Media attention was located through the Lexis/Nexis database as words per week in stories having flu in the headline in 32 newspapers. Time series analysis shows that controlling for autoregressive and seasonal effects, and the actual rate of disease present, news attention in the previous week accounts for a statistically significant portion of the increase and decrease in the number of individuals who go to their physician reporting influenza-like symptoms. Reverse causality was examined and it was shown that controlling for autoregressive and seasonal effects, patient visits did not predict news coverage, while the actual rate of the flu in the previous three weeks did.

News Framing of Autism: Media Advocacy, Health Policy & the Combating Autism Act • Brooke Weberling, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • Considering agenda setting, framing, and the concepts of media advocacy and mobilizing information, this study presents a content analysis of U.S. news coverage of autism from 1996 to 2006, the year the Combating Autism Act was passed. Findings revealed that science frames decreased over time, while policy frames increased. Medical and government sources were most common in news coverage. Solutions were more frequent than causes; however, mobilizing information was limited. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Exploring the role of online discussion in improving obesity-related health literacy: A content analysis of health literacy domains and eWOM of The Biggest Loser League • Ye Wang, University of Missouri School of Journalism; Erin Willis, University of Missouri School of Journalism; Shelly Rodgers, University of Missouri School of Journalism • The present study evaluated to what extent and at what levels online discussions about weight-management can improve health literacy, and whether and to what extent health-related eWOM in online discussions can counter-balance misleading information in food advertisements. This study found evidence of health literacy domains in discussions of weight-management, and identified self-efficacy as being influential in users’ performance of weight-loss behaviors. Evidence of eWOM provides a context for health communication to educate and promote healthy living.

Tracking Explanations In Health News. More Attention Is Not Always Needed For Understanding. • Ronald Yaros, University of Maryland • This study investigates the relationship of how readers view health news on a web page and whether certain viewing patterns are associated with different levels of comprehension. Does selective attention always mean comprehension and do explanatory graphics in health news aid comprehension? Participants (N = 20) in an eye-tracking experiment are exposed to two text structures of four health stories with or without explanatory graphics. Recorded eye movements were then associated with robust measures of situational understanding. Based on theory of text comprehension, this study predicted that longer viewing time can indicate little or no explanation in the news more than it indicates interest. Results suggest that longer eye fixations -presumed to indicate more attention in eye-tracking studies – do not always mean a better understanding of complex news.

Willing but Unwilling: Attitudinal Barriers to Adoption of Home-Based Health-Information Technologies Among Older Adults • Rachel Young, University of Missouri, Columbia; Erin Willis, University of Missouri School of Journalism; Mugur Geana, University of Kansas; Glen Cameron, University of Missouri – Columbia • The health needs of aging baby boomers will stress the medical system and family caregivers. Proposals for improving health outcomes include technological solutions, but user attitudes toward these solutions are unknown. This study used in-depth interviews to explore barriers to adoption of a home-based system for communicating with physicians, searching for health information, and receiving tailored messages. A thematic analysis revealed technological discomfort, privacy concerns, and perceived distance from the user representation imagined by participants.

WHAT PARENTAL FACTOR(S) INFLUENCES CHILDREN’S OBESITY? -Investigating the Possible Relationships between Children’s Body Mass Index and • Hyunjae (Jay) Yu, School of Communication, Sogang University; Tae Hyun Baek, University of Georgia • In addition to genetics and nutrition, the notion exists that environmental influences may also indirectly govern childhood obesity. Because children’s eating habits and lifestyles are largely determined by parental upbringing, it is worthwhile to examine and discuss the specific weight-determining variables connected to parenting style and the nature of child rearing. This exploratory study tests for connecting relationships between children’s obesity level (measured by Body Mass Index) and the parents’ television viewing behavior/attitudes. Some of the viewing aspects examined in this study include the parents’ average amount time spent watching TV per day, their attitude toward advertisements targeting children, and their opinions about the parents’ role in regards to their children’s viewing behaviors. Additionally, the researcher examined the parents’ BMI to test for a connection between their weight and their children’s obesity level. Results showed that, in addition to BMI, the parents’ opinions regarding responsibilities for children’s TV viewing behaviors significantly influenced the obesity levels of their offspring.

Communicating a health epidemic: A risk assessment of the swine flu coverage in U.S. newspapers Nan Yu, North Dakota State University; Dennis Frohlich, North Dakota State University; Jared Fougner, North Dakota State University; Lezhao Ren, North Dakota State University • Media can contribute to the public assessment of a health risk and provide general knowledge of basic preventive methods (Allen, 2002; Dudo, Dhlstrom, & Brossard, 2007). The current study content analyzed the coverage of the 2009 swine flu in major U.S. newspapers to uncover: the general pattern of swine flu coverage in 2009, the presentation of health risk, and the depictions of self-efficacy-related information. The results of this study revealed that the risk of swine flu was frequently depicted with qualitative risk and thematic frames. About one third of the stories compared swine flu to a previous known health risk. Swine flu was less frequently portrayed as a deadly disease or a global risk compared to the previous coverage of avian flu. Social disorders more often appeared as consequences beyond health than economic losses and political disturbances. The depictions of the symptoms of swine flu and general preventive efforts appeared less frequently than the mentions of the H1N1 vaccination. However, newspapers expressed uncertainty about the effectiveness of the vaccination.

The Psychophysiology of Viewing HIV/AIDS PSAs: The Effects of Fear Appeals and Sexual Appeals Jueman Zhang, New York Institute of Technology; Makana Chock, Syracuse University • This study investigated the effects of fear and sexual appeals on psychophysiological responses to online HIV/AIDS PSAs. An experiment with a 2 (low vs. high fear appeals) by 2 (low vs. high sexual appeals) within-subject design was conducted (N = 77). Physiological and self-reported data consistently demonstrated that high sexual appeals triggered more attention and greater arousal than low sexual appeals. Self-reported data revealed that high fear appeals elicited more attention and greater arousal than low fear appeals, but physiological data didn’t support it. High fear appeals and high sexual appeals were perceived as more effective but they were not recalled better.

<< 2010 Abstracts

Video Expectations for Non-Television Producers of Community News: Two Newspapers’ Online Video Strategies • George Daniels, University of Alabama • Since 2008, dozens of community newspapers have started producing their own videos for the Web. Many have re-designed their Web sites to make them more videocentric. This comparative case study found the online videos at The Alabaster Reporter and The Tuscaloosa News, both in central Alabama, were similar in their focus on community leaders yet different in their approach. The Alabaster Reporter implemented a YouTube strategy while The Tuscaloosa News used a franchise strategy.

Heart disease in the rural South: A content analysis of the community newspaper coverage • Tracy Loope, University of Florida • Because community newspapers are critical information sources among rural residents, their coverage of heart disease in the rural South was analyzed. Heart disease remains a severe health problem in the South where people are far more likely to die from heart disease than in other areas of the country. Using the Health Belief Model (HBM) to develop the newspaper analysis, this study illustrates the importance of community newspapers’ presentation of heart disease information. Results show that newspapers located in areas with high heart disease mortality rates were more likely to present heart disease as a severe threat to readers, showing these newspapers’ strong tie to their communities. Further research is required to better evaluate this relationship and find ways to use mass media, specifically community newspapers, to improve heart health among people living in rural areas.

The Public Sphere and Web-First Independent News Sites • Mark Poepsel, Missouri School of Journalism • Journalists with varying levels of experience have never-before-seen opportunities to create their own news sites. This ability presents some with an opportunity to create entrepreneurial ventures that could contribute to rational-critical discourse in the 21st Century. This study takes an in-depth, qualitative look at a several successful, locally-focused news sites through the eyes of the people publishing them in order to examine publishers’ goals and expectations, economic and journalistic.

Experiment and adapt: The mantra of survival for one startup Latino newspaper • Arthur Santana, University of Oregon • Eugene, Ore. has a history of failed Latino newspapers, but a new one is trying something new: adopting a bilingual format and embracing uplifting news. Motivated by a sense of civic duty, three immigrants launched the community newspaper in September 2009. But it has been a rocky start. This case study sheds lights on the deliberations and difficulty that go into the creation of a different kind of community newspaper.

After the Storm: Greensburg Residents Discuss an Open Source Project As a Source of Community News • Steve Smethers, Kansas State University • Greensburg was destroyed by an EF5 tornado in May 2007. The famed green sustainable rebuilding effort includes a multimedia telecommunications center, which will produce an open-source community information portal featuring audio, video and textual information round the clock. Prototypes of the portal were shown to focus groups to determine respondents’ propensity to use and contribute to the site. Subjects showed willingness to learn the technology, but worry about the site’s impact on the local newspaper.

Imagining Tibet Online: Discursive Constructions of Nation on Tibetan Website • Nangyal Tsering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities • The paper studies www.phayul.com, the leading online portal of the Tibetan diasporic community, based in India. By looking at the news published on the site, the paper looks at how the website discursively constructs representations of nation online. Even though Tibet is not a nation-state, digital media’s critical role in the formation of an imagined community comes across very strongly, particularly in the case of displaced and geographically dispersed people such as the exiled Tibetans.

<< 2010 Abstracts

Citizen Journalism and Cognitive Processing: An experiment on the perceived intent of traditional versus citizen journalism sources • Heather E Akin, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Melissa Tully, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Gerald Stoecklein, UW Madison; Hernando Rojas, University of Wisconsin-Madison • “Using a three-wave longitudinal design with an embedded web-based experiment, this study considers whether manipulating the source of a news report (citizen journalism versus traditional journalism) affects perceived thought-provoking motivations. Results show that respondents perceive a citizen journalism source as intending to be more thought provoking about food issues than a traditional news source. Moreover, previous levels of engagement suggest that those who are less engaged with an issue are the ones who are more likely to see a citizen journalism source as intending to make them think. Findings and implications for future research are discussed.”

Paper bridges: a critical examination of the Daily Dispatch’s Community Dialogues • Rod Amner, Rhodes University • “A South African commercial newspaper, the Daily Dispatch, last year facilitated a series of town-hall-like meetings called the Community Dialogues at a number of townships and suburbs in the city of East London. Drawing on theories of social capital as well as critiques of Habermas’s notion of the public sphere, this article examines the first two Community Dialogues, which took place in neighbouring locations – the middle class suburb of Beacon Bay and the informal African settlement of Nompumelelo – on consecutive days. It is critical of claims made by the newspaper that, following the precepts of public journalism, these Dialogues are effective in forming horizontal ‘connecting bridges’ within and between different geographical zones and heterogeneous social groups in the city. It also critiques the idea that the Dialogues currently provide a forum for public deliberation – and possible consensus formation – between these zones and social groups. Very little journalism has so far been produced under the banner of public journalism in South Africa and there is consequently little research on this topic in this country. This paper hopes to fill a gap in the research literature around the applicability and usefulness of the theories and practices of public journalism in the South African context and also hopes to address the gap in the global civic journalism research literature around the use of community forums in civic journalism.”

Empowering citizen journalists. A South African case study • Guy Berger, Rhodes University • “Seldom unpacked in the notion of “citizen journalism” is the convergence of “citizenship” and “journalism”. This paper examines Grocott’s Mail newspaper in South Africa, which is integrating youth participation through cellphones. This initiative operates with the assumptions that media participation in the form of specifically mobile “citizen journalism”, as distinct from broad User-Generated Content, needs explicit focus on the meanings of citizenship and journalism, and on the mindsets and skills that go with these.”

Gatekeeping and Citizen Journalism A Qualitative Examination of Participatory Newsgathering • Amani Channel, Student • “For nearly sixty years, scholars have studied how information is selected, vetted, and shared by news organizations. The process, known as gatekeeping, is an enduring mass communications theory that describes the process by which news is gathered and filtered to audiences. It has been suggested, however, that in the wake of online communications the traditional function of media gatekeeping is changing. The infusion of citizen-gathered media into news programming is resulting in what some call a paradigm shift. As mainstream news outlets adopt and encourage public participation, it is important that researchers have a greater understanding of the theoretical implications related to participatory media and gatekeeping. This study will be among the first to examine the adoption of citizen journalism by a major cable news network. It will focus on CNN’s citizen journalism online news community called iReport, which allows the public to share and submit “unfiltered” content. Vetted submissions that are deemed newsworthy can then be broadcasted across CNN’s networks, and published on CNN.com. This journalism practice appears to follow the thoughts of Nguyen (2006), who states that, “future journalists will need to be trained to not only become critical gate-keepers but also act as listeners, discussion and forum leaders/mediators in an intimate interaction with their audiences.” The goal of the paper is to lay a foundation for understanding how participatory media is utilized by a news network to help researchers possibly develop new models and hypotheses related to gatekeeping theory.”

Perceived Role Conceptions of Citizen and Professional Journalists: Citizens’ Views • Deborah Chung, University of Kentucky; Seungahn Nah, University of Kentucky • “This study aims to identify citizen journalists’ role conceptions regarding their journalistic news contributing activities and their perceptions regarding professional journalists’ role conceptions. Based on a national survey of 130 citizen journalists, four factors emerged for both citizen and professional journalists’ role conceptions: interpreter, adversary, facilitator and mobilizer. Perceptions of civic journalism values were also examined. Analyses reveal that citizen journalists perceive their roles to be generally similar to professional journalistic roles. Furthermore, respondents rated certain roles to be more prominent functions for citizen journalists. In particular, the citizen journalist role of facilitator was rated as significantly more important than those of the traditional press.”

Incremental versus Impressionistic: Seeking Credibility Differences in Online Political News • Daniel Doyle, Ohio University; Chen Lou, Ohio University; Hans Meyer, Ohio University • This study uses the research technique of online survey to gauge credibility perceptions in Internet political news during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaigns. Researchers experiment for effects in perceptions of credibility in a style of short and incremental professional news stories — a style which a popular press writer has dubbed the scooplet — and the diary-like impressionist style of long-form and somewhat informal unpaid citizen journalism. The study contains a review of online credibility research which establishes that user-generated content forges a stronger social connection between content consumer and content creator. This study tests a hypothesis that consumers of online political news perceive user-generated blog entries to be more credible than professionally-produced political news stories.

Alternative and Citizen Journalism: Mapping the Conceptual Differences • Farooq Kperogi, Georgia State University • “Although it is customary for some scholars to conflate citizen media and alternative media, I argue in this paper that they are different. In the new media literature, citizen journalism is conceptualized as online “news content produced by ordinary citizens with no formal journalism training.” Alternative journalism, on the other hand, is not merely non-professionalized and non-institutionalized journalism produced by ordinary citizens; it is also purposively counter-hegemonic and “closely wedded to notions of social responsibility, replacing an ideology of ‘objectivity’ with overt advocacy and oppositional practices.””

Can This Marriage Be Saved? The Love-Hate Relationship Between Traditional Media and Citizen Journalism • Jan Leach, Kent State University; Jeremy Gilbert, Northwestern University • “This paper examines the interplay between traditional newsrooms and non-traditional media in three different markets. It looks at how Fourth Estate journalists interact with Fifth Estate media practitioners and explains similarities and differences in how information is collected and presented online. Several examples of traditional media and new media relationships are identified. The study evaluates whether Fourth and Fifth Estate entities can co-exist and asks: What is the outlook for marriage, or at least a lasting relationship, between traditional media and new media?”

Explicating Conversational Journalism: An Experimental Test of Wiki, Twittered and Collaborative News Models • Doreen Marchionni, Pacific Lutheran • “The concept of journalism as a conversation has been richly explored in descriptive studies for decades. Largely missing from the literature, though, are clear operational definitions and empirical data that allow theory building for purposes of explanation and prediction. This controlled experiment sought to help close that gap by first measuring the concept of conversation, then testing it on key outcome measures of perceived credibility and expertise in three online contexts: Wikinews, “Twittered” news and Thorson and Duffy’s (2006) “collaborative” style of news. Findings suggest that conversational journalism is a powerful, multi-dimensional news phenomenon, but also nuanced and fickle. The conversational features of perceived similarity to a journalist and online interactivity are key, not only in distinguishing this type of news but in predicting its perceived credibility and expertise. Somewhat problematic is the conversational feature of informality, or casualness, with an audience. There, results suggest journalists can easily cross a line with readers to the detriment of trust.”

Hungry for News: How Celiac sufferers learn from media, each other • Mitch McKenney, Kent State University • “Celiac Disease, an inherited autoimmune disorder that chronically disrupts the digestive system, leads to health problems unless the sufferer avoids gluten-containing foods. As awareness of the condition has grown, so have the options for Celiacs to connect. This paper examines the online interaction and sharing of news/information among members of the Celiac “community,” using interviews with those dealing in that information, to explore the resources they turn to for news and support.”

Bloggers’ Demographics, Blogging Activities, and Identity Disclosure • nohil park, Missouri University; JiYeon Jeong, Missouri School of Journalism; Clyde Bentley, Missouri School of Journalism • “Despite the critical role that the identity of blog authors plays in making blogs credible information sources, few studies have suggested empirical mechanisms that lead to bloggers’ identity self-disclosure. This study aims to examine whether bloggers’ demographics and blogging activities (blog use, interactivity, and popularity) have influence on identity disclosure. Results from the analysis of an online survey of 906 Korean bloggers reveal that male and older bloggers who have professional jobs (journalist, lawyer, professor, etc.) are more likely to identify themselves on their blogs rather than others. Moreover, bloggers who have high levels of blog interactivities (commenting, linking trackbacks) are more likely to reveal their identity. However, the time of general blog use and number of visitors to blogs are not any association with bloggers’ identity disclosure. This study suggests that bloggers do not hide nor express their identity according to the stay and popularity in the blogosphere, but they disclose their identity depending on their individual differences and interactivities with their blogging partners.”

What’s in a (Missing) Name? Newspaper Online Forum Participants Sound Off about Civility and Anonymity • Jack Rosenberry, St. John Fisher College” • “A survey of participants in online comment forums associated with traditional newspapers indicated that while they dislike the rude nature of the commentary made there, and consider anonymity a proximate cause of that behavior, they still are supportive of keeping the forums anonymous. However, differences in support for anonymity were found on the basis of frequency of participation and on degree of aversion to the negativity. This reflects the same mixed results found in the general literature on anonymous computer-mediated communication, which documents how anonymity’s benefits to participation and open expression are balanced off against the lack of accountability that leads to flaming.”

Blogging the Meltdown: Comparing the Coverage of the Economic Crisis in Journalistic Blogs vs. Non-Journalistic Blogs • Hong Ji, The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism; Michael Sheehy, University of Cincinnati • “This content analysis examines coverage of the U.S. economic crisis of 2008-2009 by 25 economics blogs. The study sought to identify differences in the coverage by bloggers identified as journalists and non-journalists. The study found that journalist bloggers and non-journalist bloggers focused on different dominant topics in their blog posts, indicating different perspectives in the framing of coverage. The study also found differences in the way that journalist and non-journalist bloggers cited sources and hyperlinks.”

Reconsidering citizen journalism- An historical analysis • Justin Walden, Pennsylvania State University • “The rise of Web 2.0 publishing platforms has understandably had a dramatic impact on a number of different communication processes and fields in recent years. One area that has been profoundly influenced by the newfound ability for “regular” Internet users to self publish is citizen journalism. This theoretical paper examines current and historical perspectives on the citizen journalism movement, giving particular heed to a review of how recent Internet technologies have given amateur reporters far more reach and influence. This graduate-student produced article traces how today’s political bloggers and videographers are countering some centuries-old journalism practices and rechanneling the activism that guided Thomas Paine and other American Revolutionaries. This paper concludes that citizen journalism today is poised to follow a similar historical trajectory of legacy media from the 18th century. This article also argues that academic scholarship needs to shed further light on this trajectory and the seemingly inevitable standardization that will occur with citizen journalism newsgathering practices and presentation styles.

<< 2010 Abstracts

Esquire’s Man the Kitchenette: Representations of Men, Masculinity & Cooking • Elizabeth Fakazis, University Wisconsin Stevens Point • This paper examines representations of masculinity and domestic cooking in Esquire’s Man the Kitchenette, a cooking column for men published in the 1940s.  Using qualitative content analysis, I examine how these representations recoded an interest in food and domestic cooking  (as well as other traditionally feminine interests) as appropriately masculine, nurturing the development of the positive image of the male consumer, and paving the way for the emergence of future men’s lifestyle and culinary magazines.

Visual Framing of Patriotism and National Identity on the Covers of Der Spiegel • Andrea Pyka, San Jose State University; Scott Fosdick, San Jose State University • Patriotism in Germany has been a controversial issue since the Nazi era. A content analysis revealed that despite the fear and hesitations surrounding the idea of German pride, Der Spiegel, one of Germany’s national newsmagazines, showed an increasing visual presence of patriotic and national identity symbols on its covers following key historical events: the building of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Germany, the adoption of the Euro, and the 2006 World Cup.

Photographic Images of Gender and Race Portrayed in Sports Illustrated Kids, 2000-2009 • Ashley Furrow, Ohio University • This study examines photographic images in a popular children’s sport magazine called Sports Illustrated Kids for gender and racial differences in the way the athletes are visually portrayed. Gender and/or racial messages in photographs may have a profound impact on children because children understand meanings in pictures before they understand meanings in text.  Since Sports Illustrated Kids caters to young, impressionable readers who are especially vulnerable to the power of photographs, it is important to study the photographic images of gender and race found in its pages.  Content analysis of editorial photographs during a 10-year period reveals that the gender inequality gap in the magazine is more skewed during its second 10 years than it was during the first 10 years of its publication.  As for a racial difference, African American and White athletes have equal coverage, but Asian and Hispanic athletes are still fighting for representation in the magazine. Overall, female athletes remain underrepresented in all editorial photographs and framed more often than men in inferior ways.

Hype Artists, Con Men, Pimps and Dopesters: The Personal Journalism of Harry Crews • Ted Geltner, Valdosta State University • During the 1970s and ’80s, novelist Harry Crews was a prolific contributor of non-fiction articles for Playboy, Esquire and a number of other publications. His work places him among the writers who defined the genre of literary journalism during this era. This study examines the content, style and innovations associated with Crews’ journalism and the author’s attitude and approach toward his craft.

Madame’s Most Excellent Adventures: US News Magazines Coverage of the 1943 and 1948 Visits to the United States by Madame Chiang Kai-shek • Daniel Haygood, Elon University • Henry Luce, a promoter of Chinese General Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist party during World War II, is accused of using Madame Chiang as part of his strategy to generate support among Americans for the Chinese. This paper reviews US news magazines’ coverage of Madame Chiang’s two trips to America in 1943 and 1948 to raise American support for China. The analysis demonstrates that Time had a more complex framing of Madame Chiang than other news magazines.

Psychological and sociological motives for fashion magazine use among Shanghai’s female college students • Zhengjia Liu, Iowa State University • This study investigates the impact of psychological and sociological motives on the use of fashion magazines among female college students in Shanghai. An online survey was conducted. Three psychological motives were found to be significant predictors of fashion magazine use. The sociological motives did not significantly influence fashion magazine use. The findings suggest that sociological motives may not directly affect media use, but are nonetheless related to psychological motivations that predict media consumption.

The Growth of International Women’s Magazine and Media Portrayal of Women in China • jingyi luo, southern illinois university • Along with the process of globalization is the growth of global media. With the wave of global economy and the spread of transnational companies, the world’s biggest global publishing groups have increasingly extended their reach into China, especially the Western publishing groups. Besides, Japanese publishing giants also enter China, including Shufunotom Publishing Group, Kodansha Publishing Group, and Shogakukan Publishing Group. Nowadays, the women’s magazine industry in China is mainly constructed of three styles of magazines: Western-style magazines, Japanese-style magazines and Chinese local magazines. Women’s magazines deliver media content through a face— the cover. Covers are advertisements of women’s magazines to attract readers. Covers are, at the same time, a media genre, which is subject to social changes and indicates social and cultural changes in a society. Through a content analysis on media portrayal of women on the covers of major magazines in China, it was found that the Western-style women’s magazine constructed its international image through characteristic global title, Caucasian models and a large proportion of celebrity stories; while the Japanese-style women’s magazine tended to portray women as young and fashion to attract readers and advertisers. Facing the competition from international media, it is found that the local women’s magazine chose to adjust their style and content but in a similar genre with the international women’s magazine. However, whether hybridity or mix was a wise strategy for their growth and how the Chinese local women’s magazine industry will prosper is pressing problem for the Chinese local women’s magazines.

Gourmet Magazine’s Depiction of the American Gourmet: A longitudinal content analysis, 1945-2008 • Lanier Norville, The University of Alabama; Jennifer Greer, University of Alabama • A longitudinal content analysis of Gourmet over its 68-year lifespan indicated that, both through topics covered and writing approaches used, the magazine largely defined the American gourmet experience as an elitist pursuit. However, the founding principle of Gourmet – making the gourmet lifestyle more accessible to the average American – was a strong sub-theme throughout the magazine’s history. Accessible topics were covered throughout, and articles were written with both elitist and accessible approaches.

The Magazine Industry 2000 to 2010 • David E. Sumner, Ball State University • Stories about the print media since 2000 have reported on closings of well-known newspapers and steadily declining circulations of others. The general public assumes that magazines have shared in the same fate. While magazines have struggled to remain profitable and some have folded, the general health of the industry remains greater than that of newspapers. The purpose of this paper is to provide a status report of the economic state of magazines between 2000 and 2010.  It reports data on magazine startups and closings, circulation trends, and revenue trends. This research uses latest available data from trade and proprietary sources not available online or to the general public.  The results note that the number of new magazines launched exceeded the number of magazines that closed or folded between 2007 and 2009. The circulation of 50 leading consumer magazines declined by six percent between 2000 and 2009.  However, 32 gained in circulation while 18 lost circulation during those years. Total magazine revenue grew 1.1 percent annually between 2000 and 2008, and then declined 5.4 percent between 2008 and 2009. The outlook for 2010 remains cautiously optimistic with some sectors and companies reporting revenue increases.  The report concludes that some magazines will have to adapt, restructure or downsize.  More may close. But print magazines will likely remain viable for generations to come. The portability, affordability and accessibility of print magazines cannot be replaced by digital mobile devices.

Seeing is Believing: Using Eye Tracking to Examine the Media’s Influence on Disordered Eating Risk • Steven Thomsen, Brigham Young University; Hannah Gibby, Brigham Young University; Joseph Eldridge, Brigham Young University • The goal of this study was to test the robustness of magazine affinity as both a direct and indirect causal antecedent to measures of eating disorder risk and empirically observable pupillary reactions (eye movement and fixation density patterns) to ultra-thin body images through a structural equation model. Data were collected from 109 college-age women whose eyes were tracked while they viewed images of ultra-thin body parts taken from popular women’s magazines. The women also completed a survey instrument to assess magazine reading habits, internalization of the thin ideal, eating disorder risk, and an inclination to make social comparisons. Findings indicate that magazine affinity, not reading frequency, is the best predictor (both directly and indirectly) of eating disorder risk and visual response to ultra-thin images.

What Black Women Need to Know? Breast Cancer Coverage in African-American Magazines • Kim Walsh-Childers, University of Florida; Heather Edwards, SAIC-Frederick • This paper describes an analysis of breast cancer articles from Essence, Ebony and O, the Oprah Magazine. Of 55 articles about breast cancer published during the 6-year period, only three mentioned age as the most important risk factor for breast cancer. The articles were four times as likely to mention family history of breast cancer as a risk factor, and only 40% of articles mentioning the need for regular mammograms were coded as fully accurate.

The Consumer-Citizen: Life Magazine’s Construction of the Ideal American • Sheila Webb, Western Washington University • This paper examines the first decade of Life and places it in the current debates on citizenship and consumption. As a new definition of citizen developed that related active consumption to participation in democracy, Life visualized this change by tying consumption to the American way of life. Selected photo-essays show how the editors shaped middle class culture through consumption scenarios that informed their audience of taste standards. Methodology: archival research, textual analysis, content analysis.

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