Digital Commons Network^™

Corporate Social Responsibility And Social Media Influencers: Effectiveness Of Csr Brand-Endorsed Messaging On Consumers, Hannah Sarmiento

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Corporate social responsibility and social media influencers have both become key components in corporations’ strategic communication. Social media influencers who are knowledgeable on the subject they are communicating have been found to be influential on consumers attitudes and behaviors. Fit between brand-endorsed messages and the spokesperson have also been found to have similar effects. Grounded in the Source Credibility Model and Congruence Theory, the study aimed to identify and analyze the main and interaction effects of perceived expertise of social media influencers and perceived fit between a brand and its social media influencer on consumer attitudes and behaviors. The research …

Comparative Analysis Of Abortion Coverage In Cnn And Fox News From The Perspective Of Agenda Setting Theory, Xinyu Chang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of media framing on public perception and discourse concerning the contentious issue of abortion legislation, as delineated by two major U.S. news outlets, CNN and Fox News. Incorporating the principles of Agenda-Setting and Framing theories, this research utilizes a textual analysis approach to dissect the narrative structures, framing strategies, and the role of key actors within the media outlets' coverage. The investigation focuses on news articles published between 2010 and 2022, applying both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to scrutinize linguistic constructs, framing techniques, and potential biases.

A comprehensive analysis reveals marked ideological disparities, viewpoints, and …

Influence Of Merck Gardasil 9 Advertisements On Male Vaccination Behavior Through A Health Belief Model Framework, Lauren Kierpa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Merck’s Gardasil advertisements for human papillomavirus (HPV) traditionally targeted women, thus feminizing the vaccine (Daley et al., 2017). With the release of newer gender-neutral Gardasil vaccine advertisements, this study seeks to understand the influence this campaign has on college-aged males’ intent to vaccinate. This study, grounded in the health belief model, analyzes the “Numbers Move You” advertisement through in-depth interviews. Then, for increased validity, a textual analysis of Merck Gardasil broadcast advertisements was conducted with the health belief model as a framework. The health belief model seeks to understand the reasoning behind health behavior change. The health belief model includes …

No Change No Gain: A Comparative Framing Analysis Of The Nfl’S Inspire Change Campaign, Kia K. Cannon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research provides a basis for understanding how public relations practitioners should present CSR initiatives in their organizations and how the media may interpret its initiatives. The researcher analyzed how the NFL framed its Inspire Change campaign and how it was translated in the media. First, a qualitative textual analysis determined how the NFL strategically framed its newly founded social justice initiative. Then, another textual analysis examined how the media framed the Inspire Change initiative and if the NFL’s preferred frames were reflected in the media. The results reveal that while two out of three of the NFL’s frames of …

Lights, Camera, Recruitment: Analyzing Dod-Hollywood Synergy And Its Effects On Attitudes And Behaviors Towards The Military, Jose-Andres Leon-Gil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to research priming effects on DoD influenced films and uncover if there are significant effects affecting attitudes, beliefs, military support, and behaviors. This study is important because there is a lack of literature on the effects of DoD-influenced films. A portion of top grossing films are influenced by the DoD while there is little research on the effects consumers have. This study conducted an experiment testing the effects of behaviors and attitudes when a priming stimulus is presented. The priming stimulus was a military-influenced film clip and a military advertisement. Three groups were made, …

Examining Localized Communication, Political Action, And Polarization In The 108th Senate, Mitchell Popovic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis answers the call by Neal (2020) to provide the first study of positive and negative direct relations between senators, and by doing so, converges normative communicative praxis with the contemporary study of legislative networks under the auspices of communicatively constituted organizationality (CCO). The broad range of academic research on legislative networks, like the U.S. Senate, have long studied the political behaviors of senators via indirect social ties of mutual participation. The work presented here crosses that gap with a sentiment analysis of interpersonal statements of senators to/about a second—or possibly more—senator(s) during the 108th Congress (2003-2005) to construct …

From The Patient’S Perspective: Understanding The Colorectal Cancer Patient Experience Portrayed In Edutainment Television, Allison M. Fisher

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study qualitatively examined how edutainment television portrayed the colorectal cancer (CRC) patient experience, and whether it reflects the real-life CRC patient experience. This was done by first facilitating a textual analysis of edutainment television episodes from popular medical dramas and the docuseries Country Ever After. Interviews with real-life CRC patients were then facilitated to gather perspectives on whether edutainment television’s depictions were reflective of their experiences. This study utilized cultivation theory to identify whether edutainment television reinforces stigmas about the CRC patient experience. Additionally, uses and gratifications theory was implemented to investigate how CRC patients interact with media platforms …

Differentiating Magic: A Call For A Differential Approach, Weston L. Wright

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper seeks to propose an alternative approach for studying magic. It is often the case inacademia, when studying magic, scholars use an understanding of modernity which favors a scientific perspective. When doing so, some scholars have concluded magic has become extinct in our modern society; despite recent research suggesting magical practice is thriving. Likewise, this scholarship promotes an idea of magic grounded in fear, ignorance, superstition, and fraudulence. The goal of this paper is two-fold. First, I seek to advocate for an approach to magic that allows for a plurality of perspectives to be acknowledged, not just a scientific …

Online Instructional Clarity: A Phenomenological Study Of Students’ Experiences, Erin Cathleen Bryan Sutliff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was a phenomenological exploration of five undergraduate students’ experiences with clear and unclear instructors in online courses at a large southeastern research university. The specific aim was to privilege the voices of undergraduate students about their experiences communicating with their online instructors, particularly with regard to their instructors’ clarity (or lack thereof), and analyze the essence of their experiences using an interpretivist, and specifically, phenomenological perspective. The research was envisioned to address gaps in the instructional clarity literature as well as to respond to calls within both the online learning and the instructional communication literature to explore instructor …

Human Vs Machine: Hyper-Realistic Avatars And Their Efficacy As A Communication Channel, Jill S. Schiefelbein

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hyper-realistic avatars (HRAs), a form of synthetic media, are custom-created digital embodiments of a human, created by capturing and combining that person’s video and vocal likeness. This is the first known study of the efficacy of videos delivered by hyper-realistic avatars as a communication channel in comparison to videos delivered by their human counterparts. An experiment testing how information retention, engagement, and trust vary between viewers of videos delivered by a real human, videos delivered by the HRA representing that same human, and videos delivered by the HRA that discloses to viewers that it is a hyper-realistic avatar is presented. …

An Experimental Analysis Of The Effect Of Crisis Response Message Strategies On Consumer Emotions, Perceptual Beliefs And Intended Behavior, Valentina Ahumada

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the different dynamics of consumer responses to crisis communication strategies employed by businesses during challenging situations. Focusing on emotions, attitudes, and behavioral intentions, the research explores the impact of denial, diminish, and apology crisis messages on consumers. Drawing on a comprehensive analysis of a crisis scenario, the study illuminates the intricate relationship between these strategies and consumer emotions such as anger, disgust, sadness, and happiness. The findings reveal nuanced patterns, demonstrating that while denial messages evoke strong negative emotions and unfavorable attitudes, diminish messages, when perceived as deflecting blame, can lead to mixed emotional responses and ambiguous …

Online News Portrayal During The Covid-19 Health Crisis And Journalism's Role In Misinformation In The U.S., Michou Ducilon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a wealth of new information regarding the virus's origin and treatment. Regrettably, the vast amount of online information has resulted in the proliferation of misinformation, as the World Health Organization reported. To investigate whether journalists may have contributed to this problem, a qualitative analysis was conducted on 15 news articles from top-tier media outlets. Using NVivo software, the articles were analyzed to identify linguistic words and visuals that fell into coding categories based on Behrendt's (2008) contextual analysis for evaluating text. Each article was then coded again to identify common themes. During this process, new …

Communicating For Success: The Importance Of Fairness In Pre-Merger Communication, Correy Retzloff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explores the complexities and influences of pre-merger communication on M&A outcomes from a stakeholder perspective, using the Fair Process Theoretical Framework. The study identified the following six key themes related to pre-merger communication broken down into two distinct categories: important aspects to employees, which include Open and Honest Communication, Engagement and Clarity, Participation and Collaboration, and best practices managers can implement, such as Undertake Fair and Engaging Communication, Prioritize Strategic and Cultural Communication, Ensure Effective and Compliant Communication. The study also found that effective pre-merger communication can positively influence perceptions of fairness in the merging process. These …

Advocating For Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion: A Study Of The Nhl’S #Hockeyisforeveryone Campaign On Twitter, Jessica Martinez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With more than 6.8 million followers on Twitter (as of Feb. 2023), the National Hockey League (NHL) has a large platform that has the potential to influence societal change not only in the United States and Canada, but also globally. This study aims to understand how corporate social responsibility initiatives pair with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Furthermore, this research seeks to understand how organizations communicate these messages with their publics through social media. This study specifically examines news frames and charity support behaviors implemented by the NHL in messages about its DEI campaign, “Hockey Is For Everyone,” and …

Consumer Purchase Intent In Opinion Leader Live Streaming, Jihong Huo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 prompted the live-streaming industry to become popular, and live streaming by opinion leaders became a new way of shopping. In live-streaming by opinion leaders, the time from understanding the product to completing the purchase behavior is short; opinion leaders, in turn, use live-streaming to boost sales and personal exposure. Despite the popularity of opinion leaders' live consumption, there are still relatively few studies on it. Therefore, this paper will study what factors promote consumers' purchase intention during the live streaming of opinion leaders.Using the Stimulus-Organism-Response Model (SOR) as a theoretical framework, this paper uses a quantitative research approach …

How The Taiwanese Podcast Bailingguo News Framed The 2019 Hong Kong Movement: A Framing Analysis Of The Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill, Yu-Fei Chiu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nowadays, people can access different types of media to get information. Podcast is one of them and became more popular in recent years. In Hong Kong, the anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill movement took place in 2019. In this research, we are looking for the frames that Kylie and Ken as the hosts of the Taiwanese podcast - Bailingguo News used when they talked about the movement. The researcher applied framing theory to conduct this study, using textual analysis to analyze five episodes that mentioned the movement on Hong Kong from Bailingguo News. The researcher extracts the themes in the podcasters' …

"Queen Of The Mother-Tucking (Western) World": Authenticity And Nationality On Drag Race, Zane A. Willard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Against the backdrop of legislation across the United States regulating drag performances, I turn to the reality television (RTV) franchise Drag Race as a popular media site where queer identities are represented. More specifically, I analyze the series RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs The World (UKVTW) which is the first series in the franchise to feature participants from different countries competing for the title “Queen of the Mother-Tucking World.” Furthermore, the series suggests it represents “global” drag. Understanding that no singular RTV series can represent a singular global drag identity, I ask: how does the series represent global drag? Turning …

Hiv Stalks Bodies Like Mine: An Autoethnography Of Self-Disclosure, Stigmatized Identity, And (In)Visibility In Queer Lived Experience, Steven Ryder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines self-disclosure of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status within the context of communication between long-standing friends. For the purposes of my study, I define this type of friendship as those who have known me for at least two years and with whom I communicate regularly. These are friends who tend to know a variety of personal details about me, ranging from superficial to private and trivial to essential. I use autoethnography to ground the study in my lived experience. By doing so, I present intimate accounts of my communication with others across my lifespan to function as background …

What On Earth Are We Doing (?): A Field-Wide Exploration Of Design Courses In Tpc, Jessica L. Griffith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores design related courses within the field of Technical and Professional Communication (TPC) to uncover programmatic trends in undergraduate courses at a field wide level. This applied study uses a mixed methods approach to understand the following questions: what do the range of design courses look like in the field of TPC, how are these courses taught, and what would an effective design course look like? To answer these questions, this study uses a mix of three types of data: (1) institutional data on courses, (2) interviews with faculty and administrators who have taught (or are currently teaching) …

Reviving The Christian Left: A Thematic Analysis Of Progressive Christian Identity In American Politics, Adam Blake Arledge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While Christianity in American politics today is mostly dominated by the voice of the Religious Right, many are unaware that there also exists a significant number of progressive Christians throughout the country. This diverse group, often referred to as the Christian Left, is not as organized or outspoken as conservative Christians and tends to shy away from the restrictive influence of identity labels. However, members all share in common a passion for social justice issues. This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the identity of Christian Left individuals through a thematic analysis of interviews. By interrogating participants’ identity …

Communicating Breast Cancer Awareness: Using The Health Belief Model To Develop Mass Communication Themes To Influence Early Detection Behaviors, Srisai Kamakshi Ramya Harika Pucha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer (BC) is the most fatal cancer in India and has affected more than 1.3 million people in the year 2020 alone, making it a national public health priority. The reason for this alarming increase in BC incidences and mortality rates stems from a severe lack of awareness and the absence of targeted interventions. Considering the absence of a national level breast cancer awareness program, the following study sought to understand Indian women’s preconceived notions about the disease and the available screening methods to contribute to future mass communication campaigns in India. The study used a pre-designed interview guide …

Inflammatory Bowel Disease & Social (In)Visibility: An Interpretive Study Of Food Choice, Self-Blame And Coping In Women Living With Ibd, Jessica N. Lolli

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an interpretive project that uses autoethnography and qualitative interview methods to understand the role Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) plays in women’s quality of life and interpersonal relationships. It focuses on the impacts on patients of dietary changes and how food choice serves to make this ordinarily “invisible” illness visible to others, leading to unwanted exposure. Using Erving Goffman’s stigma theory and its extensions in studies of chronic illness, I demonstrate that IBD is characterized by layers of stigma because it creates situations in which patients are forced to disclose their illness even if they are not ready …

Florida Punks: Punk, Performance, And Community At Gainesville’S Fest, Michael Anthony Mcdowell Ii

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fest is an annual punk rock music festival held in Gainesville, Florida. At Fest, participants engage in aesthetic creation and participation, negotiate identities, participate in political discourse, and forge communities. In this dissertation, I use theories of performance, framing, and culture to understand Fest. To do so, I theorize Fest using three approaches to performance: performance as an object of study, performance as a metaphor for everyday life and identity, and performance as a method of inquiry. Using these three approaches to performance, I understand Fest as performance, as a site that permits and constrains performances of self, identity, and …

Organizing Economies: Narrative Sensemaking And Communciative Resilience During Economic Disruption, Timothy Betts

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation unites organizational communication, and economic theory to understand how individuals make sense of economic crises, imbed power and logic in those understandings, and construct new economic realities in the aftermath of crisis. Contra economic orthodoxy, this project conceives of economy and economics as a social construct. As a social construct, individuals organize economy and economics through discourse, make sense of through narrative, and rebuild through communication. This dissertation combines different theoretical perspectives—actor-network theory, antenarrative organization theory, and the communication theory of resilience—to recenter social scientific accounts of economic reality around communication, story, and power.

Specifically, I focus on …

An Analysis Of International Soccer Fans’ Knowledge Of Qatar, Perceptions Of Qatar’S Country Image, And Intention To Support The 2022 Fifa World Cup, Taleb Al-Adbah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

International sporting competitions have become an essential tool for countries to promote a favorable image of themselves around the world. This study focuses on the FIFA 2022 World Cup, which will be hosted by Qatar - the first Arab country ever to host the event. Since 2010, when Qatar was awarded the FIFA 2022 World Cup, several studies have shown that soccer fans are hesitant to attend matches in Qatar. This study investigates the correlations between soccer fans’ level of knowledge, soccer fans’ perception of Qatar using a 4D model of country image, and soccer fans’ behavioral intention to support …

The Tesla Brake Failure Protestor Scandal: A Case Study Of Situational Crisis Communication Theory On Chinese Media, Jiajun Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to test how Tesla handles a protestor in Tesla’s booth in Shanghai. This thesis evaluated the effectiveness and acceptance of Tesla’s public relations and crisis communication through analyzing domestic Chinese official news articles and consumers’ attitude on China’s most used social media platform, Weibo. The electric vehicle industry is relatively a newer industry than traditional automobile manufacturing industries. Therefore, the immaturity of the industry could bring different types of crises, and traditional vehicle problems could also be the problems of electric vehicles, such as engine failure, brake failure, safety concerns and security threats, and …

The Use Of Social Media By Leaders In Times Of Crisis: 2020–21 United States Election Protests, Cagdas Yuksel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the Facebook posts made by presidential candidates Donald J. Trump and Joe Biden during the crisis that emerged after 2020 presidential election. The purpose of the study is to gain a better understanding of how crisis response is enacted via social media. This study's conceptual basis is the Social Crisis Communication Theory. The crisis, which is the focus of the study, was limited to the post-election process, which started with the allegations of Donald Trump alleged fraud in the election, after the 3 November 2020 US presidential elections, and especially to the process that resulted in the …

The Effect Of Racial And Ethnic Identity Salience On Online Political Expression And Political Participation In The United States, Jonathon Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

How close an individual identifies with their race or ethnicity can affect how individuals behave as political actors. Racial identity can affect how individuals express their political beliefs on social media sites or participate in political activities. However, does political expression on social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter, affect levels of political participation? The purpose of the project is to examine the relationship between racial and ethnic identity, online political expression, and political participation among the three largest racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Specifically, this project aims to answer whether online political expression mediates the relationship between …

Analysis Of Prescription Drug Brand Mentions In Music: Prevalence And Consumer Perceptions, Lisa A. Blake

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Music is not only a lucrative mass reach media (Stassen, 2021) but also a deeply personal tool for self-expression (Hallam, 2019). Music listeners are exposed to a slew of branded messages within music promoting a variety of product types such as apparel, automotive, and alcohol (Craig, Flynn & Holody, 2017). Promotion in music has been proven to be an effective vehicle for building brand awareness when listeners are interested in the music (Delattre & Colovic, 2009, Hoyer & Brown, 1990; Macdonald & Sharp, 2000; Thoma & Williams, 2013). Brands promoted within music enjoy some of the benefits of promotional tactics …

Inaugural Addresses, Framing Theory, And The Impact On American Perceptions Of The Presidency, Kalin Meagan Velez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study uses the inaugural addresses given by both Donald Trump and Joseph Biden as the source texts by which to examine the sentiment portrayed by particular framed messages. Framing theory stands as the central framework in which this study was conducted. The objective was to identify how political speeches like that of the presidential inaugural address frame messages to citizens and inform the audience on what their presidency may look like. This study utilizes a quantitative analysis using LIWC software followed by a qualitative discourse analysis. A thorough examination of the history of inaugural addresses, preceding presidencies, and each …