Digital Commons Network^™

Descriptive Analysis Of News Magazines’ Coverage Of John Glenn’S Return To Space, Michael L. Hilt

Communication Faculty Publications

This study examined issues of Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report for articles concerning John Glenn’s return to space and described their content. A review of pertinent literature found that little attention has been paid to how older adults are portrayed in magazine articles. Although comments were made concerning Glenn’s age and his role as a rookie payload specialist on the space shuttle Discovery, there were few comments considered ageist or demeaning to older adults.

Presence And Television., M. Lombard, R. D. Reich, M. E. Grabe, Cheryl C. Bracken

Communication Faculty Publications

Film and a number of emerging entertainment technologies offer media consumers an illusion of nonmediation known as presence. To investigate the possibility that television can evoke presence, 65 undergraduate students were shown brief examples of rapid point-of-view movement from commercially available videotapes on a television with either a small screen (12 inches [30.5 cm], measured diagonally) or a large screen (46 inches [116.8 cm]). Participants' responses were measured via a questionnaire and a computer-based recording of arousal (electrodermal activity). Viewers of both televisions reported an enjoyable sense of physical movement, excitement, involvement, and a sense of participation. Furthermore, as predicted, …

Comparing Views Of Broadcasters And Student Interns About Career Preparation, Michael L. Hilt, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz

Communication Faculty Publications

Broadcast news professionals appear to understand the value of internships as one way to train students for a career in the industry (Davie, Fleisher, & Rochiguez-Gillman, 1999). Internships have become an integral part of many journalism and broadcasting curricula. More than 95 percent of journalism and broadcasting programs report that they offer internships (Becker, 1990; Meeske, l988b). The industry's mandate that even entry-level employees should have experience in the field (Basow & Byrne, 1993· Parcells, 1985) has led colleges and universities to help place students in internships. The programs provide students an opportunity to grow in a professional environment, while …

Planning For Technology-Enhanced Learning On Residential Campuses, Thomas D. Skill

Communication Faculty Publications

While many institutions are feverishly designing and assembling distance-learning courses for delivery of off-site degree programs, even more are wondering how best to create and execute technology plans for their residential campuses. Planning and implementing a sustainable infrastructure requires a widely shared vision that speaks directly to your mission, plenty or money and strong leadership that ranges from student ranks up through your board of trustees.

Graduate Program Assessment Of Student Satisfaction: A Method For Merging University And Department Outcomes, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Michael L. Hilt

Communication Faculty Publications

This article evaluates a communication graduate program based upon the perceptions of alumni satisfaction. The department's assessment plan was utilized to measure their perceived knowledge of theory and research, as well as feelings about career preparation. The results indicate that assessment measures related to content taught may be linked to perceptions about quality, flexibility and facilities in a graduate program. Educational outcomes will continue to be an important issue for communication educators. It is critical that assessment data be collected, interpreted and used to revise curriculum in order to be responsive to needs. By doing this, communication programs will be …

Mass Media And The Death Penalty: Social Construction Of Three Nebraska Executions, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Michael L. Hilt

Communication Faculty Publications

This research analyzes local TV news coverage of three Nebraska executions in the 1990s, the first in the state since 1959. The three Nebraska executions allow us to see mass media coverage of the death penalty from four perspectives: 1) media organization routines, journalistic beliefs, and how source selection affected the content; 2) justice was portrayed through a consonant set of social symbols; 3) the public support for the death penalty in this country may have led journalists to avoid tough questioning of public officials; 4) the resulting coverage was a social construction of reality that might influence future public …

A “Dark Side” Of Communication Avoidance: Indirect Interpersonal Aggressiveness, Michael J, Beatty, Kristin M, Valencic, Jill E. Rudd, Jean A. Dobos

Communication Faculty Publications

Although our understanding of direct forms of verbal aggressiveness has been greatly advanced over the past decade, indirect interpersonal aggressiveness has remained relatively understudied. In the present study, items designed to tap indirect forms of interpersonal aggressiveness were written, administered to participants, factor analyzed along with verbal aggressiveness items, and correlated with a criterion measure. Results produced an internally consistent set of item which: (1) loaded on a separate factor from verbal aggressiveness items, (2) contributed unique variance over that accounted for by verbal aggressiveness in the prediction of psychoticism, a theoretically appropriate criterion variable for validating aggression measures, and …

Revising The Kogan Scale: A Test Of Local Television News Producers' Attitudes Toward Older Adults, Michael L. Hilt, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz

Communication Faculty Publications

The Kogan Attitudes Toward Old People Scale (1961) was revised and used to measure local television news producer attitudes toward elderly people. The importance of local television news in the lives of older people makes the study of producers’ attitudes relevant. A national mail survey of producers found that, whereas there were few older news producers, as a group they had positive attitudes toward older people. The study successfully reduced the Kogan scale from 34 to 22 items without altering the overall response pattern.

Deciding Local Tv News: Perceptions Of Late Evening News Producers, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Michael L. Hilt

Communication Faculty Publications

A substantial number of television news viewers express the concern that local TV news is biased and sensational, often over-dramatizes the news, does not look out for ordinary people, manufactures news stories, and overlooks stories that ought to be reported (Broadcasting & Cable, Sept. 21, 1998, p. 52). Viewer reactions come from local television news content - the product of newsroom employee decisions. In this context, it might be worthwhile to have an understanding of how decisions are made about local news. Research is needed on the role of organizational structure within newsrooms. Station competition leads to market forces that …

Making Managers Account For Diversity, Judith H. Katz, Roger Gans

Communication Faculty Publications

Overwhelmingly, people who work in organizations cite their managers as having the greatest influence both on the quality of their work and the quality of their work-life. Managers also exert tremendous influence over the success or failure of organizational change initiatives. This article suggests that organizational change efforts have greater chances for success when managers are held accountable for practicing and modeling the behaviors required of the change initiative. The article describes a model system of accountability enacted in a composite organization and the effects on employee retention, job satisfaction and customer-service quality.

An Empirical Test Of A Communibiological Model Of Trait Verbal Aggressiveness, Kristin M. Valencic, Michael J. Beatty, Jill E. Rudd, Jean A. Dobos, Alan D. Heisel

Communication Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to test Beatty and McCroskey's communibiological model of trait verbal aggressiveness. In general, this model views trait verbal aggressiveness as an expression of temperament; specifically, that trait verbal aggressiveness represents low thresholds for the fight or flight (FFS) neurobiological system. This model further contends that behavioral inhibition circuitry (BIS) moderates FFS activation by tempering aggressive impulses, otherwise FFS activation would manifest itself in the form of physical rather than verbal attacks. Beatty and McCroskey (1997) propose that low thresholds for stimulating the behavioral activation system (BAS) should be related to trait verbal aggressiveness to …

A Comparison Of Two Omaha Radio Talk Shows: Local Vs. National Issues, Jodeane F. Brownlee, Michael L. Hilt

Communication Faculty Publications

It's 9:06 a.m. in Omaha, Nebraska. A stout, forty-year-old male with sandy blond air sips a cup of coffee. The "on air" microphone turns red signaling the start of a new morning on talk radio. "Good morning you're on news/talk 1110 KFAB." Tom Becka, a three-year veteran of talk radio speaks quickly and loudly. Becka describes his show and re audience as the gang in the kitchen. "By that I mean, if you're at a party the best part of the party is the gang in the kitchen," says Becka. "They're arguing, they're fighting, they're laughing, they're discussing, they're disagreeing. …

What Makes A Good Manager?, Frederick A. Miller, Roger Gans

Communication Faculty Publications

Managers have enormous influence over the work-life experience, productivity and job satisfaction of the people they supervise. While much is often said about the importance of cultural sensitivities, focus group interviews suggest cultural sensitivity is not as important to workers as whether their manager treats them fairly and enables them to do their best work. This article reports on the results of scores of focus-group interviews regarding five things managers do that are most likely to alienate their direct reports and five characteristics people most appreciate—or would like to see—in their managers.

Interactive Effects Of Parents’ Trait Verbal Aggressiveness And Situational Frustration On Parents’ Self‐Reported Anger, Jill E. Rudd, Sally Vogl-Bauer, Jean A. Dobos, Michael J. Beatty, Kristin M. Valencic

Communication Faculty Publications

Examines the relationship between anger experienced by parents' trait verbal aggressiveness and the frustrations, caused by the interaction with children. What was cited as an ordinary interaction between parents' trait verbal aggressiveness and situational frustration; Process in which the examination was conducted; Exploration of a measure of trait verbal aggressiveness to parents; Discussion based on the results.

Local Tv News And The Death Penalty: Social Construction Of A Nebraska Execution, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Michael L. Hilt

Communication Faculty Publications

This paper focused on the September 2, 1994 execution of Harold Lamont "Walkin' Willie" Otey. Coverage of the execution by the four Omaha, Nebraska television stations was examined. The Otey execution is seen from a social construction of reality perspective. The television portrayal of a confrontation on the night of the execution between supporters and Opponents of capital punishment is seen as a mediated view of what happened that night. The public image of the death penalty as appropriate justice is seen as influenced by media coverage.

Trait Verbal Aggressiveness And The Appropriateness And Effectiveness Of Fathers' Interaction Plans Ii: Fathers' Self-Assessments, Jill E. Rudd, Michael J. Beatty, Sally Vogl-Bauer, Jean A. Dobos

Communication Faculty Publications

Examines the relationship between fathers' verbal aggressiveness and their perceptions of the appropriateness and effectiveness of selected methods for interacting with children, mainly sons. Examination of literature on the issue; Details on hypotheses which have been developed.

Book Review: The Invisible Medium, Michael L. Hilt

Communication Faculty Publications

Peter M. Lewis and Jerry Booth. The Invisible Medium. Washington, DC: Howard University Press, 1990.

The critical theme presented by the authors of this book is that radio has become an "invisible medium." They blame this condition on its subordination to television in public policy debate, and because of the infrequent attention it receives through critical and scholarly studies. They examine the two predominant models of radio—public service and commercial—and survey alternative radio practice in both Western and Third World countries. Throughout the book, they stress the underestimated potential of radio as a contemporary mass communication instrument and contend …

Communication Effects On Divorce Mediation: How Participants' Argumentativeness, Verbal Aggression, And Compliance-Gaining Strategy Choice Mediate Outcome Satisfaction, Jill E. Rudd

Communication Faculty Publications

Presents a study which examined the interrelatedness of compliance-gaining strategies, argumentativeness, verbal aggressiveness and satisfaction with divorce mediation. Process in which divorcing spouses negotiate some or all of the terms of their settlement agreement with the aid of a neutral and trained third party; Types of compliance-gaining strategies; Trait which predisposes the individual in communicative situations to advocate positions on controversial issues and to attack verbally the positions which other people take on the issues.

Broadcast News And Elderly People: Attitudes Of Local Television Managers, Michael L. Hilt, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz

Communication Faculty Publications

The Kogan Attitudes Toward Old People Scale was used to measure local television manager attitudes toward elderly people. Census projections have shown that the elderly population will increase dramatically in the next century. The importance of local television news in the lives of the elderly makes the study of two groups of television managers - general managers and news directors 0 found that younger news directors have a more positive attitude toward older people, while the older general managers had a less positive attitude.

A Study Of Tv Personnel's Sources Of Occupational Stress And Interest In Worksite Stress Management Techniques, Kathleen A. Vampola, Michael L. Hilt

Communication Faculty Publications

The television industry's criticism of college faculty in the past has centered on the training and education of students for a career in the broadcast field (Roper, 1987). Professionals assert that more training is needed within a broadcast curriculum. Faculty maintain that the industry does not understand what a college education should accomplish . Beyond the questions concerning the skill levels of graduates, however, are issues that surface with any job in any profession. One area rarely discussed in either the classroom or the newsroom is occupational stress.

Broadcast Newsroom Hiring And Career Preparation, Michael L. Hilt, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz

Communication Faculty Publications

Internships have become an integral part of many journalism and broadcasting curricula. More than 95 percent of journalism and broadcasting programs report that internships are a part of their curricula (Becker. 1990; Meeske. 1988b). The industry's mandate that even entry-level employees should have experience in the field (Basow & Byrne. 1993; Parcells. 1985) has led colleges and universities to help place students in internships. The programs offer students an opportunity to grow in the professional environment, while supplementing what has been learned in the classroom.

The Influence Of The United States Court Of Appeals For The District Of Columbia Circuit On Broadcast Indecency Policy, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz

Communication Faculty Publications

The "politics" of broadcast regulation -namely, the influence of various political players -can be clearly seen in the case of broadcast indecency policy. While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission), Congress, the White House, the United States Supreme Court, citizens groups and industry lobbyists have played a part in the unfolding drama, this article asserts that the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) has played the most important role in the evolution of broadcast indecency policy. The purpose of this article, then, is to explore the rulings of the D.C. Circuit …

A Study Of Women's Compliance-Gaining Behaviors In Violent And Non-Violent Relationships, Jill E. Rudd, Patricia A. Burant

Communication Faculty Publications

Recent research by communication scholars has investigated the dynamics of abusive spousal relationships (Chandler, 1986; Infante, Chandler, & Rudd, 1989; Infante, Chandler-Sabourin, Rudd, & Shannon, 1990; Rancer & Niemasz, 1988; Rudd, Burant, & Beatty, 1994; Sabourin, Infante, & Rudd, 1993). Infante and his colleagues have suggested that those involved in violent relationships communicate differently with their partners than those involved in nonviolent relationships. Based on this prior research, it seems important for communication scholars to further investigate the communication behaviors of individuals involved in violent relationships. This current study seeks to advance the family violence research by comparing the types …

Fathers' Trait Verbal Aggressiveness And Argumentativeness As Predictors Of Adult Sons' Perceptions Of Fathers' Sarcasm, Criticism, And Verbal Aggressiveness, Michael J. Beatty, James R. Zelley, Jean A. Dobos, Jill E. Rudd

Communication Faculty Publications

This research used Infante's (1987) conceptualization of trait verbal aggressiveness and argumentativeness to analyze adult males’ perceptions of their fathers’ messages. In the present study, fathers’ self‐reports of verbal aggressiveness and argumentativeness were used to predict their adult sons’ reports of fathers’ sarcasm, criticism, and global verbal aggressiveness. Results of multivariate regression analyses indicated that (1) fathers’ argumentativeness accounted for a significant percentage of variance in the dependent variable set but did not contribute significantly to the univariate equations and (2) fathers’ verbal aggressiveness explained a significant percentage of the multivariance and contributed significantly to each univariate equation. Overall, the …

Broadcast Manager Concern About Newsroom Career Preparation, Michael L. Hilt, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz

Communication Faculty Publications

There is a continuing need to better understand the needs and wants of broadcast general managers and news directors when they hire newsroom employees (Basow & Byrne, 1993; Parcells, 1985). In the Winter 1993 issue of Feedback, a two-state survey found that "higher percentages of broadcast general managers saw dedication of newsroom employees as very important, while higher percentages of news directors responded that writing skills and news judgment were very important" (Hilt & Lipschultz, p. 18).

Epidemiology Of Gambling And Depression In A Random Adult Sample, James A. Thorson, F. C. Powell, Michael L. Hilt

Communication Faculty Publications

Presents a study of the relationship between gambling and depression in a sample of adults in the United States. Absence of relationship.

Battered Women's Compliance-Gaining Strategies As A Function Of Argumentativeness And Verbal Aggression, Jill E. Rudd, Patricia A. Burant, Michael J. Beatty

Communication Faculty Publications

This study investigated (1) the type of compliance-gaining strategies that battered women reported using in domestic conflicts and (2) whether these strategies related to the battered women's verbal aggression and argumentativeness. Participants in this study were 115 abused women who were seeking refuge from abusive spouses in temporary shelters for battered women. The results suggest that battered women most frequently reported using indirect strategies. Aversive Stimulation (i.e., pouting sulking, crying) and ingratiation (i.e., manipulation in the form of affection or favor-doing) were the top two strategies reported. Furthermore, a canonical correlation analysis resulted in an overall significant relationship between compliance-gaining …

Business As Usual: Ethics As Mundane Behavior, And The Case Of Target Corporation, Jon A. Hess

Communication Faculty Publications

Ethics are in vogue in the 1990s America. Concerns for ethical behavior pervade almost every aspect of our lives and work. This trend has not been unnoticed by the American business community. In fact, many businesses have taken current ethical concerns and tried to put them into action. In some cases, the action has been out of necessity or self-interest, as in the case of companies hurt by an unethical reputation or companies forced to implement ethics programs because of legal indictments. But some companies are taking a proactive stance toward ethics without external pressure.

As these businesses strive to …

Broadcast Managers And The Tolerance For Sexual Harassment Inventory, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Michael L. Hilt

Communication Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to explore attitudes toward sexual harassment by broadcast general managers and news directors. This study asked broadcast general managers and news directors to respond to the Tolerance for Sexual Harassment Inventory (TSHJ; Lon, Reilly, & Howard, 1982) to determine if there were any differences between the two occupation gr014ps. The index score was used as a dependent variable in a multiple regression equation. Four of nine independent variables (view of women's role in society, role of government, physical appearance, and government support) were retained in a stepwise regression procedure. That accounted for 24 percent …

First Amendment Vs. Business Orientations Of Broadcast General Managers And News Directors, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Michael L. Hilt

Communication Faculty Publications

A two-state survey found that general managers and news directors prefer their own judgments, and those of audience members, to government regulation. General managers support the First Amendment when it is good for business, while news directors show some support for business freedoms.