Digital Commons Network^™

Communo Magazine, Spring 2023, School Of Communication

CommUNO Magazine

CommUNO magazine was produced by MaverickPR, the School of Communication's student-run public relations firm. UNO School of Communication: 6001 Dodge Street, ASH 140, Omaha, NE 68182: Phone: 402.554.2600. Fax: 402.554.3836. For more information, follow us on Twitter@ CommUNO, join the “UNO School of Communication” page on Facebook or visit communication.unomaha.edu.

Communo Magazine, Spring 2022, School Of Communication

CommUNO Magazine

CommUNO magazine was produced by Magazine Editing, Design and Production students and is currently published annually by the UNO School of Communication: 6001 Dodge Street, ASH 140, Omaha, NE 68182: Phone: 402.554.2600. Fax: 402.554.3836. For more information, follow us on Twitter@ CommUNO, join the “UNO School of Communication” page on Facebook or visit communication.unomaha.edu.

Effect Of The Sars-Cov-2 Pandemic On Assistive And Interactive Technology Use: In- Person Versus Distanced Communication, Alexandra Swanson

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

COVID-19 risk-reduction efforts have protected high-risk individuals but have significantly altered life; persons now face reduced socialization. Advancing technologies (e.g., video-chat) may be useful in alleviating consequences of these efforts, potentially mitigating loneliness, and isolation by improving access to alternative communication. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between communicative technology use and individual characteristics, as technology use may contribute to well-being among adults during COVID-19 and future isolating events. This is especially relevant to older populations. Participants (N=645) aged 19+ completed a questionnaire via Amazon Mechanical Turk; demographic, socialization, and technology-use data were collected. Data were …

Communo Magazine, Spring 2021, School Of Communication

CommUNO Magazine

CommUNO magazine was produced by Magazine Editing, Design and Production students and is currently published annually by the UNO School of Communication: 6001 Dodge Street, ASH 140, Omaha, NE 68182: Phone: 402.554.2600. Fax: 402.554.3836. For more information, follow us on Twitter@ CommUNO, join the “UNO School of Communication” page on Facebook or visit communication.unomaha.edu.

“Go Hard, Go Early”: Preliminary Lessons From New Zealand’S Response To Covid-19, Thomas Jamieson

Public Administration Faculty Publications

Although the full impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is yet to be realized, New Zealand has suffered comparatively less than other countries, and there were no active cases in the country by June 8, 2020. Building from best practices in emergency management research, several preliminary lessons emerge from the country’s response to the crisis that could be adapted for other settings. In particular, the government acted early and decisively, developed national unity to combat the virus, communicated effectively with the public, and adapted to changing circumstances, especially to address shortcomings in the response. These preliminary lessons provide some …

Communo Magazine, Spring 2020, School Of Communication

CommUNO Magazine

CommUNO magazine was produced by Magazine Editing, Design and Production students and is currently published annually by the UNO School of Communication: 6001 Dodge Street, ASH 140, Omaha, NE 68182: Phone: 402.554.2600. Fax: 402.554.3836. For more information, follow us on Twitter@ CommUNO, join the “UNO School of Communication” page on Facebook or visit communication.unomaha.edu.

Incorporating Research Design In Public Diplomacy: The Role Of Listening To Foreign Publics, Juve J. Cortés, Thomas Jamieson

Public Administration Faculty Publications

Research design involves a set of decisions regarding what or who will be studied and the procedures in acquiring and analyzing information. In this article, we apply lessons from research design to public diplomacy, a field focused on engaging with foreign publics. Much prior scholarship sheds light on what PD is and its programs, but less attention has been given to the role of listening to understand what foreign publics think and believe. We propose three interrelated recommendations to improve the quality of implementing PD programs. First, before any program is implemented, we need to correctly identify a perceived issue …

Communo Magazine, Spring 2019, School Of Communication

CommUNO Magazine

CommUNO magazine is produced by Capstone Communication and published annually by the UNO School of Communication: 6001 Dodge Street, ASH 140, Omaha, NE 68182: Phone: 402.554.2600. Fax: 402.554.3836. For more information, follow us on Twitter@ CommUNO, join the “UNO School of Communication” page on Facebook or visit communication.unomaha.edu.

Communo Magazine, Spring 2018, School Of Communication

CommUNO Magazine

CommUNO magazine is produced by Capstone Communication and published annually by the UNO School of Communication: 6001 Dodge Street, ASH 140, Omaha, NE 68182: Phone: 402.554.2600. Fax: 402.554.3836. For more information, follow us on Twitter@ CommUNO, join the “UNO School of Communication” page on Facebook or visit communication.unomaha.edu.

Communo Magazine, Spring 2017, School Of Communication

CommUNO Magazine

CommUNO magazine is produced by Capstone Communication and published annually by the UNO School of Communication: 6001 Dodge Street, ASH 140, Omaha, NE 68182: Phone: 402.554.2600. Fax: 402.554.3836. For more information, follow us on Twitter@ CommUNO, join the “UNO School of Communication” page on Facebook or visit communication.unomaha.edu.

Communo Magazine, Spring 2016, School Of Communication

CommUNO Magazine

CommUNO magazine is produced by Capstone Communication and published annually by the UNO School of Communication: 6001 Dodge Street, ASH 140, Omaha, NE 68182: Phone: 402.554.2600. Fax: 402.554.3836. For more information, follow us on Twitter@ CommUNO, join the “UNO School of Communication” page on Facebook or visit communication.unomaha.edu.

Boomers Vs. Gen Y—The New Communication Gap, Sara Bennett

White Papers

A key issue between Baby Boomer managers and Generation Y employees is a difference of opinion on how often feedback regarding performance should be administered and the mode of feedback that is appropriate. Effective communication is essential for performance and productivity.

Communo Magazine, Spring 2014, School Of Communication

CommUNO Magazine

CommUNO magazine was produced by MaverickPR and is currently published annually by the UNO School of Communication: 6001 Dodge Street, ASH 140, Omaha, NE 68182: Phone: 402.554.2600. Fax: 402.554.3836. For more information, follow us on Twitter@ CommUNO, join the “UNO School of Communication” page on Facebook or visit communication.unomaha.edu.

Linking Pre-Meeting Communication To Meeting Effectiveness, Joseph A. Allen, Nale Lehmann-Willenbrock, Nicole Landowski

Psychology Faculty Publications

Purpose – This study investigates the importance of communication that occurs just before workplace meetings (i.e., pre-meeting talk). We explore how four specific types of pre-meeting talk (small talk, work talk, meeting preparatory talk, and shop talk) impact participants' experiences of meeting effectiveness. Moreover, we investigate the role of participants’ personality in the link between pre-meeting talk and perceived meeting effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained using an online survey of working adults (N = 252). Because pre-meeting talk has not been studied previously, a new survey measure of meeting talk was developed.

Findings – Pre-meeting small talk was a …

Observing Culture: Differences In U.S.-American And German Team Meeting Behaviors, Nale Lehmann-Willenbrock, Joseph A. Allen, Annika L. Meinecke

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although previous research has theorized about team interaction differences between the German and U.S. cultures, actual behavioral observations of such differences are sparse. This study explores team meetings as a context for examining intercultural differences. We analyzed a total of 5,188 meeting behaviors in German and U.S. student teams. All teams discussed the same task to consensus. Results from behavioral process analyses showed that German teams focused significantly more on problem analysis, whereas U.S. teams focused more on solution production. Moreover, U.S. teams showed significantly more positive socioemotional meeting behavior than German teams. Finally, German teams showed significantly more counteractive …

Enacting Privacy Rules And Protecting Disclosure Recipients: Parents’ Communication With Children Following The Death Of A Family Member, Paige W. Toller, M. Chad Mcbride

Communication Faculty Publications

Given the probability that the death of a family member will occur before a child has reached adulthood, the purpose of this project was to understand what motivates parents to either talk or not talk about a loved one's death with their children. Using Communication Privacy Management to inductively analyze interviews, we found parents were motivated to talk to their children about death because they wanted their children to be informed. This is reflected in the first primary theme, Recalibrating Family of Origin Privacy Orientation Rules: Motivations for Revealing. Two secondary themes further explained parents' motivations to reveal: death as …

Millennials And The Adoption Of New Technologies In Libraries Through The Diffusion Of Innovations Process, Heidi Blackburn

Criss Library Faculty Publications

Purpose – Literature on the features of new technology in libraries of every type and size is readily available, but looking at the factors playing a part in the process (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability) will bring an understanding of how Millennials integrate technology into libraries. This paper seeks to discuss some of the issues involved.

Design/methodology/approach – This research focuses on Millennials and their adoption of new technologies in libraries through the process of diffusion and the stages of adoption as outlined by Everett Rogers: communication through certain channels; over time; and among members of a social …

Negotiation Of Face Between Bereaved Parents And Their Social Networks, M. Chad Mcbride, Paige W. Toller

Communication Faculty Publications

For many bereaved parents, talking about their child's death and their grief experiences is a way to cope with grief. Unfortunately, communicating with others often proves difficult for parents and their social networks, often because of face threats. The purpose of the present study is to identify how the face needs of parents and their social network is communicatively negotiated. Fifty-three bereaved parents were interviewed and the data analyzed, resulting in a theme of protection. The findings highlight ways in which both the parents' and others' positive and negative faces were co-managed. These findings highlight the complex nature of facework …

Bereaved Parents' Experiences Of Supportive And Unsupportive Communication, Paige W. Toller

Communication Faculty Publications

This study examines bereaved parents' experiences of supportive and unsupportive communication using the optimal matching model of stress and social support (Cutrona & Russell, 1990). Analysis of the interviews revealed that parents described action-facilitating support as supportive, although information-giving was experienced as unsupportive. Regarding nurturant support, bereaved parents felt emotionally supported when family and friends were willing to talk about their deceased child. Parents also described network support as helping them cope with their grief. The results of this study indicate that listening, being present, and honoring the ongoing connection parents have with their deceased child are key ways …

Faculty And Student Expectations And Perceptions Of E-Mail Communication In A Campus And Distance Doctor Of Pharmacy Program, Pamela A. Foral, Paul D. Turner, Michael S. Monaghan, Ryan W. Walters, Jennifer J. Merkel, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Thomas J. Lenz

Communication Faculty Publications

Objective. To examine faculty members’ and students’ expectations and perceptions of e-mail communication in a dual pathway pharmacy program. Methods. Three parallel survey instruments were administered to campus students, distance students, and faculty members, respectively. Focus groups with students and faculty were conducted. Results. Faculty members perceived themselves as more accessible and approachable by e-mail than either group of students did. Campus students expected a shorter faculty response time to e-mail and for faculty members to be more available than did distance students. Conclusion. E-mail is an effective means of computer-mediated communication between faculty members and students and can be …

Using Communication To Cope With Loss, Paige W. Toller

Communication Faculty Publications

The death of a child is a devastating and life changing event. A child's death leaves parents struggling to somehow pick up the pieces of their shattered life and continue living. In the aftermath of their loss, parents are often surprised and disappointed to discover how difficult it is to talk to one another about their child's death. Likewise, parents may be frustrated to learn that they grieve very differently from their spouse. In many cases, one parent wants to talk a great deal about the child's death while the other does not. In addition, one parent may be more …

Wikifying Your Workplace, Audrey Defrank, Karen K. Hein

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

A presentation on adding an organizational wiki to your workplace drawing upon gardening analogies. What's a Wiki?; Wiki your Work; Sowing the Seeds; Why Wiki?; Your Monitor?; Your Inbox?; Your Shared Drive?; Your Intranet?; Your People?; Choosing a Wiki; Planting; Growing; Weeding; Future Harvests; Criss Library Wiki; Criss Library Wiki Stats; New Crops and Cultivation for Criss Library; Keep Tilling!

Putting Together The Pieces At Your Library: Your Library Is More Than The Sum Of Its Departments, Angela J. Kroeger

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

No abstract provided.

Centered But Not Caught In The Middle: Stepchildren's Perceptions Of Dialectical Contradictions In The Communication Of Co-Parents, Dawn O. Braithwaite, Paige W. Toller, Karen L. Daas, Wesley Durham, Adam C. Jones

Communication Faculty Publications

The researchers adopted a dialectical perspective to study how stepchildren experience and communicatively manage the perception of feeling caught in the middle between their parents who are living in different households. The metaphor of being caught in the middle is powerful for stepchildren and this metaphor animated their discourse. A central contribution of the present study was to understand the alternative to being caught in the middle and what this alternative means to stepchildren. Reflected in the discourse of stepchildren is that to feel not caught in the middle is to feel centered in the family. Stepchildren's desire to be …

Bereaved Parents' Negotiation Of Identity Following The Death Of A Child, Paige W. Toller

Communication Faculty Publications

This study examines changes in bereaved parents’ identities following the death of a child. The bereaved parents in this study experienced two dialectical contradictions of identity, which are: (a) a parent without a child to parent and (b) I’m an outsider- I’m an insider. Results describe how parents used communication to negotiate these contradictions of identity. Implications for the study of parental bereavement, communication, and identity are discussed.

Rural Superintendents: How Do Wyoming Rural Superintendents View And Respond To The Challenges Brought About By External Demands On Their Schools?, Jeanne L. Surface

Faculty Books and Monographs

Very little is known about how superintendents respond to and view the challenges brought about by increasing external performance demands on their schools. This important study uses a multi-case study format to create portraits of five rural superintendents, the challenges they face, and their responses to those challenges. The participant perceptions were organized into five themes: declining enrollment, isolation, board and community relations, celebrated accomplishments, and rural schools in contrast with urban or suburban schools. The superintendents were most proud of changes they had made to improve instruction in their districts. They spoke of challenges with bringing professional development to …

Will The Twenty-Five Of You Accept This Rose? Assessing Gender Portrayals On Abc's The Bachelor., Glaucia Pereira Steckelberg

Student Work

Cultivation theory suggests that television viewing influences beliefs and opinions about the real world. Also, framing theory suggests that the way we see an issue may be directly related to how media portray it. The recent pervasiveness of reality-television dating shows in prime time provides a sea of opportunities for gender communication research. The purpose here was to explore women's representations in a courtship context as depicted in ABC's The Bachelor to determine the presence of female stereotypes (RQl). Three groups of eliminated women were also compared to determine differences among them in terms of appearance and behavior (RQ2). In …

Framing The Second War In Iraq: An Analysis Of Abc, Cbs And Nbc News And News Interview Show Coverage, Rebecca M. Graham

Student Work

Terrorist events that occurred in the United States on September 11 , 2001 put the U.S. on the offensive in dealing with terrorist activity. The U.S. entered into war with Afghanistan and Iraq and journalists were at the forefront of these events reporting from the front lines. This thesis applies the theories of agenda-setting, framing, and priming in answering questions related to media coverage of events surrounding the war in Iraq. News coverage from three U.S. networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) was examined to determine the role that media played in the war in Iraq. Mass media are powerful tools …

All Sports, All The Time: Sports Talk Radio And Its Uses By Listeners., Andrew W. Peacock

Student Work

Over the past few decades, sports talk radio has become an increasingly popular communication vehicle for delivering and consuming sports news. However, there is limited research to indicate how sports fans interact and connect through sports talk radio. Further, do sports fans incorporate the topics they hear on sports talk radio into their daily sports conversations with friends and other sports fans? How are sports fans using the information they hear on sports talk radio shows? How do fans use sports information in building and maintaining relationships? The goal of this study is to examine the role of sports talk …

The Role Of Culture, Ethics And Credibility In The Misuse Of Anonymous Sources: Jayson Blair And The New York Times Scandal, Elizabeth Cajka

Student Work

In May 2003, The New York Times announced that a young star reporter, Jayson Blair, had made up sources and interviews and has stolen information from other reporters’ work. On May 11, the Times used four full pages to report on Blair’s mistakes and lies, printing corrections in hopes of restoring his credibility (Barry, Barstow, Glater, Liptak, & Strinberg, 2003). The scandal also led to the resignations of executive editor Howell Rains and managing editor Gerald Boyd. This was one among a series of such cases in the history of American journalism.