Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Sony Pictures And The U.S. Federal Government: A Case Study Analysis Of The Sony Pictures Entertainment Hack Crisis Using Normal Accidents Theory, Mohamed Ismail

Master's Theses

In this case study, I analyze the 2014 North Korean computer database hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), a serious national security crisis of cyberterrorism. I utilize Normal Accidents theory as a lens, to help explain how the accident within one system (SPE) and later crisis lead to the interaction with a second system (U.S. Federal Government), the development of a new crisis, and the need for a crisis response from system two. The evolution of a single organization’s accident into a national security crisis does not occur without specific complex interactions that take place to connect the two systems …

Mastering The Task And Tending To The Self: A Guide For The Graduate Teaching Associate, Angelina Nicole Burkhart

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Graduate teaching associates (GTAs) maintain a prominent presence in higher education institutions nationwide, warranting our attention to both their instructional effectiveness and well-being. Though they remain an integral part of higher education, the training practices implemented for GTAs often fall short in addressing all of the needs posed by the role GTAs fulfill. The shortcomings in training often stem from an overemphasis of basic teacher preparation skills (such as syllabus creation, lesson planning, and grading) and university/departmental policies, as well as a lack of attention to teaching effectiveness and skills on managing uncertainties and identity concerns in their unique role. …

A Content Analysis Of Beauty Brands’ Use In China Of Sina Weibo To Improve Marketing And Customer Engagement, Mengling Cao

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore how beauty brands use social media to meet customer’s needs and improve customer engagement through social media posts. The development of social media helps brands to extend their marketing areas and gain various benefits. Based on the uses and gratification theory and literature about customer engagement, this study proposes several aspects about posts include posting day, message originality, medium t ype, post content, and all affect customer engagements online. In this study, the researcher content analysis 2,676 posts from the Top 10 beauty brands on Sina Weibo, the biggest micro blogging website …

A Strategic Communication Plan For The Florida Tech Wellness Committee, Anushka Karina Boyd

Theses and Dissertations

With rising healthcare costs, it is critical for corporate wellness to be prevalent in the workplace in order to assist employees and their family members to make healthy lifestyle choices. The materials provided in the following design project serve as a guide for the Florida Institute of Technology Wellness Committee in the form of a strategic communication plan. For the Wellness Committee to succeed and have a more profound presence on campus, missions, goals, and objectives must be set in place. In addition, to efficiently make use of their time, the Office of Human Resources staff members should set tasks …

Attitudes And Perceived Legitimacy Of Police: Crises, Responses, And How Race Influences Perceptions, Brigitte Bonaci

Theses and Dissertations

Public relations is a strategic field because an organization may need to structure a message with the intent of persuading the public and making it respond to a crisis and a message in a certain way. This study will help introduce the concept of a lingering crisis that is hardly present in research and could be put under the public relations umbrella. Using a survey of communications students, this study will compare the public attitudes and perceptions of perceived legitimacy of a police department after it experiences one of three crisis types, one of which being a lingering crisis. Attitudes …

Native Advertising And Disclosure, Katherine Alexis Hunt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper reviews the growing combination of advertising and editorial content in the converged paid media form of native advertisements. Because native advertisements have the potential to negatively impact the credibility of traditional news organizations by misleading consumers through hidden persuasion attempts, this text reviews native advertisements in five prominent online newspapers for disclosure and source credibility.

Through a content analysis of 130 online newspaper native ads, this paper reviews disclosure according to FTC guidelines for native advertising proximity and placement, prominence, reputation, and language. In addition, this text reviews source credibility by attribution and source status: executives, professionals, public …

Animal Welfare Frames: How Social Media Messages Bridge The Gap Between The Protein Industry And Consumers, Olivia Norton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The two articles in this thesis used content analysis to analyze and compare animal welfare related website and Twitter content of the top five animal protein producing companies in the United States. In the first article, the animal welfare website content of Cargill, Tyson Foods Inc., Smithfield, JBS® and Sysco were analyzed for persuasive frames, common topics, and key terminology to describe their corporate positions on animal welfare. Sysco’s main page devoted to animal welfare dominated the word count with 1,045 words, while JBS®’s main animal welfare page used only 265 words to communicate the company’s views. The most commonly …

Newspaper Endorsements Of Candidates: Through The Looking Glass, Caitlin Burkes

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Jawn By Any Other Name: A Sociolinguistic Analysis Of The Philadelphia Dialect, Ryan Wall

HON499 projects

This paper investigates the history of the Philadelphia dialect and analyzes how trends in immigration, migration, and socioeconomic status have affected it. Drawing upon academic and popular sources, the paper examines how the dialect has changed over time and how it might continue to evolve in the future.

Creating Effective Style Documents: A Practicum In Trade Publication, Kristen Tardio

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

It is no secret that the field of publication thrives on collaboration: among publishers, editorial and production team members, designers, marketing and publicity staff, sales representatives and promoters, authors, illustrators, reviewers, and, of course, readers. However, an equally important yet less-explored relationship exists within this industry, between publishing staff and a text itself. As such, despite this crucial connection, the technical means by which the final product is created may also be overlooked.

This practicum examines these technical resources: style guides/sheets (especially for house style), their creation, and their usage in publishing, specifically how they pertain to sales material. Also …

Toward Unity, Acceptance, And Empowerment: Bridging The Chasm Between Women Laity And Clergy In The A.M.E. Church, Rhonda Yvonne Green Harmon

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

A B S T R A C T

Rhonda Green Harmon

B.S., Texas Southern University, 1980

M.Ed. Texas Southern University, 1989

M.Ed. Principal Certification, University of Houston, 2002

M.Div. Houston Graduate School of Theology, 2012

“Toward Unity, Acceptance, and Empowerment:

Bridging the Chasm between Women Laity and Clergy in the A.M.E. Church”

This Doctor of Ministry project/practicum endeavors to initiate and engage dialogue between clergywomen and laywomen in the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church for the purpose of uniting, empowering, and fostering acceptance among all women. It addresses the ways that internalized patriarchy has hindered relationships between women. The main …

Using Green Messages To Cue Recycling Tendencies, Danielle Quichocho

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recycling of common plastics is a practical way to limit the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, and eventually contributes to various forms of pollution. However, statistics indicate that it is not currently a normalized, prioritized behavior. A pilot study indicated that relying only on preexisting frameworks such as the Elaboration Likelihood Model to understand consumer perceptions simply does not encompass the scope of the topic. Consumer experiences with green messages, especially in the current climate of a saturated advertising market are incredibly complex. Understanding these experiences is also currently being impeded by inconsistencies in how researchers in …

A Study Of The Urban Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes) Population In Baton Rouge, Louisiana Using Social Media, Ahsennur Soysal

LSU Master's Theses

Foxes are timid yet resourceful animals that are integrated into many urban environments. Because they are elusive, collecting information about the number of urban foxes, their diet and spatial distribution, their interactions with the ecological community in their urban habitat, as well as residents’ response to them, is difficult. Involving stakeholders to participate in the data collection on wildlife via citizen science on social media is one way to overcome this complication, while simultaneously engaging residents in the ecology happening around them. Therefore, we used social media as the platform to engage the public to document and map the foxes …

Second-Generation Bruja: Transforming Ancestral Shadows Into Spiritual Activism, Lorraine E. Monteagut

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation is to develop and illustrate a spiritually centered narrative method for transforming disorder into agency and action. I use my own position as a second-generation Hispanic female immigrant to show how training in a spiritual practice that mirrors my ancestral traditions helped me productively move through a sense of displacement, illness, and lack of purpose. My research includes travel to Havana, Cuba, and immersion in a five-week shamanic counseling training program in Tampa, Florida, during which I learned how to narrate my experiences as I engaged in shamanic journeying. As I reflect on these …

Full-Time Teleworkers Sensemaking Process For Informal Communication, Sheila A. Gobes-Ryan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizations have traditionally accomplished connectivity among their workers by co-locating them in shared organizational workplaces. However, information and communication technologies (ICTs) are offering alternative ways to accomplish this kind of connection. This change raises important questions about what it is possible to accomplish through such mediated communicative connections, and if there are work activities that are best accomplished face-to-face. Practitioners and researchers have historically identified informal communication as a process essential to organizational success that is difficult or impossible to accomplish outside of shared physical environments. This study documents the ways full-time teleworkers are accomplishing informal communication without being in …

Household Food Waste Prevention In Malaysia: An Issue Processes Model Perspective, Syahirah Abd Razak

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food waste has been a worldwide concern for several decades but this problem is relatively new in the Malaysian context due to the increasing amount of food waste in recent years. Thus, the goal of the study is to provide the basic information of knowledge and involvement level, and their interaction in food waste prevention among households in Malaysia. This study seek to further mass communication research in the area of food waste. The Hallahan’s Issues Processes Model was used within this study in order to determine the relationship between knowledge, involvement, and food waste prevention behavior. The convenience sampling …

Weather Communication On Twitter: Identifying Popular Content And Optimal Warning Format Via Case Studies And A Survey Analysis, Joshua D. Eachus

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The use of Twitter as a channel for weather information inspires a deeper analysis of key information nodes during episodes of high impact weather, especially local meteorologists. To optimize communication on the channel, it is important to understand what kinds of messages produce exposure and attention among users—which translates to knowledge that could improve the reach of a warning. Literature identifies two key models that well describe the cognitive processing of tweets and warnings. The Protective Action Decision Model (PADM) describes risk perception and the factors that enable or disable one from acting on a warning. Particularly through environmental and …

Traversing Privacy Issues On Social Networking Sites Among Kuwaiti Females, Shahad Shihab

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study explores privacy issues on social networking sites among young Kuwaiti females and their behavior when protecting their information. In this study, two of the most prominent social networking sites in Kuwait were selected to investigate Kuwaiti females’ privacy concerns. These platforms are Instagram and Twitter. The research was guided by two questions: What information do Kuwaiti females disclose on Instagram and Twitter? How do Instagram and Twitter differ in managing privacy?

Participants of this research are 15 young Kuwait females studying at Kuwait university in different educational fields. The data collection method used was semi-structured, face-to-face …

Smog Pollution In China: News Framing And Issue-Attention Cycle Per The, Yingying Zhang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

China's smog air pollution has become an increasingly urgent environmental crisis in China. Using framing as theoretical framework, this research examined how much media attention is focused on smog air pollution and how print media frame smog air pollution. An empirical content analysis of 339 articles in the People’s Daily newspaper was conducted from 2000 to 2016, and the results showed that “non-voluntary solutions” and “problem” frames were the two frames that had been most utilized to construct stories about air pollution. Smog air pollution crisis also discussed in terms of Downs issue-attention cycle, a five-stage model explaining the rise …

The Road To The White House: A Correlational Analysis Of Twitter Sentiment And National Polls In The 2016 Election Cycle, Melissa G. Pelletier

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, the author examines the last 131 days of the 2016 election cycle. This analysis focuses on how sentiment is present on Twitter when people engage in political communication on social media. With the increasing online political discussions created on social media such as Twitter, an analysis of sentiment is critical. The data could be obtainable for candidates to estimate the electorate’s opinion of each candidate. A shift of sentiment offers a deeper insight into tracking changing attitudes toward candidates. Because Twitter only allows each tweet to be 140 characters there is a simplicity that offers statements to …

"Sure It's Foreign Music, But It's Not Foreign To Me" Understanding K-Pop's Popularity In The U.S. Using Q Sort, Janice Kim Cho

Theses and Dissertations

Korea has become a strong influencer of global popular culture. With a handful of Korean celebrities entering mainstream U.S. pop music, Hallyu, the Korean Wave, has been growing tremendously in popularity. Following this global trend, American audiences are increasingly tuning into K-pop. The current study uses Q-sort methodology to investigate the motives, opinions, and attitudes of American fans of K-pop, specifically to find what drives people to seek music whose roots lie in an unfamiliar cultural landscape. Study results show that non-Korean K-pop fans in the United States fall into three distinct groups: the human lovers ("Honey honey, how you …

Dialektet, Funksionet Dhe Rastet E Pëdorimit Të Tyre Në Raportim Për Mediat E Reja, Anita Ademi

Theses and Dissertations

Pa dyshim jetojmë në një botë elektronike dhe kemi aq shumë zhvillme nga çdo fushë duke filluare zhvillet politike, ekonomike, kuturore, show bizz, sporti, auto-tech, lifestyle, rajon dhe botë. Secili gazetarë që gjenden në vendngjarje dëshiron të jetë i pari që ta publikoj lajmin, që lajmi i tyre të jetë sa më i shpejt tek lexuesit, nuk janë të tillë që çdo herë kemi qasje në gabime të cilat janë të shumta në mediat e reja ( portale). Mediat e reja në ditët e sotme janë të shumta të cilat çdo ditë po janë më aktive në botën tonë, por …

Media Kosovare Dhe Sfidat E Saj Përballë Korrupsionit, Arlinda Bytyçi

Theses and Dissertations

Tema me titull: “Media Kosovare dhe sfidat e saj përballë korrupsionit” ka një vlerë të rëndësishme për faktin se flitet për një sektor të gazetarisë së ndjeshme, ku rreziqet e raportimit janë evidente gjatë gjithë kohës. Të luftosh korrupsionin, do të thotë të luftosh njerëz me ndikim në pushtet dhe njerëz me ndikim në jetën politike e biznesore. Andaj lufta kundër korrupsionit sjell pasoja e rreziqe të shumta. Nisur nga ky fakt do të fokusohemi më tepër në teknikat që përdorin mediat për ta luftuar korrupsionin.

Ky punim paraqet një përpjekje për t’i ndriçuar dhe analizuar disa nga karakteristikat e …

Pavarësia Editoriale E Lajmeve Në Rtk, Endrita Peqani

Theses and Dissertations

Ndikimi i televizionit në jetën tonë të përditshme është shumë i madh. Përveç ndikimit në rritje, ky punim analizon kulturën dhe sfidat e televizionit në aspektin kulturor të zhvillimit të shoqërisë në Kosovë. Duke pasur parasysh këtë dhe duke u bazuar në disa analiza studimore është kuptuar se televizioni është medium më me ndikim në Kosovë, por ka një tendencë në rritje të ndikimit të televizioni ndaj mediave sociale. Televizioni është mjet më i fuqishëm i komunikimit masiv dhe mjet më i fuqishëm i informimit. Televizioni ka rol shumë të rëndësishëm në edukimin dhe argëtimin e njeriut. Mjet të shprehjes, …

Përparësitë Dhe Mangësitë E Gazetarisë Online, Marigona Kqiku

Theses and Dissertations

Krijimi i portaleve të para informative në vend ka një histori relativisht të shkurtër që shkon disi më shumë se një dekadë.Mediat online, ashtu si i gjithë tregu mediatik ka nevojë për të ardhura financiare për të mbijetuar dhe vazhduar aktivitetin. Por, sa arrijnë këto portale të sigurojnë të ardhura? Cilat janë marrëdhëniet e tyre me reklamuesit, dhe sa ka ndryshuar sjellja e këtyre të fundit në shpërndarjen e buxheteve të reklamës?

Nga ana tjetër këto media të reja kanë krijuar dhe një treg shtesë për gazetarët apo reporterët e rinj, të cilët tashmë përbëjnë një komunitet të rëndësishëm.Ndonëse para …

The Post-Revolutionary Roles Of Fidel Castro: A Semiotic Analysis Of Cuban Political Posters, 1959-1988, Meghan Elizabeth Payne

Theses and Dissertations

This study employs semiotic methods to identify the post-revolutionary roles of former Cuban President Fidel Castro in order to classify the transformations of his character portrayal over time. Informed by Goffman's framing theory as well as suggestions of agenda-setting and priming, this qualitative study analyzes 19 propaganda posters for communications of encoded messages. In this medium, the research explores thematic patterns of sociopolitical and sociocultural signs which add to the richness of Castro's appeal. In addition to providing a unique perspective on interrogating visual images, this study offers a better understanding of the influential power of professional design and the …

Social Media Use And Political Participation In China: The Mediating Role Of Political Efficacy, Bingyang Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the Chinese authoritarian and conservative political system, Chinese political efficacy and political participation are popular directions of research in recent years. Based on uses and gratifications theory and self-efficacy theory, this thesis explored the relationships among social media use, political efficacy, and political participation. The most important part of this study was examining the mediating role of political efficacy between social media use and political participation in mainland China. Internal political efficacy and external political efficacy are two dimensions of political efficacy that were separately examined in this study. The results revealed that internal political efficacy can mediate between …

Framing Genetically-Modified Foods Communication In China: A Content Analysis Of News Coverage Of People’S Daily And Southern Metropolis, Linqi Lu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Grounded in framing theory, this thesis presents a qualitative content analysis of newspaper coverage of genetically modified foods by two Chinese newspapers- People’s Daily and Southern Metropolis, in 2000-2017. The political, economic, public opinion and legal implications involved have made the reports of genetically modified (GM) foods present different framing, themes, and positions between People’s Daily and Southern Metropolis. This study aims to examine the various frames used in the coverage of GM foods in two major Chinese newspapers that operate within different media frameworks.

Results of the content analysis illustrated that significant differences existed in the newspapers in …

A Content Analysis Of The Portrayal Of Refugees In U.S. News Media, Tambi Farouk Issac

Theses and Dissertations

This content analysis examined the portrayal of refugees in the United States by comparing four online news outlets—two conservative outlets: Fox News and Breitbart; and two liberal outlets: CNN and The New Yorker. Fox News and CNN are the most popular outlets among conservatives and liberals, respectively, while Breitbart and The New Yorker are the most polar. The study explored whether the frames used by online U.S. news outlets differ based on the ideological leaning of the outlet, specifically in regards to stories about refugees. Media outlets can influence the public opinion by controlling what they publish and …

Regarding Aid: The Photographic Situation Of Humanitarianism, Sonya De Laat

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Since the invention of photography, the medium has played an increasingly central role in shaping spectators’ imagination of distant suffering and calamitous experiences. The discourse of humanitarianism has evolved alongside photography and has relied on the medium to give it shape. Indeed, humanitarianism is and always has been a photographic situation, which is to say, photography has played and continues to play a significant role in constituting the very terms of humanitarianism, including how it is referenced, conceived, understood, and practiced. This dissertation is concerned with the historical role of photography in shaping the humanitarian imagination, as well as the …