Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Broadcast News Directors’ Perceptions Of Race: A Survey Of Psychological And Sociological Measures, Amaya Worthem

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

In theory, socially responsible newsrooms should accurately cover and portray all of America’s distinct communities. However, mechanisms to achieve coverage of all communities have often fallen short. Often times, racial minority groups are depicted utilizing stereotypes, controversy, crime, drama, conflict, and deviancy as the greatest selling and focal points. This study attempted to “empirically examine that which is deliberately concealed and distorted,” and to document whether discrimination: 1) exists 2) adversely affects ethnic and racial minorities; and 3) is founded on a set of social relations and practices that sustain it” (Marvasti& McKinney, 2007, p. 68).

Thus, the central thrust …

"The Destruction Of A Legacy" Agenda Setting And The Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Allegations, Larissa TeráN

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Media scandal has been a contributing factor to the American culture for centuries. However, ambiguity and pre-conceived notions arise when the media scandal is framed differently by various mediated outlets. This study investigates media scandal by examining the Bill Cosby sexual assault allegations and how the scandal is framed by the media. This study utilized agenda setting theory to explore the argument that the public will think of the Cosby scandal as highly important due to frequent exposure and how the media presents and frames the stories on this subject could ultimately impact public opinion on issues such as power, …

Engagement And Control: Comparing Participation Structures In The Guardian And Washington Post's Coverage Of People Killed By Police, Dan Michalski

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

People killed by police have become a focus of current political and social discourse related to criminal justice reform in the United States. Two data journalism projects by respected news media have been central to many of these discussions. The Guardian’s The Counted and Washington Post’s Investigation: Police Shootings have each attempted to create a running log of fatalities at the hands of law enforcement. Such an endeavor not only has added to a collective consciousness about the scope and commonality of deadly police encounters, but also has led to legislation toward police accountability reforms, including greater use of cameras …

Gilded Age Visual Media As The Impetus For Social Change: Jacob Riis’S Reform Photography And The Antecedents Of Documentary Film, Denitsa Yotova

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

This study examines the birth and evolution of the social documentary genre in visual media. It suggests that a mixture of ideology, technology, and social awareness are necessary for a successful social reform. It finds that despite the limitations of technology during the nineteenth century, social documentaries were produced long before they were part of the genres of photography and film. By focusing on the work of Danish photographer Jacob Riis and tracing the emergence of film, this study demonstrates a connection between documentary film and Riis’s social documentary photography and public slide exhibitions. The study concludes that in order …

Media Bias Through Facial Expressions On Local Las Vegas Television News, Jessica Zimmerman

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Trust in news media has been considered an important base for social order and cohesion in society and is a crucial variable for evaluating news media. Media credibility has been questioned by the audience for some time and the audience’s trust in the media has been slowly diminishing over the years. When a news broadcaster communicates a story on local television news, it is possible for his own opinions and beliefs to leak through nonverbal communication, specifically facial expressions. This presentation explores the four main local Las Vegas television news stations’ anchors and reporters to visually analyze whether facial characteristics …

The Other September 11th: El Mercurio Media Coverage After The Chilean Coup Of 1973, Valeria A. Gurr‐Ovalle

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

This thesis provides an exploratory overview of the role the El Mercurio newspaper played along with the military after the Chilean coup of 1973. The study reviews the contents of the newspaper’s front pages, including their coverage of the events during the coup. The thesis will show how the paper revisited its coverage each year on the September 11th anniversary, beginning with the years dominated by the military government, from 1973 through 1990, and continuing through the transition to democracy, from 1991 through 2007. The primary method used in the course of this examination is a content analysis, which will …

Ghost Hunting: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The American Media On The Waterboard, William Saas

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

This project looks at popular media hands-on investigations of the waterboard (an interrogation method used in the war on terror, viewed historically as "torture") to discover what I argue are the haunting effects of the second Bush administration's rhetorical war.

Cultural Identity And Ethnic Newspapers In Las Vegas, Paul J. Traudt, Michele A. Ferm

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Research suggests cultural identity is a fluid process characterized by individuals’ unique cultural, ethnic, and racial needs. Media are now known to reinforce ethnic group identity, language, beliefs, and customs. What are these relationships for ethnic groups living in Southern Nevada? Do media provide opportunities for cultural pluralism or for cultural assimilation? First phase results, reported last year, found ethnic radio and television in Las Vegas assimilated into larger, Anglo media business models despite programming that reinforced some aspects of ethnic cultures. This year we present second-phase results, assessing the role played by ethnic newspapers in the region. Analysis is …

How Science Is Visually Portrayed In The Media: An Examination Of Science Times, Rachel Toyer, Larry Mullen

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

This poster will illustrate preliminary findings of how science images are portrayed in the New York Times, specifically, the Science Times section that is published every Tuesday and has grown in readership and popularity. Science images, five issues per year, have been coded over the past 34 years since the Science Times section first appeared in print. Our work follows trends that observe types of images, how many images are present, and whether the image is a photo or graphic of some sort.

Politics & Poverty: Is The New Media Changing The Message? An Analysis Of Framing In New Media News, Jessica Wheeler

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Many media researchers have turned their attention to new media, specifically how the proliferation of blogs has changed the way media inuences the public agenda. Less attention has been paid to how blogs and new media are changing the way news is framed and reported. In a preliminary case study two elements of political news reporting on blogs were explored: 1) Do political blogs focus more on insider information and process news than traditional media’s online news outlets? 2) What implications, if any, does this dierence have on the value of the information in assisting the audience form opinions about …