Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Communicating Environmental Risks: Local Newspaper Coverage Of Shellfish Bacterial Contamination In Maine, Brianne Suldovsky, Eva Arbor, Victoria Skillin, Laura Lindenfeld

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Coastal resources play a vital role in Maine’s cultural and economic wellbeing, contributing an estimated 168 billion dollars to the Maine economy. There are numerous risks to the sustainability of Maine’s shellfishing industry and working waterfront, including pathogenic bacterial pollution. In this study, we ask a broad fundamental question central to science and environmental journalism: how do newspapers cover localized environmental risks and what are the implications of those approaches? Utilizing the northeastern US state of Maine’s shellfishing industry as an exemplar environmental issue, this study examines how Maine’s two most read newspapers, the Bangor Daily News and the Portland …

Impact Of The Childhood Vaccine Discussion Format Over Time On Immunization Status, Douglas J. Opel, Chuan Zhou, Jeffrey D. Robinson, Nora Henrikson, Katherine Lepere, Rita Mangione-Smith, James A. Taylor

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: Presumptive formats to initiate childhood vaccine discussions (e.g. “Well we have to do some shots.”) have been associated with increased vaccine acceptance after one visit compared to participatory formats (e.g. “How do you feel about vaccines?”). We characterize discussion format patterns over time and the impact of their repeated use on vaccine acceptance.

Methods: We conducted a longitudinal prospective cohort study of children of vaccine-hesitant parents enrolled in a Seattle-based integrated health system. After the child’s 2, 4, and 6 month visits, parents reported the format their child’s provider used to begin the vaccine discussion (presumptive, participatory, or …

Exploring The Policy Value Of Cable Franchise And Peg Fees, Duncan Stewart, Lee Shaker

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Subscribers to cable television typically pay Franchise and Public–Educational– Governmental (PEG) Fees. Ostensibly, these monthly fees exist to compensate communities for the private use of public goods and to bolster the marketplace of ideas. Little empirical research, however, assesses the utility of these fees as policy mechanisms. In this article, we track the existence and dispensation of the fees in the 20 largest American cities by examining their recent annual budgets. This provides a foundation to consider the fees’ contributions in the context of ongoing legal challenges to their existence and the increase of digital television services beyond their purview.

Morals In The United States Of America: Are They In Their Death Throes?, John A. Cook

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article explores the ethics of large complex systems in the United States of America in three major case studies: the food industry, the pharmaceutical industry and the political/governmental institutions. Using the simple Aristotelian heuristic of good sense, good character and good will, the conclusion is that ethics is not a high priority due in large part to the relentless pursuit of large sums of money at any cost.

Gender, Parasocial Interaction, And Nonverbal Communication: Testing The Visual Effect Of Sports Magazine Cover Models, Ben Wasike

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

An experiment examined gender, parasocial interaction, and nonverbal communication regarding sports magazine cover models. Results indicate that a correlation exists among parasocial interaction, nonverbal communication, and gender, with female cover models eliciting larger effects on test subjects. However, gender did not correlate with parasocial interaction or nonverbal communication among the test subjects, contradicting extant literature. Also, the parasocial interaction and nonverbal communication measurement scales positively correlated. In conclusion, static images are reliable experimental stimuli for parasocial interaction studies and nonverbal measurement scales, and sports magazines are better served by featuring more women.

Traditional And Emerging Ethical Concerns In Advertising, Jennifer Lemanski

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ethical issues surrounding advertising have been well-discussed. However, over time and alongside societal and media changes, different questions have moved to the forefront in the discussion on advertising ethics. This paper presents an overview of traditional ethical issues of importance in the United States, and analyzes the changes that have come about as a result of newer, more interactive media for ad placements. Although many of the traditional ethical dilemmas remain, the more personalized and interactive nature of new media and an expanded landscape for advertisers to stake their claims have introduced new issues that were previously not of concern, …