Communication Commons^™

Environmental Participation And Evaluation On Marshall University's Campus, Noah Adkins Smentkowski

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Encouraging environmental awareness and engagement on Marshall University’s campus is a fundamental goal of the institution’s Sustainability Department. In working with the department, this study sought to describe the student body’s perceptions, opinions, and rates of environmentally friendly behaviors on campus. In addition to describing the desired population, analysis was conducted to identify what factors influence pro-environmental behaviors within students to produce more effective messaging and engagement strategies for the Sustainability Department. Through the lens of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), individual action is produced by behavioral intent, influenced by an individual’s values, norms, and perceived situational control. Measures …

Nineteenth Century American Newspapers And The Criminal Transgressor, James Maxwell Fuller

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examines depictions of the criminal transgressor in two American newspapers, the Hartford Courant and the San Francisco Chronicle, during the 19th century. Case studies are offered of two individual crimes and the subsequent trial proceedings covered extensively by these publications: the triple murder at Bull Run in Windsor Locks, CT, and the murder of newspaper editor Charles de Young in San Francisco, CA. Examination of the narratives utilized by Hartford Courant and San Francisco Chronicle journalists demonstrates the widespread use of depictions of criminal transgressors as possessing an inherent moral corruption. This study facilitates a more nuanced understanding …

The Alt-Right's Use Of President Donald Trump's Twitter Account As A Propaganda Device, Erin Nicole Jorden

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The long campaign to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act situated President Donald J. Trump in a context where attacks on President Barack Obama’s signature legislation symbolized a broader repudiation of his legacy. Even more than mainstream Republican partisans, the altright blogosphere celebrated the demise of the law to symbolically cleanse the nation of Obama’s influence. Trump attempted to honor his pledge to end Obamacare in his first year of office with his support of the American Health Care Act (March 2017), Better Care Reconciliation Act (July 2017), and the Graham-Cassidy Bill (September 2017). Members of the alt-right reframed …

Curriculum Change In Undergraduate Strategic Communications Programs: How Strategic Communications Programs Are Adapting To 21st Century Media, Allyson B. Goodman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The year 2014 has been described by scholars as transformative in how consumers interact with technology and media. Pointing to such digital milestones as the explosion of social media and mobile technology and the decline of traditional television ratings, these scholars have described the evolution as a move from a broadcast era to a postbroadcast era of media. This mass media evolution has opened a digital talent gap between the skills needed by the industry and the abilities of current and potential employees.

Focusing on undergraduate strategic communications programs, this research discusses the current status of new and social media …

Relationship Between Media Use And Cultural Adjustment: A Study On International Students At Marshall University, Haruka Yanagihara

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Due to the development of technology and globalization, the media environment for international students has been dramatically changing. International students who use the Internet now have more access to media produced in both home countries and host countries; they have more options to select media produced in either country compared to students of the past who lived without the Internet. Many scholars presume the media environment directly influences international students’ lives in the host countries, including their level of cultural adjustment. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between media use and cultural adaptation among international students …

Creating A Female Athlete: The Power Of Societal Reimaging And Advertising In The All American Girls Professional Baseball League, Kaitlyn M. Haines

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The All American Girls Professional Baseball League introduced an acceptable form of female sport to the United States during World War II. The All American Girls Professional Baseball League’s feminine image and high standards of the league provided a new quality team sport that the ever popular softball diamonds of industrial recreation had failed to reach. One of the reasons for their success was the attention to detail in the visual representation of the baseball league. Appearing in a time of heightened advertising and branding, a visual representation of the League was created to fit within the societal norms of …

A Study Of The Influence Of Branded Messages On Non-Branded Food Items When Presented To 10 To 14-Year-Old Children, Cassandra J. Chinn

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Children are more likely to create bonds with foods based on the environmental, socioeconomic and familial influences in their lives during early development stages. They gravitate to foods that are familiar to them and that are positioned with familiarity, creating an opportunity for branded food items to create more of a space in their psyche as part of their identity. Current research looks to reposition those energy-dense foods (commodity vegetables) that can often times be left unbranded, to see if immediate interest in the food items changes. Results found no significance to confirm nor deny a positive correlation in interest …

Black Voices, White Power: Members Of The Black Press Make Meaning Of Media Hegemony, Robert Redding Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

When a former black editor says he was told that blacks do not care about news by his white boss and a black deejay is told that his commentary is too hard hitting and not to go to an event featuring a black militant leader by his white boss, these personal accounts could be extrapolated to mean that there may still be a world filled with white privilege and an ensuing hegemonic bifurcation in a Communication Studies context. This study utilizes Afrocentricity and the agency that is denied to these two individuals to provide insight into a world where these …

Trait And Situational Variables Affecting Communication Channel Preferences In College Students, Britt Alan Frye

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

As more and more interpersonal communication is being conducted via mediated communication channels, important theoretical questions about the impact of this shift in the use of communication media are raised. This study began the process of exploring the implications of the shift in channels used in interpersonal communication situations by examining several factors that previous research has linked to important aspects of relationship development and maintenance. Specifically, respondents were surveyed about their preferred channel of communication in four types of interpersonal communication situations that reflect varying levels of interpersonal comfort in association with communication locus of control scale (CLOC) scores. …

The Storm After The Storm: A Comparative Framing Analysis Of Governmental And News Reporting On Hurricane Katrina, Evan T. Zuverink

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Hurricane Katrina is widely regarded as the greatest natural disaster to ever befall the United States. Following the storm’s devastation of the Gulf Coast region, a media firestorm unleashed, seeking to ascribe responsibility to governmental actors for the “failed” response effort. Through a comparative framing analysis, this study sought to investigate how major news outlets, the White House, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency framed the response efforts that followed Hurricane Katrina.

Rights, Principles, And Data Use: An Investigation Of User Knowledge And Opinion Of Facebook's Legal Contract, Nikolas D. Payne

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This project investigated the legal contract to which users must agree before creating a Facebook account. Multi-methodological in nature, this research explored user knowledge and perception of the contract as well as how the contract measures up to the principles which Facebook claims serve as its foundation. For the quantitative portion of this analysis, a survey including measures of knowledge and perception was administered to respondents. The qualitative portion critically compared Facebook’s legal contract to the list of principles espoused by the company on their website. These analyses reveal that users rarely read this contract before agreeing to it, tend …

Containing The Beat: An Analysis Of The Press Coverage Of The Beat Generation During The 1950s, Anna Lou Jessmer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The early Cold War era was a period marked by a fear of Communist subversion and a distrust of the other. It was during this time that the Beat Generation emerged in literature and society as a minority opinion group—failing to conform to mainstream norms and living outside the margins of acceptable American culture. In response to the Beat Generation and their dissenting viewpoints, the media framed the Beats in a mostly negative manner. This negative framing was fueled by a desire to delegitimize the Beats as well as any other dissenting groups that posed a threat to American ideology. …

Conservative Media And Political Socialization: Immigration, Gay Marriage, And Abortion As Presented By Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, And Cnn, Jeff Mckay

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study addresses the political socialization of politically conservative individuals and how political ideologies seem to coalesce among individuals from various socioeconomic backgrounds. The main issue that this study aims to tackle is the impact of conservative media on the political socialization of conservative individuals and how media as an agent of socialization might influence them to support ideas that are not to their benefit economically. For instance, conservative individuals from various backgrounds wholeheartedly support the same free market principles. However, the negative effect that capitalism has had on the liberty of middle and lower class citizens of the United …

Lessons From Libya: A Situational Approach To The Generic Criticism Of President Obama's March 28, 2011 Address To The Nation On Libya, Amy L. Schumacher

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Many scholars have called the utility of the generic method of rhetorical criticism into question. Adopting a situational approach to generic rhetorical criticism increases the value of the method considerably. By analyzing situational constituents (scene, purpose, agent, act, agency, and audience) surrounding a discourse, a critic gains a holistic understanding of that text. When coupled with generic comparisons - whether the critic proceeds inductively or deductively - he or she can then trace the recurrent rhetorical strategies across time and place and, simultaneously, highlight the elements unique to the particular rhetor and discourse. I demonstrate this approach through an analysis …

The Effects Of A Web Presence On Sportscasting Audiences, Adam Cavalier

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this research is to determine how much and what type of Web presence/content effectively draws listeners and viewers to the major sportscasts a station presents. Ad revenue, viewership/listenership and audience fragmentation all are conundrums in today's fluctuating media landscape. Combine those issues with the present economic crisis and the vast majority of media companies must rethink the way they do business. This research seeks to lay groundwork as to what new strategies effectively draw listeners/viewers back to the traditional media of radio and television while expanding upon the relatively new online media offerings. Furthermore, this research is …

Analysis Of Teens' Attitudes Toward Health Claims On Branded, Prepackaged Foods, Michael J. Mcateer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In the 31 years since Stuart Hall added a defiant read to audience reception analysis, several scholars have broadened its use beyond television discourse. The current study used directed focus groups to attempt the same. Encoding/decoding (1980) revolutionized modern critical thought by expanding audience interpretation. Gone were notions that mass audiences simply bowed to their message overlords in every case without thought or conviction. The oppositional read was a breakthrough with few comparisons. Still present and true to standard critical thought, was the preferred read—an interpretation of text that closely followed authorial intent (Hall,1980, p. 107). The negotiated read yielded …

The New Newspaper : Examining The Role Of Design In The Modern Print Edition, Matthew Joseph Haught

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

As the newspaper industry works to modernize because of a rapid move to Web technologies, editors and publishers are seeking ways to reach younger readers with the traditional print edition. This research examines the impact of design through methods of alternative story forms on readership in the target age bracket of 18-25 year olds. The study uses three models of storytelling to examine the impact of design and writing on the interest in the print edition in that age demographic. The study found that the theories of functionalism, when applied to newspaper design and writing, create a product that appeals …

A Comparative Analysis Of The New York Times [U.S.A.] And The Nation Media Group [Kenya] Presidential Opinion Polls Coverage 90 Days Prior To Election Day, David Okoth

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study seeks to find out whether there exists a relationship between the New York Times (U.S.) and the Nation Media Group (Kenya) coverage of presidential opinion poll results 90 days prior to Election Day. One research hypothesis was identified; (_H1) that there is a relationship – of difference – in how the two publications cover presidential opinion poll stories. The study identified 440 presidential opinion poll stories over a 90- day period prior to Election Day. It analyzed election coverage from October-December 2007 for the Nation and August-November 2008 for the Times. The study established that …

Niche Publications: Their Popularity And Profitability At Newspapers In Utah And West Virginia, Hilary Groutage Weible

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Newspapers have turned to niche, or specialty, publications as a way to boost revenue and readership since the popularity of the Internet and the rapidly changing ways of news delivery left many awash in a sea of red ink beginning in the mid 1990s. There is little empirical evidence that these publications benefit the host newspaper. This study is an attempt to add to that bank of knowledge. Editors, publishers and advertising managers in Utah and West Virginia were invited by e-mail to answer a Web-based survey about the popularity of niche publications among their readers and staffs. The study …

Ladies On The Label: A Meta-Analysis Of Stereotypes In Advertising, Valerie L. Spears

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This thesis explores the origins of modern-day racism and sexism by combining a meta-analysis with an in-depth historical examination of the Aunt Jemima and Betty Crocker campaigns. The ten studies used in the meta-analysis were selected and analyzed based on criteria developed from the research question and literature review. The researcher made three major conclusions based on the meta-analysis results: 1) It is not only important that minorities are shown in media images, but how they are shown; 2) stereotypes can sometimes mold viewpoints about the stereotyped member(s) of society; and 3) the consumer psyche provides further evidence that viewing …

Geopolitical Analysis Of Terror In Selected U.S. Countries, Aaron M. Goodman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Throughout the world media reports of airplanes crashing into the Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington D.C made the front page of every paper almost instantly after September 11, 2001. This unprecedented media event led to the generation of certain key questions in the ways in which the media reports on terrorism. This research is concerned with the ways in which the U.S media has responded to the 9- 11 terrorist attacks through time and space. In examining how U.S based media responds to terrorist attacks we can begin to understand if this response is …

Mountaintop Removal: An Assessment Of The Propaganda Model Of The News Media, Tonya Lynn Adkins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research used the method of content analysis to examine how the issue of mountaintop removal mining was presented in four print media sources: the Logan Banner, the Charleston Gazette, the Herald Dispatch, and Graffiti. The propaganda model put forth in Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, by Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky, was used as the model upon which the research was based.

The purpose of the research was to determine whether or not the coal industry exerts a form of censorship over print media sources in West Virginia. It also sought to determine if there …

Black Or White: A Content Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Dealing With Nba Players & Race, Daniel Eric Newman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A content analysis of The New York Times and The Washington Post was conducted to determine if there were differences in the coverage devoted to African-American and Caucasian players in the National Basketball Association from July 1, 1999, through June 30, 2000.

The study examined 96 randomly chosen articles, 48 from each publication, to determine trends with regard to coverage of each race.

While the hypotheses predicted African-American players would receive more negative coverage than their Caucasian counterparts, the results showed that Caucasian players actually receive slightly more negative coverage.

The results also showed The New York Times is more …

A Content Analysis Of Televised Health News Coverage Within The Huntington, West Virginia Designated Market Area, Leigh Suzanne Hall

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Local media should carefully consider whether or not their health information coverage provides current and useful information to people living within their viewing area. Media play an important role in providing Americans with pertinent health information. As Greenberg and Wartenber (1990) suggest, “American people receive two-thirds more cancer prevention information from television than from their physicians.” Therefore, local television media should make a conscious effort to educate themselves about which health diseases and problems most affect people within their viewing area. For example, people living in Appalachia experience health conditions that are not consistent with those experienced in every region …

Radio Advertising Decision-Making In The Tri-State --: Huntington, West Virginia; Ashland, Kentucky; And Ironton, Ohio Radio Market, Terry L. Hapney Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Modern radio came into being November 2, 1920, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The nation’s first federally-licensed radio station, KDKA, broadcast the Harding-Cox election returns:

These words changed our world forever…’This is KDKA of the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We shall now broadcast the election returns…’ (StratiComm America 2).

The first radio announcer, or disc jockey, was ham radio operator Frank Conrad of Westinghouse. In 1919, Conrad played records supplied by a local store in exchange for free plugs on the air, the equivalent of today’s bartering or trading in which stations receive merchandise from a business …

Military Public Affairs Practitioners' And Civilian Journalists' Perceptions Of Army Crisis Communications, Michelle L. Martin

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Public relations is at the heart of an organization's relaying of messages to its internal and external audiences. Communication with key audiences allows the organization to release important information, answer questions, address fears and misconceptions, maintain or change the organization's image, influence public opinion and address crises affecting the organization. The Army, like any large organization, must communicate effectively with its publics - legislators, service members, government representatives, the media, and the general public from which it draws its members.

Experts recommend a four-step process for conducting public relations programs (Hiebert, 174). An organization should first conduct research, both primary …

A Survey To Determine How The Media Affected Operational Security Of The 1st Armored Division In Bosnia, Stanford E. Angion

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to survey the commanders and public affairs officers who were mobilized and deployed to Bosnia in 1995 with the U.S. Army’s 1st Armored Division as part of Operation Joint Endeavor, for their views about how they think the media affected their units’ operational security. Many articles have been written concerning the adversarial relationship between the military and the media, but little scientific research has been published on the effects of the media on military operational security during times of conflict. This study will build on the research previously conducted by Capt. John B. Snyder …