Communication Technology and New Media Commons^™

Residential Broadband Access For Students At Walters State Community College., Mark A. Hurst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the availability of internet access for students attending Walters State Community College during the spring semester 2010. In particular, it is unknown to what degree broadband internet access is available in the counties that Walters State considers the service area of the college.

The research was conducted during the spring semester 2010 including the months February, March, and April of 2010. Data were gathered by surveying currently enrolled students of the college. Twelve percent of the population responded to the study. The survey instrument covered the areas of demographics, Internet connection type …

The Write Moves: An Autoethnographic Examination Of The Media Industry, Danielle Gomes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis examines the current media environment through the use of adaptation theory, political economy theory, and media ecology theory. More specifically, this thesis is an autoethnography of this author‟s attempts to release content into the mass-media.

This thesis expects to find that in the current conglomerate controlled media environment content that has multi-media potential is preferred. Vertical integration is the standard in these massive media corporations. Consequently, the adaptation of content into multiple media is no longer an afterthought to creation, it is forethought.

The Experiences Of Mississippi Weekly Newspaper Editors As They Explore And Consider Producing Internet Editions, Cassandra Denise Johnson

Dissertations

This dissertation focused on the challenges Mississippi weekly newspaper editors faced when deciding to have an online edition and the issues these editors encountered when they adopted a Web newspaper. The study expounded on four areas—the operational changes weekly newspapers have had to make to produce Web editions, the different type of newsroom staff that are needed to create both editions, the content that is going in the online edition, and the financial pressures that editors work through to keep the newspapers profitable. The study was modeled after similar studies from three organizations—the Pew Research Center, the Bivings Group, and …

Citizen Journalism And Hyperlocal Media: Building Your Brand, Andrew H. Wheeler

All Capstone Projects

A strong brand drives revenue, especially in local markets. As it has been documented, a strong brand needs credibility and trust to be conveyed to the consumer. The purpose of the following workshop design is to provide the ethical, journalistic, packaging, writing, technical, and other brand-impacting skills to potential media contributors, and also to provide the basic understanding of how to market and cobrand content with other media outlets.

Unfiltered?: A Content Analysis Of Pro Athletes' "Twitter" Use., Justin A. Shockley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As new media grow, so do the users who navigate the virtual world. People and organizations are forced to adapt in order to stay relevant in a technologically driven marketplace. The sports world has been changed drastically because of new media. Athletes no longer communicate with the general public solely through traditional media outlets such as newspapers. Social networking sites such as Twitterallow athletes to directly communicate with mass audiences. This direct communication raises several questions with regard to dynamics of communication and uses of Internet portals. A content analysis examined professional athletes' "Twitter" posts to help …

Vignetwork: An Exquisite Corpse Network Of Short Films, David Scott Calhoun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vignetwork (www.Vignetwork.com) is the name for an online system of interconnected short films that comes from the combination of the terms vignette and network. By developing Vignetwork as an experiment in narrative structure, it is possible to analyze what a hypertext is and what it means as a tool, environment, and model for understanding the world. By comparing it to various other films, projects, and ideas, Vignetwork emerges as a parable for how individuals define themselves in a shared, crowded world.

The Need For Effective Visual Communication: How Website Design Can Further The Success Of The Cal Poly Women’S Lacrosse Team, Bonnie J. Burtis

Journalism

This paper argues that an efficient and successfully built website is crucial to the future success of college sports websites. By focusing on the Cal Poly Women’s Lacrosse team and its website, visual communication research gives insight into what works and what does not. The fundamental and design elements examined include: text elements, site navigation, accessible links, presence of news, communication and graphics (visual design). These are the elements that promote success and efficiency. Compared to other websites built and maintained by teams in the women’s lacrosse league, Cal Poly’s lacks foundational website material. General website research proves this and …

Discovering Shifts And Trends In Beverage Packaging, Rachel Hutchinson

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study is to better understand beverage packaging trends of today and what trends are necessary in order to profit in the industry today. It addresses aspects such as sustainability, marketing, labeling, and size and shape. In addition to determining trends on the rise, this study suggests methods in order to increase consumer appeal as well as lower production costs.

This study was based on specialized interviews with experts from different levels of the supply chain. Their insight was beneficial in understanding the current trends and the specific rationale for these shifts.

The results consist of addressing …

Dogs And Technology: Our Most Beloved Companions In Twentieth And Twenty-First Century America, Claire V. Bow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the suburban rush and steep rise in household technological devices in the mid-twentieth century, Americans have drawn apart from each other, a shift that has coincided with a rise in both dog ownership and the adoption of handheld mobile devices. This paper argues that these phenomena, which are both ubiquitous and intimate in many American households, reflect one of the most basic and static human needs: the need for emotional connection. Furthermore, it is the unique combination of canine and digital elements that replace human-to-human social networks; networks that were once both literally and figuratively tightly drawn. In the …

Cubesat Developers' Workshop 2010, Tracy Owens, Ryan Race

Communication Studies

This project is the narrative component of the 7th Annual CubeSat Developers' Workshop 2010 planning process. It reviews the steps and team dynamics over the seven months spent coordinating the conference for the Aerospace Department. It was the first time that students from the Communcation Studies Department were brought in to help with the event, and the gap between the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Engineering was bridged.

Generational Perceptions Of Productive/Unproductive Information Received From Management Through Different Communication Channels, Eva Lynn Cowell

Doctoral Dissertations

This exploratory study identified generational preferences for receiving information from management through different communication channels and determined if age predicted productivity for productive and unproductive information received through different communication channels. This is the first study to empirically examine the relationship between age cohorts, communication channel preferences, information categories, and productivity. Sample participants worked as Extension agents at a major land-grant university. The four generations represented in the sample utilized multiple communication channels and were geographically dispersed throughout the state. The survey was administered electronically and completed by 204 (74%) of the eligible 275 employees in the organization. Independent Samples …

Natalee, Natalie Tebbi

Honors Capstone Projects - All

NataLee is a 48-page prom issue of a proposed teen magazine geared toward girls aged 13-17. Though it includes elements of fashion, it does not conform to a fashionable body-type. It approaches teen issues with delicacy, and avoids topics such as sex and drinking in order to appeal to a conservative demographic. Its 15 articles range from the creative (“Make Your Own Corsage”) to the sentimental (“Popping the Question”) to the informative (“What’s Prom Got to Do with It”) to the academic (“Skin Care Science”). These articles follow a theme of “intelligent fashion.” The mission statement of the magazine is, …

Finding Meaning In Facebook, Kelly Patrick

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

A Web 2.0 Strategy For The Meek School Of Journalism And New Media, Lauren Zimmerman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper explains the evolution of the web from a "read only" format to a "read and write" format in which users generate content also. Using the components of a Web 2.0 platform, such as blogging, social networking, and podcasting, a strategy for the Meek School of Journalism and New Media is proposed. This strategy aims to help recruit new students to the school as well as inform current students about events and news. Recommendations included in the paper will discuss specifically how the meek school of journalism can adopt a Web 2.0 strategy with the assistance of its faculty, …

A Study On How New Media Is Impacting On The Irish Public Relations Industry, Ciara Murphy

Theses

This thesis looks at how new media is impacting on the public relations industry in Ireland. It attempts to identify if Irish practitioners believe that the Internet is an important tool for two-way communication purposes, to identify the implications of new media on the practice of public relations, to determine how new media is impacting on the mass media in Ireland and to determine how social media is currently being implemented by PR practitioners in Ireland.

The study attempts to fill a gap in public relations research and professional literature because there is no organising framework that merges new technologies …

The Changing Face Of Print Media : How New Attitudes To Communication By Both Industries Could Affect Public Relations., Paul Kennedy

Theses

Digital media is a phenomenon that has affected many industries, particularly both print media and public relations. Communication is something is at the heart of both of these industries. In this thesis, communication theory is explored in a digital media and print newspaper context, in relation to these industries. It is explored how both industries are using similar techniques, and the merit of these approaches are investigated and discussed. Included in this are the value of new news outlets and new and old business models. Opinions on modem media relations are investigated and the weight of third- party endorsement is …

Facebook Usage Predicted By Sense Of Community And 'Loneliness', Alison Bagworth

Theses : Honours

Facebook Usage Predicted by Sense of Community and 'loneliness' Face book is one of a growing number of social networking sites (SNSs) that are currently being used by young adults to compliment face-to-face interactions. The use of these sites raises questions in relation to how their function may be compared to measurements of more traditional communication. This research measured Sense of Community (SoC) and 'loneliness' in young adults in order to predict usage of Facebook. Participants were 154 Facebook users (82% female, mean age 23.66) who completed an online survey with four components (demographics, Facebook usage, SoC Index, and …