Communication Technology and New Media Commons^™

The Frame Of Social Media In Academic And Industry, Weiwen Zhou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the development of technology, the communication between people has changed rapidly. Social media is a type of digital network designed to share content with other internet users based on their preferences and associations. The purpose of this research was to understand how industry press and the professional market place frame social media today. Moreover, this research showed the explored current social media pedagogy in business and communication programs to see if it matches the need of industry expectations. This study was a content analysis of the text-based study that uses a qualitative software-Leximancer to analyze data. The result suggested …

Iran In U.S. Corporate And Regional Media: A Content Analysis Of The New York Times, The Washington Post, Rooz Online, Al Jazeera And Iran Review, Justin Hyde

Master's Theses

There has been an increase in tension between the United States government and the Islamic Republic of Iran over the past decade. A number of events including the US- led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and the expansion of Iran’s nuclear program have strained this fragile relationship. The U.S. and its allies contend that Iran’s nuclear program is intended for arms proliferation while the Islamic Republic of Iran states it is for domestic power and research. Much of this conflict has played out in news media, which have a vital role to provide information, analysis and opportunities for dialogue as …

Because I Am Not Here, Selected Second Life-Based Art Case Studies. Subjectivity, Autoempathy And Virtual World Aesthetics, Francisco Gerardo Toledo Ramírez

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Second Life is a virtual world accessible through the Internet in which users create objects and spaces, and interact socially through 3D avatars. Certain artists use the platform as a medium for art creation, using the aesthetic, spatial, temporal and technological features of SL as raw material. Code and scripts applied to animate and manipulate objects, avatars and spaces are important in this sense. These artists, their avatars and artwork in SL are at the centre of my research questions: what does virtual existence mean and what is its purpose when stemming from aesthetic exchange in SL?

Through a qualitative …

As Seen On Twitter: African-American Rhetorical Traditions Gone Viral, Tiffani Long

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This communication research study identifies the presence of the African-American rhetorical traditions of call-response, signification, tonal semantics, and narrative sequencing used in communication on the online social media network, Twitter. The objective of this study is to provide insight into the culture and community of Twitter. Additionally, the research demonstrates how traditional oral rhetorical traditions survive in the digital world. Over a 15-day period, tweets were collected by the author using a computer screenshot feature. Using a coding rubric, three coders, including the author, coded the collected tweets for the four rhetorical traditions. Resulting from this procedure, the coders concluded …

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Campaign 2012 And Beyond: Awareness And Participation For Behavioral Change, Ebony Chetto

Journalism

The following study investigates how to develop and maintain a health outreach program in order to make a behavior change in participating in the breast cancer movement. The number of women becoming affected by breast cancer is increasingly growing, and the students who developed the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Campaign saw the need to raise awareness of this disease on campus and in the community. The campaign’s focus was to create and publicize an outreach event called Rock the Tatas, a fundraising concert to support the fight against breast cancer. With scholarly research, the design of the campaign attempts …

Consider The Source: Receiver-Assigned Attributions Of Credibility To Influential Bloggers, Aaron Michael Sachs

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine credibility as it pertains to blogging. While studies have traditionally considered credibility in the context of the material being created, this study examines source credibility in the context of the personality creating the material. Therefore, this study functions primarily as an exploratory study and seeks to present an understanding of source credibility from the perspective of the individuals participating in blogging communities cultivated by influential bloggers. An interview questionnaire was specially developed for this study. Ten participants were selected for this study. Eight of them are females, two of the participants are …

Trait Differences In Gender In Technology Use And Study Habits Of Rural Community College Students, Phillip Marc Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for conducting the study was to explore the trait differences by gender of the study habits and technology use patterns of rural community college students. Significant research and data presently exists at the university level specific to study habits and technology use, but little research had been conducted targeting those topics in a rural community college setting.

The following questions guided the research:

1. What were the study habits of rural community college students?

2. How did rural community college students use technology?

3. Were there significant differences, by gender, in the study habits of rural community college …

What Is The Participant Learning Experience Like Using Youtube To Study A Foreign Language?, Yuan-Hsiang Lo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research is to explore and understand participants' experience using YouTube to learn a foreign language. YouTube and learning has become more and more popular in the recent years. The finding of this research will be adding more understanding to the emerging body of knowledge of YouTube phenomenon. In this research, there are three interviews and two questionnaires. The interviews are conducted to find in-depth responses from participants; the questionnaires are used to inquire demographic and basic information about the participants. There are twelve themes found in this research. These themes reflect on the perceived experience using YouTube to learn …

Friends Of Hearst Castle: Creating A Social Media Plan Using Public Relations Strategies For A Nonprofit, Amy Jean Checho

Journalism

Nonprofits, like Friends of Hearst Castle, understand the importance of social media use such as Facebook. However, many times Facebook messages are inconsistent and the multiple channels of social media are overwhelming. A Social Media Strategy or Plan can help nonprofits communicate their goals effectively and efficiently, with more success than before. This project discusses the best ways nonprofits can maximize their Facebook usage. Facebook is an easy way for nonprofits to communicate with their target audiences and have consistent communication. Friends of Hearst Castle was the nonprofit I worked with to help create and implement a Social Media Plan. …

Free Telecollaboration 2.0 Tools And Activities For Enhancing Intercultural Communicative Competence, Khoi Nguyen Thi Bui

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the effectiveness and relevance of some free telecollaboration 2.0 tools and the IT-HELPS activities to the participants’ enhancement of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in reference to Byram’s (1997) ICC definition and its five principles. In-depth qualitative data were collected from six semistructured interviews with students and teachers of the eight-week online intercultural exchange between a Second Language Acquisition class at Eastern Michigan University in the United States and an English as a Second Language class at Tan Tao University in Vietnam. Despite the failed communication in some collaborative tasks due to some deficiencies in motivating, facilitating, and …

Audience Image Preferences Of 1080i And 720p High Definition Video Formats: An Experiment, Michael Thomas Stubben

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The two main kinds of high definition television video formats broadcast in the United States are 1080i and 720p. Both formats are claimed to have advantages and disadvantages relative to the other format. However, there has been little academic research to determine viewer preferences of these formats, and whether the stated claims about each format's strengths and weaknesses are valid. This thesis addresses this lack of research by employing an experiment to determine viewer perceptions and preferences of these two high definition formats.

The two major findings from this study pertain to viewer preferences of 1080i/720p with regard to motion, …

Advertising's Red Light, Heather Small

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis paper discusses the theory and motivation behind The Advertising's Red Light, my thesis project. Section 1 describes my personal methods for producing artwork that creates cultural commentary. The history of the usage of sex in advertising is described and explains how advertising today has become pornographied. Section 2 discusses the conception of Advertising's Red Light as an artwork. The piece was developed as a method of creating cultural commentary about the world of advertising today and its implementation of pornography. My aim is to bring to the viewer's attention just how close today's advertising is to genuine pornography …

It's Complicated: Romantic Breakups And Their Aftermath On Facebook, Veronika A. Lukacs

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Little research examines the ways in which Facebook affects breakups. This exploratory study aimed to determine the prevalence of breakup practices unique to Facebook; to gain an understanding of the relationship between Facebook use and distress following a breakup; and to determine what strategies people use to cope with romantic breakups in the Facebook era. This topic was examined using a mixed methods approach that included a survey and semi-structured interviews. Findings show that content on Facebook can be a source of distress for individuals who have recently experienced a romantic breakup. People who engaged in high levels of interpersonal …

'Moebius': Groundwork For Promotion & Visibility, Kanika Laroia

Communication Studies

A record of the planning process for the transition of Moebius, the College of Liberal Arts literary journal, from a publication to an online website. Includes materials for future public relations and outreach efforts by the Moebius team.

The Human Side Of A Mediated Life: How Mediated Communication Is Affecting Relationships And Nonverbal Literacy, Meghan E. Green

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

A Study On Facebook Advertisement Strategies: Facebook Wall Posts Promote Higher Response Than Private Messages, Bria Park

Communication Studies

In this study, I focused on whether Facebook wall posts or private messages create a higher response rate from the receivers. First, I explain the background of internet communication and how certain strategies have created higher response in the past. Then, I present my method for discovering whether wall posts or private messages are more efficient in gaining response. Lastly, I reveal my results and discuss both what I could’ve done better to create more precise results and how this experiment is beneficial for modern day advertisement companies.

Getting On The Bus: Marketing San Luis Obispo's Regional Transit Authority, Jenna Higgins

Master's Theses

A new trend is emerging, seeking to recognize the benefits of and encourage the use of public transportation. In the past, public transit agencies have not directed much energy or focus at marketing, seeking to use limited funds elsewhere. “The common perception is that money spent on marketing would be better spent on transit systems themselves…over time, a sustained investment in marketing increases the number of people who use transit. Increased ridership leads to increased revenue, and ideally, an increase in service to match the new demand” (Arpi, 2009).

Even as marketing gains importance in the public transit world, questions …

Linkedin To Facebook And Twitter: The Role Of Social Media In Developing Community For Non-Profits, Elizabeth Weaver

Capstone Collection

Social Media technology is providing nonprofits with a new platform for connecting to the masses. Most nonprofits are using these platforms to spread their message, fundraise and gain notoriety, but few are utilizing such sites for community building purposes. Online community building-especially on Facebook and Twitter-is an emerging concept with little existing literature and research available. Exploration in this field provides valuable information to nonprofits on effective ways to develop their accounts in a way that fosters an interactive and engaged community of participants. The question directing this study is: How can nonprofits create, build, and develop a community, online …

Me, Myself, & Identity Online: Identity Salience On Facebook Vs Non-Virtual Identity, Nathalie N. Delise

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Many Social Networking Sites have come and gone over the past decade, but Facebook continues to grow in popularity. Facebook is designed to connect people to one another through virtual networks of “friends” where members participate in the presentation of self virtually- through profile creation, maintenance, and exchanges of content. Social Networking Sites create a location for identity formation and projection that is similar, yet distinct, from face-to-face interactions. Facebook offers a unique avenue for people to control their presentation of self, while maintaining reflexive features. This study this study explores the notion of a particular “Facebook role” while specifically …

Analyzing The Tea Party Movement, The Coffee Party Movement, And The Occupy Wall Street Movement’S Use Of The Internet: Case Study On How The Internet Influences Grassroots Social Movement, Tsubasa Morioka

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The Tea Party movement and the Occupy Wall Street movement have made great use of the Internet and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). This phenomenon intrigued my interest in how grassroots social movements have employed all types of media to mobilize, as well as how they furthered their agenda in the past. In order to better understand how the Internet impacted the three movements, my thesis draws on resource mobilization (RM) and new social movement (NSM) theories for theoretical understanding and textual analysis. The movements I reviewed for analysis are the Tea Party Movement (TPM), the Coffee Party Movement (CPM), …

Late Night Television And Its Impact On The Music Industry Via Album Sales And Social Media, Matthew Robin

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Experiential learning has been a large part of my college experience. My work experiences have allowed me to understand the music industry in a very unique way. One experience was my semester in Los Angeles, where I worked at Jimmy Kimmel Live! It was there that I was able to see the influence that these shows could have on musical guests and vice versa. The late-night landscape is as booming as it ever has been, with many different outlets for talent. I wanted to demonstrate that the process of getting an artist on a late-night show is a very …

Creating A Brand Experience Across Media Channels, Virginia Gibson Switzer

Masters Theses

This study examines how messages marketed through different media channels impact a consumer’s brand experience. The goal of this study was to explore the extent to which consumers experience brands through media channels. This study relies on four focus group sessions and a thematic content analysis to gather findings. It was discovered that consumers viewed customer service as the leading characteristic in brand loyalty.

Consumers were primarily impacted by brands through consumer reviews, reliable sources, convenience and special promotions. Participants chose reliable print mediums as a resource to research products. Online sources were the leading medium for reading consumer reviews …

Knowledge And Perceptions Of A Visual Communications Curriculum Unit In Arkansas Secondary Agricultural Classrooms: An Impact Of Experiential Learning, Kristin Mackenzie Pennington

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Currently, a need exists for agricultural education programs to begin introducing new curriculum which will help meet the current and future needs of the agricultural industry. In 2010, the University of Arkansas Agricultural and Extension Education Department received grant funding for the development of curriculum relating directly to visual communications technology and its role in agricultural communications. Curriculum was developed and teachers across the state were asked to participate in implementing the program. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge levels of students prior to being taught agricultural communications curriculum, after the curriculum was taught, and …

Cops, Cameras And Accountability: User-Generated Online Video And Public Space Police-Civilian Interactions, Douglas Alan Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Video captured by increasingly ubiquitous civilian cameras and communicated to a mass audience over the Internet is capable of bypassing police jurisdictional influence over traditional mass media and may be affecting police-civilian interactions in American public space as the initial cusp of a paradigm shift. Historically, the ability to visually record activities in public space was reserved to those with the resources and the motivation to devote to the task. Police and traditional mass media wielded power through cameras, power often not available to the public. Today, police often find their cameras outnumbered by those under autonomous citizen control. An …

Assumption Food Pantry Website And Multimedia Content, Jessica Smith

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The capabilities of technology today can solve problems that have plagued mankind since the establishment of civilization. In its assent over the past decade or two, technology has been leveraged to close gaps in communication, cure diseases, and explore propel mankind into a new renaissance, one in which information is more bountiful and accessible than ever before. Although the project I embarked on a little more than a year ago will not solve global woes or usher in the next great evolution of our social existence, it is using technology for the betterment of mankind nonetheless.

Sophia Bernard and I …

This Is The Newhouse Network, Clay Lepard

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Over time, Syracuse University and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications have built a vast alumni base, featuring some of the top executives and voices in the media community.

Prior to this project, the only place you could find these Newhouse alumni featured was in a gallery that was last updated sometime in the mid-1990’s.

“This is the Newhouse Network” is a dynamic webpage that allows users to hear stories and advice from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications’ Advisory Board (the A-list alumni).

The website is displayed on an iPad in Newhouse III where current students, faculty, …

Diffusion Of Social Media Among County 4-H Programs In Tennessee, Rebekah Bowen

Masters Theses

Over the past decade, Cooperative Extension and 4-H professionals have been faced with the decision of whether they should adopt new communication technologies such as social media to interact with their rapidly growing audience. Current research on social media and Extension shows that there are some identified risks and barriers (Fuess & Humphreys, 2011; Seger, 2011); however, many Extension professionals believe that social media usage could be very beneficial for Extension and\or 4-H usage (Coates, 2004; Rhoades, Thomas & Davis, 2009; Kinsey, 2010). In order to increase the body of empirical research on this subject, a quantitative study was conducted …

Teach For America Teachers' Blogs On Teaching, Samantha Nicole Holt

Masters Theses

In 1989, Princeton University senior Wendy Kopp conceived the idea of a national teacher corps that would place the brightest young people in the schools that were the most difficult to staff. This idea, which became Teach For America (TFA), took life in 1990, and has since become a powerful force in the public education reform movement. TFA consistently attracts college graduates from the nation’s top universities, and with the funding it receives from private donors as well as the federal government, the organization recruits and trains these individuals who commit to teach in the country’s highest-needs public schools. Critics …

Niche Theory In New Media: Is Digital Overtaking The Print Magazine Industry?, Zeenath Haniff

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

New challengers in mass media are poised to annihilate the competition. The trials and tribulations that magazine publishers have conquered over the years is a testament to the industry's undaunted resilience and perseverance against such competition. Presently, the paper-based medium has enjoyed massive success by catering to readers' individual interests in special interest publications called niche magazines. However, the future of print magazines is unclear as recent technological innovations in digital publishing become the latest contender against print media. Analyzing the possible effects of the new digital medium upon the incumbent print magazine may help publishers prepare to face their …

The Impact Of Celebrity Endorser Type And Source Credibility On The Advertising Attitudes And Purchase Intentions Of Indian Rural Consumers, Sidharth Muralidharan

Dissertations

India is among the fastest growing economies in the world and has the second largest population out of which 70% are considered rural. The rural consumer has witnessed a lifestyle shift wherein they have become brand conscious, consumption of media content has increased and a rising income has opened up possibilities never experienced before. Understanding the love for cinema, celebrity endorsement has become a popular marketing strategy being employed by advertisers in India. The purpose of this study was to find out which celebrity endorser type (national, regional or non-celebrity) was the most effective on rural consumer’s attitude toward the …