Digital Commons Network^™

The Relevance Of Journalism Schools In Producing Talent For A Converged Newsroom: A Case Of Uganda, Arthur Oyako

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

While journalism training schools play a crucial role in equipping students with the necessary skills and knowledge to work in the media industry, the rapid advances in media technology raised concerns about the training needs and skills and whether J-schools were equipping graduates with the requisite skills for the converged newsrooms. The rapid evolution of digital technologies transformed traditional newsrooms into converged newsrooms, where journalists are expected to produce content for multiple platforms, including print, broadcast, and digital media. This shift has created a demand for journalists with diverse skills, including writing, reporting, editing, video production, social media management, and …

Media's Coverage Of Biotechnology And Gmo’S: How Kenyan Broadcast Media Covered The Lifting Of The Ban On Genetically Modified Foods., Zeynab Nyangule Wandati

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

The introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has been controversial globally, with differing views on the risks and benefits of their use in agriculture, even though the technology is extensively used in medicine. In Africa, the adoption of GMOs has been relatively slow compared to other regions due to a combination of factors, including poor infrastructure, inadequate resources, and public resistance. Studies have shown that the media often portrays GMOs as a threat to human health and the environment, a narrative often pushed by the news sources interviewed, with little emphasis on their potential benefits or the science of it. …

An Analysis Of Print Media’S Coverage Of Women In Stories Focused On Economic Activities., Patricia Kigula

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

This research was conducted against the background that women have limited visibility in economic roles in the media. The dearth of understanding in this area poses a risk of perpetuating negative stereotypes and biases against women, potentially impeding their economic empowerment and hindering societal progress. The media's influence on shaping societal norms surrounding women and economic participation is evident, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive analysis of the extent and nature of media coverage of women's contributions to economic development in Uganda. The study employed a quantitative method and directed content analysis to systematically examine the representation of women in …

Print Media Framing Of Kenya’S Presidential Campaigns During The 2022 General Election, Brian Owens Ocharo

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

The media can mould public perspectives and sway voters toward a specific candidate or political faction. This study aimed to analyse the print media framing of news on Kenya’s presidential campaigns in the run-up to the 2022 General Election. Specifically, the study sought to find out the framing of messages on the four presidential candidates ahead of the 2022 General Election, the extent of print media coverage of the four presidential aspirants during the presentation of their candidatures and factors that influenced the framing of news on presidential candidates by the print media ahead of Kenya’s 2022 General Election. The …

An Analysis Of Status Of Journalism Following Transitions Of Journalists From Newsrooms In Kenya, Asha Bekidusa

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

One of the major issues facing media managers and many newsrooms today is the retention of journalists. It requires action to motivate journalists to stay at the company longer. On the other hand, firms utilize creative methods to retain top talent due to fierce rivalry in the job market. The activities in newsrooms are impacted because many seasoned journalists have left for alternative careers. This study analyses the status of journalism following the transitions of seasoned journalists from newsrooms in Kenya. It also examines adjusting mechanisms adopted by newsrooms to maintain the quality of journalism after the departure of seasoned …

Analysis Of Paywalled News Content In Kenya: The Case Of The Standard Group., Jared Oguta Ontobo

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

I want to thank God in the strongest possible terms for providing me with the confidence and fortitude to carry out this research effectively. I would like to convey my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to everyone who helped me finish this thesis on Analysis of Paywalled News Content: The Case of the Standard Group. The research would not have been possible without the help, direction, and encouragement of many people and organisations, for which I am eternally grateful. First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisors, Dr. Rosalind Raddatz and Dr. Joseph Nyanoti, for their …

Out Of Newsrooms And Back Into Classrooms: The Experiences Of Journalists In Master’S Studies., Simon Riitho

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

The purpose of this research was to better understand the experiences of journalists as master’s students. In Kenya, master’s programs have expanded significantly, attracting journalists who view them as opportunities to upskill and enhance their abilities. The researcher involved journalists from various newsrooms in Kenya to learn why they enrolled, the causes of study delay, and interventions that empower them to complete. In this study, 33 journalists from four newsrooms in Kenya accepted the call to participate in the study, either via answering questionnaires or interviews. Of this total, 31% of the participants (11 journalists) volunteered to be interviewed, while …

Empowering Caregivers In The Prevention Of Clinical Delirium For At Risk Older Adults Boarding In The Emergency Department Setting, Danielle Brewer

DNP Projects

Background: Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding is a global healthcare crisis documented in the literature for more than a decade, impacting patient outcomes and resource availability. While awaiting delayed transfer to an inpatient room, older adults in the ED remain vulnerable to developing acute delirium. Boarding potentiates the risk for worsening health outcomes, which are further compounded by delirium. Scarcity of resources and time constraints delay delirium detection and increase risk for down-stream hospital-acquired complications, higher cost, and prolonged length of stay. Current ED models do not prioritize caregiver partnership or involvement in delirium-conscious care, which is a holistic approach to …

An Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of Far-Flung Counties In Kenya, Henix Obuchunju

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

Slums are a reflection of underdeveloped and marginalisation. It is so yet the traditional watchdog genre of journalism and the commercial press are both as old as the slums themselves. Past studies show that community radios are struggling with feedback. As such they are yet to assess their value to the world. This study sought to assess the impact of the Mukuru kwa Ruben-based Ruben FM in addressing the socio- economic needs of its listeners; and whether it is advancing the tenets of Solutions Journalism practice. That is; coverage of solutions rather than the problems. The study relied on a …

Covid-19 Disruptions And Coping Strategies For Media Houses In Uganda: Case Of Next Media Services, Arthur Matsiko

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

News production in the legacy media houses occurs in enclosed spaces. Editors, reporters, sub-editors, and news producers discuss and develop story ideas for production and dissemination on television, radio and print platforms. However, the Covid-19 pandemic presented a significant change in the traditional operation of the newsroom. This disruption interfered with the journalistic norms of story ideation, news sourcing, gatekeeping and distribution. Local and regional media organisations struggled through the Covid-19 pandemic because technological adoption mechanisms had long been dragged. By the time the pandemic hit Ugandan newsrooms, most media houses lacked fall-back plans, which led to several changes such …

2024, 1(18)

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

Full Issue 2024, 1(18)

Investigating The Experiences Of Evangelical Couples Coping With Painful Intercourse During Early Marriage, Arielle Hodges

Faculty Publications - Department of Communication and Cinematic Arts

Women who internalize evangelical purity messages face heightened risk for persistent pain or difficulty with penile-vaginal intercourse. Drawing on research in communication, psychology, and sexual medicine, the aim of this multilevel qualitative study is to increase understanding of how evangelical couples communicatively cope with painful intercourse and the memorable messages they believe contribute to their experiences of coping. This study involved conducting qualitative interviews with 20 evangelical married couples (40 total spouses) who currently or recently experienced a wife's persistent pain during (attempted) penile-vaginal intercourse and 16 female clinicians (pelvic floor therapists and mental health professionals) who regularly work with …

Streamlining Public Engagement In Transportation Projects Using Text Analytics, Alireza Shamshiri

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Infrastructure projects impact a broad range of stakeholders, particularly local communities, whose engagement is critical for successful outcomes. Despite the importance of public engagement in these projects, traditional methods of capturing and analyzing public opinion often fail to fully represent the diverse, genuine perspectives involved. This has led to conflicts between community members and project sponsors. On the other hand, despite advancements in text analytics, including natural language processing (NLP) and its subfields such as topic modeling, sentiment analysis, and neural networks, their functionalities and effectiveness in analyzing public opinion in the domain of infrastructure projects have not been fully …

Assessing Technology Usage In Relation To The Quality Of Life In Autistic Children, Cristina Costescu, Ioana Tufar, Laura Chezan, Mălina Șogor, Alexandra Confederat

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and duration of technology use by autistic children, their primary activities when engaging with technology, and the association between technology use and quality of life. We assumed that technology serves as a means of communication with peers, and it is associated with an improved quality of life.

Methods

The study sample consisted of 61 parents of autistic children aged 5-10 years old. The Quality of Life for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Scale was used to measure children's quality of life based on parent report, and the Technology Use …

Innovating For Efficiency: The Use Of Generative Ai In Kenyan Newsrooms., Anthony Irari Ngugi

Executive Masters in Media Leadership and Innovation

Generative AI has revolutionized media landscapes around the globe, including in Kenya. Widely known for mobile technology adoption and digital entrepreneurship, Kenya's journalism field is experiencing drastic transformation thanks to AI's powerful abilities. This study sought to understand how Generative AI (GenAI) is being adopted by Kenyan media houses, as well as its advantages, drawbacks, and challenges associated with journalistic innovation. Chapter 1 introduces the global impact of Generative AI while outlining specific implications for Kenyan newsrooms. Contextualizing AI's rise in media, this paper compares traditional and modern journalistic practices as well as big tech's impact in shaping news consumption …

Analysis Of Media Convergence At Vision Group Uganda, Semei Wessaali

Executive Masters in Media Leadership and Innovation

This research delves into the phenomenon of media convergence within Vision Group, concentrating on key factors influencing its implementation. Employing a cross-sectional approach, the study employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data from Vision Group staff and audiences. The primary objectives include assessing staff perceptions of content quality post-convergence, examining the organizational response to convergence, and scrutinizing audience consumption patterns. The results demonstrate a notable enhancement in content quality, with journalists in a converged system exhibiting improved output. Positive outcomes are also attributed to organizational and cultural changes that support convergence, including staff training, promotion of collaborations, and …

Employing Data Visualization For Effective Health Communication In Nairobi, Kenya: A Study Of Select Media Houses., Rabudi Charles Mark

Executive Masters in Media Leadership and Innovation

This capstone project analyzes how journalists use data visualization to communicate health information. With the advent of evidence-based practice in medical communication, it is necessary to provide health information in a way that raises public health awareness and changes individual behaviour for beneficial health outcomes. The use of data visualization tools such as charts, graphs, and maps aids in the presentation of data patterns and insights, improving knowledge, engagement, and decision-making in the field of health communication. The study seeks to identify the types of health data visualization commonly employed by journalists in Kenya; assess the level of training and …

Strategies For Growing Audience For Community Radio In The Digital Era. The Case Of Arua One Fm., Grace Rechue Lekuru

Executive Masters in Media Leadership and Innovation

The media landscape has been profoundly transformed by the emergence of digital technologies and the internet, posing both challenges and opportunities for community radios to reach and expand their audiences. Through an in-depth case study analysis, this research aims to examine approaches and tactics utilized by Arua One FM, shedding light on the broader strategies that community radios can adopt to thrive amidst the dynamic digital disruptions in the media industry. Arua One FM is a rural community radio located in the North-West of Uganda and owned by Vision Group. This study employed qualitative methodologies with a focus on the …

Digital Transformation In A Legacy Media House: A Case Study Of Nation Media Group’S Tag Brand Studio, Sheila Adam

Executive Masters in Media Leadership and Innovation

Media organizations in Kenya face significant obstacles, with the major ones being financial limitations and technological disruptions. Consequently, these challenges have necessitated the adoption of digital transformation as a means for media houses to sustain their operations and maintain their relevance in the eyes of their audience. Organizations around the world have opted to establish in-house brand studios or agencies to provide creative services and support their branding and marketing efforts by carrying out tasks typically handled by external agencies. Nation Media Group established Tag Brand Studio, an in-house digital marketing agency that develops and implements long-term digital marketing strategies …

The Viability Of Online Niche Market Programming By Radio Stations In Uganda: An Analysis Of Cbs Fm., Samson Bill Nyatia

Executive Masters in Media Leadership and Innovation

This study about niche marketing for a radio operator in Uganda, CBS FM, is set in the context of an altered media landscape in which shifting fortunes and emergent opportunities present the need for new product development, spurred in part by the pressures of balancing the interests of a multiplicity of stakeholders, whose needs outpace the station’s broadcasting and revenue-generating capacity. Faced with intense competition, a disruptive set of new media operations, as well as an aggressive buyer’s market, CBS FM must now consider tapping into the capabilities availed by technology, to serve its clientele better. The first chapter explores …

Developing A Fact-Checking Model For Election Disinformation, Kenneth Kiunga

Executive Masters in Media Leadership and Innovation

Disinformation poses an increasing threat to the integrity of electoral processes. This research endeavoured to design a fact-checking model that can be used in an electoral cycle in Kenya. Through interviews and document analysis, the study first sought to analyze the efficacy and challenges of the strategies that media organizations in Kenya used to fact-check digital content during the August 2022 elections. The critical examination of the framework used by the African Infodemic Response Alliance informed the development of an electoral fact-checking model. The study found that the strategies that the media organizations used to verify online information in the …

Fandom “For You”: Understanding The Perceptions, Experiences, And Motivations Of Tiktok Creators In Anime Fandom, Noah Glose

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This study examines the perceptions, experiences, and motivations of TikTok content creators who actively create videos related to the topics and genre of anime. Specifically, this study aimed to examine the gratifications sought by TikTok’s anime creators, the platform-specific affordances offered to the anime creator, and the interplay between gratifications and affordances in affecting the themes of content produced by creators. A sample of 15 US participants who regularly create content in the anime fandom on TikTok were interviewed to better understand the central questions proposed. Inductive qualitative thematic analysis of data was performed, which implemented a multi-step coding process …

Identifying Youth Appeals In Alcohol Alternative Social Media Content Through Framing, Melina Oneal

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Proposed regulations for alcohol advertising prevent beverage companies from targeting people under the legal drinking age. However, similar regulations for alcohol alternative beverages are less explored, which could allow alcohol alternative products to create awareness for alcoholic beverages among youth. Alcohol alternatives beverages, including no-alcohol and low-alcohol products, are increasing in popularity and can function as compliments to alcoholic products to decrease the total alcohol volume consumed or as substitutes for alcoholic products. Framing theory can be operationalized through the Content Appealing to Youth Index, an index of content elements found in research literature to be appealing to youth, to …

Navigating And Thriving In Leadership: Practical Advice For Elected And Appointed Association Leaders, Tiffany R. Wang

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Elected and appointed association leaders face circumstances that can make professional service challenging. This essay offers practical advice for how association leaders can navigate and thrive in leadership roles as they fulfill their duties and responsibilities. Current and past association leaders offer observations and recommendations for success.

Gender And Nostalgia In Period Drama: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel And Mad Men, Deidre Pribram

Communications: Faculty Publications

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-2023) and Mad Men (2007-2015) share a common genre, location, and era.  Both are period dramas, set in New York City, as the waning 1950s transition into the 1960s.  Additionally, both television serials address changing cultural conditions, especially surrounding gender.  Yet, when analyzed through the prism of nostalgia, the two programs deviate in significant ways.  This essay uses Grainge’s (2000) distinction between nostalgia as mood and nostalgia as aesthetic style, applying it to the two television serials.  It also incorporates concepts of nostalgia as critique (Cook, 2005), as well as imagined nostalgia as the longing “for …

Autopathography Across Media: Trauma And Fluid Embodied Subjectivity, He (Kristen) Shen

Honors Theses

Illness memoirs with first-person point of view have gained more attention in recent years among medical sociologists and anthropologists. Different from traditional “case histories”written by doctors that are in danger of ignoring patients’ voices, autopathograhical works delineate narrators’ transformative experiences of persons to patients, emphasizing the importance of gaining social understanding of illness. Focusing on three works within the category of autopathography across genres and media forms in the late 1950s and contemporary periods, The Cancer Journals (1980) written by Audre Lorde, The Collected Schizophrenias (2019) written by Esmé Weijun Wang, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) directed …

Long Covid And Political Party, Renee Franzini

Comm-entary

The essay discusses how the two major US political parties use presence and framing to represent long covid, as well as if these representations differ over time. Through this, we can more easily see the similarities and differences between representations of the condition.

“What Planet Are You On” - Making Meaning Of Sustainability Through Storytelling, Nancy T. Ladeinde

Masters Theses

The term “Sustainability” has come to stay as it is deeply integrated into our everyday life, although it seems complex to understand and engage with. The purpose of this thesis is to know how Unilever, a global consumer goods organization, makes meaning of its sustainability efforts. The method used to achieve this is a thematic analysis of Unilever’s campaign “What Planet Are You On?” a brand campaign documenting their sustainability efforts. Building on storytelling as a theoretical framework, it delves into the strategic use of stories as a communication tool for sustainability efforts, emphasizing its impact on brand narrative, stakeholder …

Exploring International Graduate Students’ Internship Experiences In The Usa: A Case Of Eastern Illinois University Students, Wale Ishola

Masters Theses

International graduate students in the United States begin their academic journey with the goal of professional growth, but they frequently struggle to secure internships due to bureaucratic barriers and competitive marketplaces. This study explores Eastern Illinois University's international graduate students' experiences through the perspective of sensemaking theory, with the goal of understanding how they make sense of the internship process. In-depth qualitative interviews with ten students revealed that students make sense of their internships in two ways: on one end, the struggles, and on the on the other end, how they are strengthening. Through sensemaking, students analyze and adapt to …

Examining The Effects Of Restorative Narratives On Prosocial Behavioral Intentions: A Sem Analysis, Mehroz Sajjad

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Society grapples with an array of intricate and intertwined social challenges, often characterized as wicked problems due to their multifaceted, persistent nature. The refugee crisis and food insecurity stand as poignant examples of these complex issues, with millions affected worldwide. In response to these challenges, there is a pressing need for individuals to engage in prosocial behaviors, aiming to alleviate the impacts of these crises.Against this backdrop, this dissertation delved into the realm of narrative persuasion to examine the effectiveness of restorative narratives and framing strategies as potential drivers of greater behavioral intentions. To address the hypotheses and research question, …