Digital Commons Network^™

The Power Of Presence: Body Image In Disney's The Little Mermaid, Megan Chatelain

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how body image is represented in Disney’s The Little Mermaid across its 1989 animated film and the 2019 and 2023 adaptations. Grounded in Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory, the research examines how repeated media exposure shapes audience perceptions of morality, beauty, and identity—particularly through the portrayal of body size. Using a triangulated qualitative approach—reflexive journaling, content analysis, and survey responses—the study reveals consistent patterns: thin characters are depicted as virtuous, desirable, and heroic, while larger-bodied characters are often cast as villainous, comedic, or morally flawed. These associations were recognized by participants across all methods and confirmed through both reflective …

Climate Change In The Local News: The Role Of Community Characteristics In Shaping Themes And Diversity, Hyerim Jo

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Despite widespread recognition of climate change and its localized impacts, research on how local media cover this topic remains limited. The first study of this dissertation analyzes 15,788 opinion articles published from 2013 to 2020 by 391 local newspapers in the United States to examine their volume, topics, and thematic emphases. Using automated text analysis methods, including Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Analysis of Topic Model Networks (ANTMN), the study identifies 11 topics and three overarching themes. Findings indicate that the volume, topics, and themes evolved over time, likely influenced by the severity of climate-induced hazards and political and socioeconomic …

The Bitch And The Boogeyman: Violence Against Women And Gendered Morality In American Slasher Films, Davis A. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the relationships between on-screen depictions of violence in American slasher horror films and depictions of gendered morality of victims. Slashers are a subgenre of horror film that arose out of the exploitation cinema movement of the 1970s that are characterized primarily by the presence of one or more human killers inflicting violence on a group of protagonists, typically through the use of bladed weapons. Data collected comes from a comprehensive set of thirty-six American slasher films that received a wide theatrical release, with exemptions for films whose primary genre is not slasher and only selecting three films …

The Third Person Effect: Misinformation And Disinformation Of News On Racism, Jody-Ann Kadine Tyson

Dissertations and Theses

The increased proliferation of misinformation and disinformation has been a cause for concern in the 21st century, as it has had significant repercussions on societal systems and the overall livelihood of individuals. Additionally, a 2016 study revealed that 84% of the American respondents are confident in their ability to detect misinformation and disinformation, while 64% believed that misinformation and disinformation made others confused about current affairs and events (Barthel et al., 2016). These results confirm that some people are not cognizant of the effects of media messages on themselves, but on others (TPE). Due to this implied ignorance, the spread …

The Image Of Transnational Universities In Vietnam And The Enrollment Decision Of Prospective Students, Khanh Huyen Pham

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study examines how Vietnamese applicants perceive the image of transnational universities (TNE) and how these perceptions influence their college choice decisions. Focusing on RMIT Vietnam, BUV, and Swinburne Vietnam, the research explores university image through functional cues, personality cues, and perceived value, and analyzes decision-making across predisposition, search, and choice stages. Twelve applicants were interviewed using semi-structured interviews, and data were analyzed through thematic analysis. Findings show that applicants build university image gradually as they compare curriculum, teaching quality, facilities, and accreditation with emotional cues such as friendliness, professionalism, and campus “vibes.” Perceived value (degree recognition, employability, and alumni …

The Influence Of Short-Video Content Marketing On Chinese Consumers' Perceived Value And Usage Intention On Duolingo Brand, Meitong Li

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The objective of this research was to examine how short-video content marketing on Douyin platform influences Chinese Generation Z consumers’ perceived value of Duolingo and their intention to continue using the application. A total of 252 respondents aged between 18 and 29 years old, who had used Douyin in the past three months and viewed Duolingo’s short-video content at least three times in the last month, completed an online questionnaire survey. The study reveals that all three dimensions of short-video content marketing (i.e. entertaining content, functional content, and social-interactive content) significantly influenced consumers’ perceived value, with social-interactive content demonstrating the …

Social Media Acceptance Among Myanmar Migrants In Thailand, Thet Myat Noe Thu

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The objectives of this research are to examine the acceptance of social media, Facebook in particular, among Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand by applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Specifically, the study investigates five key variables, namely perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PE), attitude toward usage (ATU), trustworthiness (TW), and intention to continue using (INT), and their interrelationships. Data were collected through a self-administered online and personal survey from 236 Myanmar migrants aged between 20 to 45 years old, who have been residing in Thailand for at least one year and actively using Facebook for a minimum of …

Digital Orthodoxy And Political Populism In Eastern Europe: How Orthodox Media Facilitate Political Mobilization, Dmytro Garaschuk, Oleh Sokolovskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the intersection of Orthodox digital media and political populism in Eastern Europe, focusing on how religious institutions utilize digital platforms to facilitate political mobilization, reinforce nationalistic narratives, and undermine democratic institutions. Drawing on a comparative analysis of six countries–Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Georgia, and Montenegro–the study identifies a shared ideological matrix that fuses populist rhetoric with theological motifs. The research highlights the strategic use of digital media by Orthodox actors to construct moral binaries, sacralize political resistance, and disseminate disinformation framed in religious language. Particular attention is given to the role of the Russian Orthodox Church and …

Examining The Media’S Roles And Responsibilities, An Evaluation Of Nigeria’S Development Toward The Sdgs, Kelvin Inobemhe, Tsegyu Santas, Aminat Trust Ogbesoh

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

This paper examines the roles and responsibilities in the country’s development toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The media in any society is fundamentally a development partner. Whether combating diseases or disseminating critical messages about development plans and actions to the public, the media is a key stakeholder. In Nigeria, the government, in collaboration with development agencies and other relevant stakeholders, has actively sought pathways to actualize the SDGs. The media are among these important stakeholders. The Nigerian press and media to serve the people and development across the nation present a good opportunity. However, this study observes that after …

Exploring Critical Thinking Of Smartphone Use From Elementary School Students In Kosovo, Muhamet Jahiri, Gëzim Qerimi, Dren Gërguri

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study examined smartphone usage behaviours of elementary school students and media literacy. Data were gathered from a survey with a sample of 450 students from different schools in seven main regions of Kosovo, aged 10-15. There is no difference between males and females in smartphone access, while there is a slight difference between them in time spent using smartphones. This research clearly shows that elementary school students’ smartphone use is very high, but on the other side, it is not reflected at all in the school curriculum. There is a low level of getting advice from parents and a …

Vulnerability Profiles And Educational Demands Of Spanish University Students In The Face Of Fake News, M. Esther Del Moral Pérez, Jonathan Castañeda Fernández, Nerea López-Bouzas, M. Carmen Bellver Moreno

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study is part of the Surfing the Waves of Fake News (SURFake) project, involving 543 Spanish university students. Its purpose is to understand the variables related to potentially risky practices students engage in on social media and their educational shortcomings. An opinion questionnaire was used to establish levels of vulnerability to fake news. The results show that the most vulnerable are the youngest and those who spend more time exposed to social media, limit themselves to consuming content, read their news superficially, and lack specific education or training. Respondents who are aware of their limitations request training to recognize …

Ela And Social Studies Teachers’ Perspectives On The Importance Of Media Literacy For Student Learning, Hillary Gould, Sam Von Gillern, Matthew Korona, Alicia Haywood

Journal of Media Literacy Education

In this study, researchers aimed to develop an understanding of how English Language Arts and social studies teachers of middle- and high-school students perceive the value of media literacy skills and competencies for their students. The research team reviewed how these teachers rated various media literacy skills utilizing a set of 15 media literacy strategies categorized into three constructs, authors and audiences, messages and meaning, and representations and reality, in a survey demonstrating their perspectives on aspects of media literacy and their importance for student learning. The 860 teachers overwhelmingly recognize the importance of media literacy competencies for their students. …

Subvertising In The Classroom: A Comparative Study On Fostering Critical Media Literacy, Inés Leal-Rico

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Subvertising, traditionally linked to counterculture and anti-consumption, is utilized in education to reveal the manipulative strategies of corporate messaging to students. Classroom use of cut-and-paste methods deconstructs advertisement messages, fostering an understanding of how needs and desires are constructed through appropriation, incorporation, and transformation tactics. This research aims to comprehend fully the implementation and impact of subvertising workshops in educational settings by analyzing six scholarly articles on applied workshops. The data, sourced from a previous scoping review on subvertising, enabled a comprehensive evaluation of methodologies and effective techniques. The study compares these cases to the ten key steps proposed by …

Attack On Titan Anime Memes: Possible Meanings And Interpretations By Young Adults., Yee-Lin Teo, Sze Seau Lee, Xin Jie Lim

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Memes have unpredictable and diverse interpretations because of their tendencies to be parodies, remixes, or mashups. This study aims to examine the possible meanings which memes may express and the interpretations of memes by young adults within the affinity space of Attack on Titan anime memes. The two-phase methodology involves analysing the memes using Shifman’s analytical dimensions of content, form, and stance, before conducting in-depth interviews with ten young adults who represent insiders and outsiders of the affinity space. The findings discuss how Attack on Titan memes normalise sexualisation, violence, and struggles such as suicidal intentions in young adults. The …

Intersectionality And The Framing Of News: A Discourse Analysis Of Black Press And Mainstream Coverage About Vice President Kamala Harris, Rockia K. Harris, Shaniece B. Bickham, Jinx C. Broussard

Journal of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

Vice President Kamala Harris made history in 2020 by becoming the first woman, and first Black and Asian descent to earn this coveted role for any party (Clark & Adams, 2021). During her 2020 campaign, VP Harris showed how significant identity is to her autonomy as a first-generation American who openly supports historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), as a Howard University alumna and sorority member under the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) (Zeleny et al., 2020). Thus, Harris' identity and storyline became a personified view of inclusivity, further emphasizing her culturally and historically significant election. As the 2024 U.S. presidential …

Partisan Rhetoric And Polarization: The Year In C-Span Archives Research, Volume 10

The Year in C-SPAN Archives Research

Partisan Rhetoric and Polarization: The Year in C-SPAN Archives Research, Volume 10 features chapters written from a variety of perspectives that address divisions in American politics. The topics range widely, including TikTok, abortion, the middle class, the January 6 riot, and partisan rhetoric in Congress. The unifying theme of the volume is that each author uses C-SPAN videos to examine how members of Congress and other elites speak and act on these issues. Two other thoughtful pieces examine Supreme Court justices speaking off the bench and emotional reactions in presidential debates. Partisan Rhetoric and Polarization provides context to understand how …

Applying Engagement Journalism Methods To Reach Young People In The South Bronx, Christine M. Zeiger Mrs., Judith Marks

Capstones

During the fall of 2024, engagement journalism students Christine Zeiger and Judith Marks met with more than 60 teens in the South Bronx. They also distributed digital questionnaires, which garnered 26 responses from teens and adults between the ages of 14 and 22. These questionnaires were distributed after in-person sessions we organized to gather feedback on topics we wanted to learn about more deeply.

The project’s initial goal was to understand how South Bronx teens and young adults were engaging with the November elections and use their feedback to inform election coverage for the Mott Haven Herald and Hunts Point …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 100, No. 2, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period November 11 - December 5, 2024.

• Wilborn, Price. Letter from the Editor – Homecoming
• Vickers, Abigail. Homecoming Royalty – Milie LeJeune, Sarah Burke, Katie Burch, Jennifer Smith, Alice Waddell
• A New Era for Social Sciences at WKU – Society, Culture, Crime & Justice
• Steps from WKU, Miles of Charm – Walk2Campus
• Wilborn, Price. Martha Sales Reflects on Life, Leadership & Growth
• Leasing Agents Lending a Friendly Face & Helping Hand – Columns
• Smith, Kane. How Local Businesses Prepare for Homecoming Crowds
• Downtown Bowling Green – Restaurants & Businesses
• Home Sweet …

Exploring The Role Of Mass Media In Enhancing Farmer-To-Farmer Extension Activities In Bosomtwe District, Ghana, Anthony Kwame Appiah, Enoch Kwame Tham-Agyekum, Fred Nimoh, John-Eudes Andivi Bakang, Fred Ankuyi

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Farmer-to-farmer extension has always existed among farmers. It helps to strengthen information flow, reduce extension costs, and empower farmers playing a crucial role in enhancing their livelihoods. Currently, scanty information exists on the role of mass media in enhancing farmer-farmer extension activities. It is against this background that this study was carried out. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data from 400 farmers who were selected using the multi-stage sampling technique. The results show that, compared to newspapers, books, TV, radio, computers, and social media, the mobile phone is the most accessible and most used mass media tool …

Picking Corn, Aaron Sanderford

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Nebraska’s shifting media landscape, marked by the decline of newspapers and traditional broadcast viewership, has created an opportunity for innovative, local storytelling. My professional project, Picking Corn, is a podcast that gives voice to Nebraska’s political conversations, focusing on in-depth, long-form interviews with key political figures. Inspired by successful models like The New York Times Daily and NPR Politics Pod, this podcast aims to engage audiences by prioritizing thoughtful questions and meaningful dialogue.

In its first year, Picking Corn reached over 3,300 listeners across platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud. The podcast achieved a 72% episode completion rate—far exceeding …

Harnessing 360-Degree Video To Prompt Users To Think Along With Pro-Environmental Campaign Messages, Mincheol Shin, Heejae Lee

Mass Communications - All Scholarship

Three-hundred-and-sixty-degree videos visualized through virtual reality (VR) technologies are recognized as an effective tool for fostering positive attitudes towards environmental stewardship by immersing users in persuasive storytelling narratives. However, a lack of an overarching framework hinders the understanding of its role in promoting prosocial environmental behaviors, particularly its effects on information processing and behavioral intentions. Notably, recent studies have suggested that feeling transported into a VR environment (i.e., presence) could positively bias message evaluation and the way people process information by activating heuristics connected to immersive experiences (i.e., the bias hypothesis of the heuristic-systematic model). Drawing on this proposition, this …

The Current (Including Special Section) - Volume 35 Issue 6, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Framing Barbie: A Thematic Analysis Of News Media, Mckenzie Muskett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study qualitatively examined how newspapers and digital media sources frame the 2023 movie, Barbie, and how news media can either perpetuate stereotypes or uproot them. This was done by first facilitating a thematic analysis of newspaper articles from five major U.S news outlets, New York Times, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune, and then from four major digital news outlets, Newsweek, Reuters, BBC, and NewsNation. This study utilized framing theory to identify ten frames news outlets used to frame Barbie. Additionally, feminist theory was implemented to inform the findings and analyze the articles. …

Conglomeration, Digital Disruption, And Covid-19: Upheaval-Driven Changes To The Roles Of U.S. Local Television News Directors, Suzanne Lysak, Keren Henderson

Film and Media Arts Faculty Articles and Research

This mixed methods study analyzes how broadcast news directors renegotiate their roles under organizational and cultural times of change. Even before COVID-19, local television news directors, one of the two predominant groups of journalism managers in the United States, were experiencing shifts in roles related to their growing work responsibilities. These changes were the result of long-term workplace upheavals including conglomeration and digital disruption. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, news directors found themselves managing through this additional, short-term upheaval. The authors of this study sought to discover how industry upheavals impact broadcast newsroom management roles.

Framing Foreignness In Sports: The Effect Of Text And Image Frames On Attitudes Toward Australian College Punters, James Bingaman

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

In recent years, there has been an influx of Australian college punters receiving significant media attention. This media coverage often emphasizes these athlete’s “foreignness” by relying on cultural stereotypes. Existing research has shown that the framing of athletes – both text and image frames – can influence individuals’ attitudes and perceptions. Using a 2 x 3 (two textual frames x three visual frames) experimental design, this study sought to test the effects of “foreignness” framing on attitudes toward Australian punters and punters more broadly. The results offer several directions for sports media scholars to examine media effects related to the …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 100, No. 1, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period October 9 - November 11, 2024.

• Wilborn, Price. Letter from the Editor – Elections
• Ivory, Larkin, Cameron Shaw, Libby Simpson & Abigail Vickers. How WKU Students Are Approaching the Ballot Box
• Todd Alcott Shares Vision for Bowling Green

• Freidhof, Natalie. A College Student’s Guide to the Swing States
• Reed-Whalen, Bradlee. What Is Amendment 22? – School Funding
• Di Palermo, Dominic. More to Accomplish – Todd Alcott, Bowling Green Mayor
• Todd Alcott for Mayor In His Own Words
• Patti Minter for Mayor In Her Own Words
• Randolph, Eli. A Day in …

Using News To Start Class: How Small Daily Interactions Affect Larger Classroom Interactions, Laura M. Dumin

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

In 2013, I added an extra credit assignment to my freshmen composition classes encouraging students to bring in news stories each class period; this assignment was designed to encourage students to be more willing to participate in classroom discussions. We then spent the first few minutes of each class discussing the stories they brought. After using this assignment for a few years, I had anecdotal evidence to suggest that my students were generally more talkative in class after the first week or two of sharing news. These experiences made me want to see if I could measure some change or …

Euphemism In Ai Discourse As Colonial Harm & Effect: Learnings From Subaltern Puerto Rico, Jacqueline Oquendo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Through three integrated studies, this dissertation explores complex human-AI interactions by comparing the perceptions of two groups of U.S. citizens: subaltern Puerto Ricans and stateside Americans’ interactions with ChatGPT. This corpus-assisted Critical Discourse Analysis or CLCDA, triangulated with 1:1 semi-structured interviews, validates scholars’ concerns about the biases inherent in generative AI. Contributing to those concerns, this dissertation reveals that ChatGPT deploys discourse strategies that, when executed, facilitate digital colonialism. Euphemistic language is prominent among its discourse strategies, replacing controversial words, phrases, and topics with more palatable ones. When prompted on events of historical significance, I find that ChatGPT’s discourse obscures …

Communication Monographs Fall 2024 Newsletter, Shannon Burth, Srividya Ramasubramanian

CODE^SHIFT Research

No abstract provided.

Do #Blm At The Plantation: A Study Of Plantation Tourism After The Racial Reckoning Of 2020, Denetria N. Lee

LSU Master's Theses

Following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, the widespread public protest of racial injustice created a groundswell that prompted corporate and media responses, so much so that by the end of the summer of 2020, it seemed as if "Black Lives Mattered" everywhere and to everyone. Public response incentivized subsequent corporate response in financial pledges and other commitments to racial justice initiatives until 2020, which became known as the year that America confronted racism or the racial reckoning of 2020. While the public demanded acknowledgment of the many forms of contemporary racial …