Health and Physical Education Commons^™

Reed, Playford, Photographs, 1897-1945, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

Finding Aids

The Playford Reed Photographs includes photographs and self-made postcards ranging from portraits, family photos, and sports photos all pertaining to Playford Reed, his upbringing, his friends, and his family.

Playford Whittemore Reed was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1901 to William “Whit” and Birdie Reed. Playford grew up in Pittsburg, Kansas and attended the State Manual Training Normal School (now Pittsburg State University) in 1921, but finished his education at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. While in college, Playford played football and baseball. Reed married Marie Couts in 1930, and worked as a car salesmen in St. Paul. …

Immunization Communication In ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’: Inoculation Theory, Health Messaging, And Children’S Entertainment Television, Josh Compton, Alicia Mason

Faculty Submissions

Entertainment education research has shown that television programs can communicate important health information to television viewers. Much of this research focuses on mass media effects (e.g., behavioral intention of viewers, post-viewing; attitudinal change, post-viewing). Less is known about the rhetorical strategies employed in such messaging. We review para-social and para-proxemics literature to describe the viewing context and then offer a detailed rhetorical analysis of immunization messaging on the children’s television program, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” arguing that, aptly, Fred Rogers’ rhetorical framing mirrored that of the inoculation theory of resistance to influence, presenting “weak” challenges to his young viewers to help …