Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Chain Ownership And Homogeneity Of Kansas Newspaper Editorial Pages, Brent Bates

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Since individuals and companies began buying independent newspapers and forming newspaper groups or chains, critics have feared the actions would have negative effects on the industry and on the nation. They feared homogeneity of content and, therefore, a reduction in the diversity of ideas. This study, a content analysis of five newspapers from the Harris Newspaper Group, a small chain based in Kansas, and one non Harris owned control newspaper, examined whether homogeneity existed on the editorial pages of Harris newspapers. Specifically, it looked at whether group newspapers published the same syndicated columnists and same syndicated columns, and whether the …