Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Perceived Cultural Proximity And Perceived News Source Credibility In Puerto Rico, Camila Espina

Media Studies - Theses

This study examines the relationship between interaction with the United States, perceived cultural proximity between Puerto Rican and American culture, and perceived source credibility of American news media. Existing literature on media credibility, cultural proximity, and acculturation was used to design an online survey. The sample of this study consists of three hundred and seventy two Puerto Ricans that resided in Puerto Rico at the time of data collection (N=372).

Data analysis procedures involved paired samples t-test as well as Pearson's Correlation Coefficient. The current study yielded three key findings. The first finding demonstrates that respondents perceive American news media …

A Matter Of Faith: U.S. Cable News Coverage And Definitions Of Terrorism, Adam Yehia Elrashidi

Media Studies - Theses

What makes an act of violence an act of terrorism? This qualitative study examines the ways in which three U.S.-based cable news networks--MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News--reported and contextualized four violent events within frameworks of terrorism: the mass shooting at Ft. Hood near Killeen, Texas (2009); the mass shooting near Tucson, Arizona (2011); a suicidal plane crash into an IRS building in Austin, Texas (2010); and the attempted bombing of the Federal Reserve in New York, New York (2012).

Although details between these four events seem analogous, the three networks appeared to contextualize only the Ft. Hood rampage and the …

Framing Disability: A Content Analysis Of Newspapers In Nigeria, Olusola John Ogundola

Media Studies - Theses

This study examined how the media in Nigeria framed people with disabilities and issues concerning them with a view to appreciating how news media frames impact society's perception of people with disabilities. A textual analysis method was used to examine newspapers' reports of disability within the period of a decade - 2001 to 2010. The sample was drawn from two major newspapers in Nigeria - Daily Trust based in Abuja, north-central Nigeria and Nigerian Tribune based in Ibadan, south-western Nigeria. This was done to ascertain whether cultural and religious differences between the north (predominantly Islam) and south (predominantly Christian) impact …