Communication Commons^™

From Red Fears To Red Power: The Story Of The Newspaper Coverage Of Wounded Knee 1890 And Wounded Knee 1973, Kevin Abourezk

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

This thesis examines newspaper coverage of the Wounded Knee massacre, which occurred in December 1890, and the takeover of Wounded Knee, S.D., by members of the American Indian Movement in 1973. In 1890, 21 reporters covered the massacre in which 25 soldiers and 250 Indians were killed, while dozens of radio, television and newspaper reporters covered the 1973 siege in which two Indians were killed. Some historians say newspaper coverage leading up to the massacre, including sensational, false stories about Indians attacking settlers, contributed to Indian agent Dr. D.F. Royer’s calling upon the military to suppress a feared Indian rebellion, …

Formational Relational Turning Points In The Transition To College: Understanding How Communication Events Shape First-Generation Students' Relationships With Their College Teachers, Tiffany R. Wang

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of the present study was to explore teacher-student interaction, teacher-student relationship formation and development, and the ways in which teacher- student interaction and relationships facilitated support and ultimately persistence to graduation for first-generation students in the transition to college. In this study I sought to better understand the nature of interaction in the teacher-student relationship of these first-generation students during their transition to college. I took an interpretive communication-centered approach to identify the teacher messages that first-generation students perceived to be relational turning points with their teachers as well as their perceptions of teacher messages and relational turning …

Workplace Dignity In A Total Institution: Examining The Experiences Of Foxconn’S Migrant Workforce, Kristen Lucas, Dongjing Kang, Zhou Li

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

In 2010, a cluster of suicides at the electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn Technology Group sparked worldwide outcry about working conditions at its factories in China. Within a few short months, 14 young migrant workers jumped to their deaths from buildings on the Foxconn campus, an all-encompassing compound where they had worked, eaten, and slept. Even though the language of workplace dignity was invoked in official responses from Foxconn and its business partner Apple, neither of these parties directly examined workers’ dignity in their ensuing audits. Based on our analysis of media accounts of life at Foxconn, we argue that its …

20 Clues To Community Survival: An Annotated List, Heartland Center For Leadership Development

Heartland Center for Leadership Development Materials

The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is an independent, non-profit organization developing local leadership that responds to the challenges of the future.

The 20 clues are taken from the Heartland Center’s Clues to Rural Community Survival, a landmark study profiling thriving small towns and reservations. The list of vital characteristics provides an “ideal” benchmark against which people can measure their own community. It moves people naturally from theory, to strategy, to action.

Kinect And 3d Gis In Archaeology, Heather Richards-Rissetto, Fabio Remondino, Jim Robersson, Jennifer Von Schwerin, Giorgio Agugiaro, Gabrio Girardi

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

This paper explores the potential of using Microsoft's Kinect to create a low-cost and portable system to virtually navigate, through a prototype 3D GIS, the digitally reconstructed ancient Maya city and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Copan in Honduras. The 3D GIS, named QueryArch3D, was developed as part of the MayaArch3D project (http://mayaarch3d.unm.edu), which explores the possibilities of integrating databases and 3D digital tools for research and teaching on ancient architectures and landscapes. The developed system, based on the Flexible Action and Articulated Skeleton Toolkit (FAAST), controls in a remote and touchless mode the movements in the 3D environment in …

Reconsidering Consultants’ Strategic Use Of The Business Case For Diversity, Jennifer Mease (Also Peeksmease)

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

The business case for diversity—the practice of connecting human differences to an organization’s bottom line—has been critiqued for its compromised treatment of human difference. Through a grounded in action discursive analysis of 19 interviews with diversity consultants, this research identifies three occupational demands that prompted consultants to use the business case: organizational access, motivation, and emotion work. The analysis also identifies strategies consultants used that met these demands without relying on the business case: connecting to mission statements, connecting to individual tasks, appealing to personal experience, sequencing, combining, balancing discourses of emotion and business, drawing on spiritual grounding, and using …

Are We There Yet? Examining Sociocultural Contexts Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy And Antibias Teachings In Early Childhood, Tonia Durden, Kimberly Blitch

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

What is our role in teacher education and development in preparing a workforce that has the professional competencies and skills to provide quality experiences for the culturally and linguistically diverse children in their care? We argue, it is imperative to draw upon the cultural and linguistic tools of children and families. An educational program that is culturally responsive to the child and encourages their sociocultural awareness and anti-bias beliefs toward others is critical in our emerging global society and essential to maximizing children’s learning experiences and future success. Culture still matters. Culture sensitivity, consciousness and awareness are all still integral …

Electronic Health Records: Eliciting Behavioral Health Providers’ Beliefs [Brief Reports], Nancy C. Shank, Elizabeth Willborn, Lisa M. Pytlik Zillig, Harmonijoie Noel

Nancy Shank Publications

Interviews with 32 community behavioral health providers elicited perceived benefits and barriers of using electronic health records. Themes identified were (a) quality of care, (b) privacy and security, and (c) delivery of services. Benefits to quality of care were mentioned by 100% of the providers, and barriers by 59% of providers. Barriers involving privacy and security concerns were mentioned by 100% of providers, and benefits by 22%. Barriers to delivery of services were mentioned by 97% of providers, and benefits by 66%. Most providers (81%) expressed overall positive support for electronic behavioral health records.

Nissan: Innovation For All -- Hard To Explain, Easy To Experience, Unl Nsac 2012 Agency

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Student Advertising Projects

The demographic landscape of the United States is changing. Now more than ever, larger populations of multicultural individuals are present and fully integrated into all parts of American society. As such, building a market share in the African American, Hispanic, and Chinese Millennial markets is absolutely necessary. Nissan recognizes the need to connect with these audiences and will do so by generating increased awareness about its innovative brand. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln NSAC Team has devised an effective, buzz-stimulating campaign to target these audiences.

Nissan offers many innovative features that appeal to Multicultural Millennials. This target audience, however, does not …

Rtbs: Your Audio Companion, 3am, Cori Schwabe, Casey Mattison, Kathryn Kawa, Allea Grummert, Nick Holle, Gabbi Silke, Derrick Sloan, Brittany Guindon, Amanda Hinrichs

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Student Advertising Projects

Radio Talking Book Service, a non-profit organization that assists the visually impaired by providing a free radio reading service, came to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a challenge: increase brand and service awareness throughout Nebraska.

We began by conducting both secondary and primary research, developing key insights and examining all possible target audiences. We investigated the day-to-day life of the visually impaired, learning that many who have experienced vision loss suffer from decreasing independence and increasing feelings of loneliness. Our primary research revealed that these individuals turn first to eye care professionals, resource organizations for the visually impaired and residential …

Negotiating Forgiveness In Nonvoluntary Family Relationships, Kristen Carr, Tiffany R. Wang

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examined the ways in which individuals communicatively negotiate the process of forgiveness in nonvoluntary (family) relationships. Drawing from relational dialectics theory (RDT) as well as other dialogic perspectives on forgiveness (e.g., Waldron & Kelley, 2008), we examined the complexity of communicating forgiveness in nonvoluntary relationships. Participants’ experiences supported the idea that forgiveness is an ongoing process of communicative negotiations between and among family members. Consistent with previous research, participants also noted that they generally did not explicitly verbalize forgiveness of a family member. Ultimately, the degree to which participants judged their forgiveness as successful often depended on whether …

Enabling Learning And Enhancing Education In Ipm In The Midst Of Dwindling Financial Resources: Why Open Access To Resources And Publishing Could Be A Strategic Step To Support Students Today And Tomorrow?, Ousmane Youm

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

When I was invited to join the editorial board of the journal Entomology, Ornithology & Herpetology (EOH), I read carefully the note coming with the invitation and also looked at the content and scope. Then two things came into my mind as I stopped a few minutes to reflect on a couple of issues: (1) how the new journal links and is relevant to Integrated Pest Management—IPM (for those who understand its definition)—and (2) the issue of open access and relevance in the current situation of an ailing global economy, particularly in the vulnerable developing nations.

In the latter, more …

The Effect Of Advertising-Focused, Short-Term Study Abroad Programs On Students’ Worldviews, Frauke Hachtmann

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Global employers in the advertising industry are increasingly interested in hiring students with intercultural communication skills and cultural experience. While the benefits of long-term study abroad programs are well documented, this study focuses on advertising-specific, short-term study abroad programs. The purpose was to explore the effectiveness of such programs on students’ worldviews using a mixed methods design. The results show that students displayed lower levels of ethnocentrism after participating in short-term, advertising-focused study abroad programs. In addition, five qualitative themes emerged: an awareness of and appreciation for the out-group, an increased awareness of the in-group, the importance of communication, a …

“If You Can Dream It, You Can Achieve It”: Parent Memorable Messages As Indicators Of College Student Success, Haley Kranstuber, Kristen Carr, Angela M. Hosek

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study investigated various aspects of parents’ memorable messages about college as they relate to indicators of college student success. Findings revealed that parents’ memorable messages about college focused on working (and playing) hard, the necessity of attending college, providing encouragement and support, and general advice based on parents’ own experiences. Although these message themes were not uniquely predictive of college student success, the students’ perceptions of message and sender characteristics emerged as significant predictors of cognitive learning indicators, learner empowerment, college motivation, and satisfaction with college. Theoretical and practical implications for findings are discussed.

College World Series In Omaha: In A League Of Its Own, Albert Chen, Bruce Thorson

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Photo caption: This 2011 Cal-Virginia hurlers' duel produced the longest CWS scoreless stretch in 24 years: 6-1/2 innings. (Photo by Bruce Thorson)

Writing For The Web: Twitter As A Starting Point For Breaking News, Sue Burzynski Bullard, Michelle Carr Hassler

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Students enrolled in a multimedia reporting course use Twitter to cover breaking news events as they unfold, capitalizing on the immediacy of the social media network and the Web. Using cellphones or laptops, they learn to tell stories 140 characters at a time. The second half of this assignment requires students to build on their Twitter stories by posting follow-up stories and photographs to a class website. The follow- ups, written within six hours of events, must include additional reporting. The assignment marries traditional writing and reporting skills with digital tools increasingly being used in the real world.

Public Relations In Kenya: An Exploration Of Models And Cultural Influences, Dane M. Kiambi, Marjorie Keeshan Nadler

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

This pioneer study explores the public relations models that inform the practice of public relations in Kenya, and the cultural values that influence this practice. Results show the personal influence model as the most used by practitioners in Kenya, while individualism is the most experienced cultural value. The strong correlation between personal influence model and Hofstede’s cultural value of femininity points to the practitioners’ strong desire for good interpersonal relationships with colleagues, supervisors, clients and key publics.

Ethnic Appeal: A Self-Defense Tool For Kenyan Politicians, Dane M. Kiambi

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

So far, analyses of apologetic rhetoric strategies as used by individuals or organizations to respond to accusations of wrongdoing have been concentrated in the West. An analysis of political apologia in an African setting — in this case Kenya — reveals that while Kenyan politicians have used denial, victimization, mortification, and counterattacking among other self-defense strategies, one particular strategy emerges as the most commonly used by Kenyan politicians — ethnic appeal.

Risks And Benefits Of Seeking And Receiving Emotional Support During The Divorce Process: An Examination Of Divorcee Individual Adjustment, Closeness, And Relational Satisfaction With Multiple Partners From A Social Network, Sarah E. Wilder

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Divorce is one of the most difficult life events an individual may face. Divorce impacts not only the individual who has to adjust to new physical and psychological conditions following divorce, but also extends to the many relationships in the divorcee’s social network. Central to divorce processes and relational outcomes is communication. One aspect that may influence the quality of divorcees’ post-divorce relationships and ability to adjust following the divorce is the provision of emotional support. In the current study, I examine a social network model of adjustment to divorce by examining the role of risk in seeking, and effectiveness …

Measuring Classroom Engagement By Comparing Instructor Expectations With Students’ Perceptions, Paul Savory, Amy Goodburn, Jody Koenig Kellas

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Even instructors who can demonstrate student success in their courses can be challenged to document which practices are most effective in engaging student learning. National surveys designed to assess student engagement do not provide individual faculty with information that can help them assess their individual teaching efforts. This paper highlights a survey designed to help individual faculty members learn about their students and provides a comparison of instructors’ expectations with students’ perceptions. This paper illustrates the value of such a survey through an extended example of the insights that an instructor gained by using it in her course.

Genesis In Hyperreality: Legitimizing Disingenuous Controversy At The Creation Museum, Casey Ryan Kelly, Kristen E. Hoerl

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This essay analyzes the argumentative structure of the “Answers in Genesis” ministry’s Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. Founded by a $27 million grant, the 70,000-square-foot museum appropriates the stylistic and authoritative signifiers of natural history museums, complete with technically proficient hyperreal displays and modern curatorial techniques. In this essay, we argue that the museum provides a culturally authoritative space in which Young Earth Creationists can visually craft the appearance that there is an ongoing scientific controversy over matters long settled in the scientific community (evolution), or what scholars call a disingenuous or manufactured controversy. We analyze the displays and layout …

Socializing The Nomad: Problematizing The Socialization Of Profession-Specific Temporary Workers, Matthew S. Vorell, Sarah Steimel

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

While growth in the majority of economic areas has slowed greatly over the past few years, the percentage of individuals moving into temporary labor has seen double-digit expansion. However, the understanding of how temporary workers switch from organizational outsiders to insiders has remained largely unexplored as traditional socialization scholarship has focused primarily on linear and sequential steps. This study challenged the nature of the socialization process by analyzing how substitute teachers, as profession-specific temporary workers, assimilated in their work arrangement. We concluded that instead of the linear model dedicated to organisational members with long-term contracts, socialization models encompassing substitute teachers …

An Examination Of Privacy Rules For Academic Advisors And College Student-Athletes: A Communication Privacy Management Perspective, Jason Thompson, Sandra Petronio, Dawn O. Braithwaite

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This study explored how academic advisors managed revealed private information from college student-athletes. The 37 academic advisors were interviewed to address: What criteria advisors use to judge privacy rules regulating access or protection of shared private information from student-athletes, and how privacy-rule choices function in this context? Academic advisors interviewed represented 21 different institutions of the four NCAA division levels and 10 separate athletic conferences. Using Communication Privacy Management theory as a framework, findings indicated there were two main criteria: motivations and risk-benefit ratios used to develop privacy rules managing revealing and concealing the student-athlete’s private information.

A Matter Of Seconds: An Interpretive Study On Media Reporting Of Life-Threatened Children, James M. Kavanaugh

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Based on the premise that journalists and media systems have an ethical responsibility to report on the issue of child mortality, this interpretive study examines the question of how they can do so effectively, with the possibility of inspiring generous action among their audiences. The study compares results from human science research on charitable giving to distant victims, with a set of interviews involving a diverse group of media specialists. In conclusion, while the media staff of nonprofit organizations, compared to journalists, tend to be more aware of social research related to charitable giving, as well as more comfortable with …

Experiential Interior Design: Branding Entertainment And Nightlife For The Postmodern Young Urban Professional, Niccole S. Skomal

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

Past study on Interior Design has been primarily looked at through the lenses of aesthetics and functionality. Only recently have scholars begun to see the influence marketing, in the form of branding, can have on the Interior Design process in targeting specific lifestyle groups. The purpose of this research is to understand the fabric of the postmodern Young Urban Professional lifestyle as a marketing tool for branding and designing services in the form of entertainment and nightlife. With an increasing lack of community and social connectedness in today’s postmodern society, Young Urban Professionals tend to consume entertainment and nightlife as …

Mariners All Access: An Inside Look At The Role Of A Producer At Root SportsTm, Carrie S. Tachiyama

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

The experience of producing a full episode and several segments of Mariners All Access provides an in-depth look at the inner workings of a production at a regional sports network. Examining the role of the producer, what lessons are learned and discovering more effective ways to produce Mariners All Access.

The producer in this instance is a manager of a small staff, a researcher and a creator of storylines. From previous experience an assumption is made that sports networks and news stations operate the same way. After the author’s experience in producing Mariners All Access it is shown this …

Print Vs. Online Journalism: Are Believability And Accuracy Affected By Where Readers Find Information?, Burton Speakman

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Believability and accuracy of print and online news is studied via the comments of newspaper readers of a small Texas community. The readers of the Normangee Star were chosen to be the survey recipients to learn if readers in a small community had the same attitude about their local newspaper that national surveys have indicated exist about newspapers in general. The expectation was that those who read more news online would consider their local paper to be less believable and accurate than those who read little to no news online. Surveys were mailed to 200 subscribers of the Star, …

Identifying Barriers And Incentives Related To Attending The Performing Arts: An Examination Of First Year College Students, Laura J. Sweet

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Young adults entering their first year of academic study beyond high school face seemingly limitless opportunities. For the first time, they’re on their own: deciding everything from when to eat to where to study and what to do in their free time. Campuses are rich with possibilities. From official student organizations and clubs, to impromptu pizza parties and dorm floor trivia contests, daily decisions create the experiences that shape the life to come. On many large campuses, alongside academic buildings are art galleries and performance spaces. Research shows that early exposures to the arts lead to increased engagement during student …

Greeted Like Liberators: Media, Metaphor, And Myth In The Rhetorical Construction Of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Charles Franklin Bisbee

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Journalistic performance in covering the presidential argument to undertake Operation Iraqi Freedom drew almost instantaneous criticism from within the profession. The general line of criticism held that journalists failed a “watchdog” standard of applying scrutiny to the rhetoric of public officials in terms of fact-based and legitimate argumentation. Alleged causes, in the case of Operation Iraqi Freedom, are usually rooted in al-Qaeda’s September 11, 2001 terroristic attacks inside the United States. Some critics submitted that post-attack journalistic “patriotism” granted President George W. Bush an overly-generous benefit of doubt in framing an American response. Others faulted journalistic norms. But the criticism …

Mapping Injustice: The World Is Witness, Place-Framing, And The Politics Of Viewing On Google Earth, Joshua P. Ewalt

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Working from assumptions that inequality is often spatially informed, a set of interactive cartographies has recently proliferated on Google Earth. In this essay, I analyze one of those interactive cartographies: The World is Witness produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). I read the map as an organizational rhetoric that frames place as "embedded injustice." I also argue that thorough analysis of the framing of local place on Google Earth must inherently question whether the map can create a disruption in the viewing subject. While the map presents vital information on excruciatingly despicable acts of injustice, and the …