Journalism Studies Commons^™

Prowatch: Critically Thinking About Reporters’ Work, Carla Kimbrough

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

ProWatch, an activity in critical thinking, is an assignment that I use in beginning reporting and editing classes, but it can be adapted easily for use in editing and advanced reporting classes. It is designed to make students read the newspaper, identify sources of story ideas, develop interviewing skills, identify Associated Press style, think about presenting stories across platforms and strengthen story organization skills. This assignment is used throughout the semester so that students can gain these skills by critically examining the published work of professional journalists.

International Advertising Education In A Digital World: Achieving Global Competency, Frauke Hachtmann, Nancy Mitchell, Bruce Mitchell, Sheila Sasser

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Alphabet To Internet: Media In Our Lives, Sue Burzynski Bullard

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Technology has changed virtually every aspect of communication. As more of us adapt to news and information delivered almost instantly on devices that handily fit into a pocket, we’ve become accustomed to new tools and quick changes. Irving Fang’s second edition of Alphabet to Internet puts it all in perspective, starting with the dawn of writing and including today’s 140-character Tweet. In a word, the impact is mind-boggling.

Integrating Evidence-Based Practices Into Public Relations Education, Karen Freberg, David L. Remund, Kathy Keltner-Previs

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Public relations continue to play an essential and changing role in society, requiring the regular reassessment of the education of future public relations practitioners. Academics and practitioners often differ in how they view the public relations field, how they define the discipline, and how they view the major pedagogical approaches. This paper explores the impact of integrating three different perspectives in public relations education, including practitioner perspective, client perspective, and the evidence-based perspective. Results from students’ reaction papers and an online questionnaire suggest that integrating an evidence-based approach improves the competence and clarity of communications counsel provided by aspiring practitioners.

Jomc 486: Mass Media Law—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, John R. Bender

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Mass Media Law, JOMC 486, is a required course for all majors in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. This includes majors in journalism (traditional print journalism and online journalism), broadcasting and advertising-public relations. The purpose of this portfolio is to assess whether the learning objectives of the course are achieved. The evidence compiled for this portfolio suggests that the students are learning basic information about mass media law. Further, analysis of the tests shows that they are also learning how to apply the principles of media law to situations they have not encountered, thus preparing them for dealing …

Musician Bloggers: The Impact Of Niche Bloggers On Business, Charles Craine

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Blogs have become a staple for many online users as the world becomes more and more connected. Blogs are websites often maintained by individuals who comment on anything that interests them. They are diaries of sorts from which individuals can broadcast their thoughts and opinions to the world.

Musician blogs are websites where musicians discuss their lives and craft. These blog present the writer’s opinions about their specific instruments, genre, group and many things.

This study analyzes in-depth interviews with 20 musician bloggers to understand their motivations and satisfaction they receive from blogging. This study will analyze seven motivations for …

Book Review: The Ethics Of Emerging Media: Information, Social Norms And New Media Technology, Sue Burzynski Bullard

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Discussions of new media and ethics sometimes include the notion that “ethics are ethics”—that doing the right thing is, and has been, a constant over time and across media.

The idea has a certain appeal. But it gets new twists in The Ethics of Emerging Media, by Bruce E. Drushel and Kathleen German, assistant professors of communication at Miami University. New media create new ethical questions and opportunities to cross ethical lines, as the thirteen contributors to this collection examine.

College Football Twitter Communities: The Husker Twitter Community During The 2012 Capital One Bowl, Kelly D. Mosier

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Our increasingly interconnected society has allowed total strangers to share insights in real time with increasing frequency and ease through the use of social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Plus. Twitter, a social network based on the cell phone short messaging system, has previously shown an ability to aid in the sharing of information during major events such as presidential debates and breaking news.

Sporting events are also places where large groups of people share a similar experience. Traditionally, information has flowed to average viewers, through professional journalists. Due to social networking sites like Twitter, fans now …

Faith As News: A Christian Clergy Perspective On News Media Coverage Of Religion, John Baker

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Religion and the news media have had a long, contentious relationship. While the roots of American journalism lie in the particular theology and practices of Puritan New England, journalism’s clashes with authority, including the religious establishment, set it on its course to independence.

While the general public sees the news media as largely neutral toward religion, a significant segment of evangelical Christians see the news media as “unfriendly” toward them. This thesis suggests that group identification, as well as conservative political orientation, are prime factors shaping this perception of the new media.

Adviser: Carla Kimbrough

Blind Trusts As A Model For Campaign Finance Reform, Perry Andrew Pirsch

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

In this thesis, I explore whether blind trusts present a viable option for campaign finance reform. More specifically, would either permitting (voluntary) or requiring (mandatory) anonymous donations for political campaigns allow for fully funded, yet privately funded, campaigns while preventing problems, whether real or perceived, such as buying influence (quid pro quo) or buying access, which are traditionally associated with large campaign donations? To study this question, I have examined the constitutional origins of the need to fund federal campaigns, Congress’ power to regulate campaigns under the Constitution’s Elections Clause, the constitutional protection of speech, and the concern of large …

Journalism Students As Community News Providers: Three Case Studies And An Analysis Of Intellectual Property Issues Related To Student-Created Content, Mary Kay Quinlan, John R. Bender, Charlie Litton

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

So many news outlets; so little news.

That could be the headline for the Federal Communications Commission’s 2011 report The Information Needs of Communities by Steven Waldman, which describes in detail the landscape of commercial and nonprofit media and the regulatory landscape in which they operate. The digital revolution has spawned a proliferation of online sources of information, but Waldman’s research documents a concomitant decline in news reporting, particularly that pertaining to state and local governments.

Citing numerous previous analyses and case studies, the report summarizes the evidence:

● In just four years, from 2006 to 2010, the workforce in …

Book Review: Public Journalism 2.0: The Promise And Reality Of A Citizen-Engaged Press, Sue Burzynski Bullard

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Digital technology has changed journalism dramatically. Through a collection of research studies, essays, case studies, and interviews, Public Journalism 2.0 takes a detailed look at evolving public journalism and where audience-generated stories fit into that evolution. The editors divide the book into three sections: the history of civic and citizen journalism, current practices, and future possibilities. They conclude with their views of where professionals fit in to a citizen-engaged press.

Consumer Packaged Goods Trade Advertising During The December 2007–June 2009 Recession, Bridgid Agosta

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

The purpose of this study was to use a content analysis to compare retail trade advertisements made by top U.S. consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers during the December 2007–June 2009 recession. This study extended Lord’s (1987) research that focused on consumer advertising to understand retail trade advertisements. This study analyzed 195 advertisements of U.S. CPG manufacturers in a nationally distributed U.S. retail trade print publication, Supermarket News. The results could indicate that retail trade print advertisements may help to enhance CPG manufacturers’ reputations among their trading partners. Specifically, findings from this research may indicate that because General Mills and Unilever …

The Impact Of Reporter Gender On Print News Coverage Of The 2008 Dole–Hagan U.S. Senate Race In North Carolina, Courtney Hunt Munther

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Four reporters covered the 2008 U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole and Democrat challenger Kay Hagan – two male and two female – all of whom worked for the same news organization. This study analyzed the coverage the four reporters produced about the Dole-Hagan race, looking specifically at story structure, topic selection, descriptive language used, tone and source selection. Due to study limitations, no clear relationships were established between reporter gender and the news coverage of the Dole-Hagan race that reporters produced.

Advisor: John Bender

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, …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

The University Of Nebraska At Omaha's Criss Library Mobile Resources: A Study Of User's Preferences, Teonne A. Wright

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

In March of 2010 the University of Nebraska at Omaha Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library launched mCriss, the library mobile website to support the educational objectives of on-campus and distance students as well as the research goals of UNO faculty and staff. The study investigators conducted an online survey of UNO students, faculty, staff, alumni and UNO Library Friends ages 19 and older. The purpose of this study was to collect data on UNO community member use of mobile devices and UNO Criss Library mobile services, to determine if participants: are aware of the different aspects of the …

The Public Service Role Of The Local Pensacola Mass Media During Hurricane Ivan, Chad D. Morehead

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

During disasters, residents from impacted areas need information to help them respond to and cope with the destruction. The local media play an important role in providing this disaster related information to their community. This is especially true during major disasters which knock out electrical power and information distribution channels and make it difficult for residents to receive mediated information. While the public’s informational needs vary from disaster to disaster, some disasters such as hurricanes provide the media opportunities to provide information that can help the public prepare for the disaster, respond to the disaster, and recover from the disaster. …

The Gateway To The Digital World, Frauke Hachtmann

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Attending the annual AEJMC conference always signifies the end of the summer and the beginning of a new academic year. Every August, I look forward to learning about cutting-edge research, the latest news from the industry, innovative teaching ideas, and of course connecting with friends and colleagues. As programming chair last year, I had the privilege to represent one of the most vibrant AEJMC interest groups and to look behind the scenes of what it takes to organize and stage a conference with 2,192 delegates, 355 sessions, and a record of 896 papers. The ad division contributed 113 papers with …

Does Trust Really Matter? A Quantitative Study Of College Students' Trust And Use Of News Media, Soo Hui Lee

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Media polls reveal that trust in news media has been on the decline in recent years and so is the consumption of news. This quantitative study reveals no significant correlation between overall trust and use of news media. It finds that college students have more trust in traditional news sources and view TV as their most important news source. Yet they are more likely to seek out a future news event from online news sources, despite having less trust in them. Results indicate that social media sources, such as Facebook and Twitter, are used as frequent sources for news and …

Strategic Discussions For Nebraska - Opportunities For Nebraska: Energy, Climate And Sustainability, College Of Journalism And Mass Communications, Robert And Ardis James Family Foundation, Unl Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Innovation

Soil: Techniques and Production Methods and How They Conserve Resources • Mark Kuzila

Soil Productivity Vital for Economical Crop Production • Richard Ferguson

Leading Through Sustainable Management of Natural Resources • Charles Wortmann

Scientific Trait Development • P. Stephen Baenziger

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Developing Better Foods and Fuels • Edgar Cahoon

Crops Innovations Overview • Mark Lagrimini

Grapes and Wine: Adding Value to Nebraska’s Economy • Paul Read

UNL Plant Trait Research Saves Water, Grows More Food • James Specht

Feeding the World from Nebraska’s Research Technology • Larry Berger

Research Means Better Ag Productivity, Better Marketing …

You're @ Cojmc: An Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign, Ambidex

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Student Advertising Projects

Campaign Challenge The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications has entered the Big Ten conference and would like to assure its position among other competing mass communications programs with a more integrated and memorable recruiting and branding campaign designed to promote the CoJMC’s strengths of community, faculty, and the new worlds of digital and mobile technologies.

Target Audiences High school students, their parents and advisers, and college transfer students from other community colleges.

Budget The budget for this campaign was under $10,000.

Objectives To research, concept and create an integrated marketing communications plan that will effectively promote …