Mass Communication Commons^™

Empowering And Engaging Students In Learning Research Methods, Rhonda Breit, Shaung Liu

Graduate School of Media and Communications

The capacity to conduct research is essential for university graduates to survive and thrive in their future career. However, research methods courses have often been considered by students as "abstract", "uninteresting", and "hard". Thus, motivating students to engage in the process of learning research methods has become a crucial challenge for lecturers. This paper reports a study which incorporates students' prior (international) experiences into learning academic research in order to enhance relatedness, engagement, and a sense of empowerment. The findings indicate that student attitudes to learning research methods are closely related to the level of their engagement in the learning …

What Is This Music? Auteur Music In The Films Of Wes Anderson, Lara Rose Hrycaj

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the different types of music featured in the films of contemporary American film director Wes Anderson utilizing Claudia Gorbman's concepts of auteur music and auteur melomane. This analysis establishes the music in Anderson's films as auteur music and Anderson himself as an auteur melomane - a director with a passion for music. To establish Anderson as a melomane, it is important to look not only at the different types of music found in his films but also the different ways that the music is used within the films and his collaboration with …

Impacts Of Oral Language Proficiency, Television And Internet On Acculturation Of Taiwanese College Students, Huang Yu Lin

Wayne State University Dissertations

The majority of recent cross-cultural research with regard to the media's impact on acculturation has been aimed at Chinese immigrants' acculturation by the media in the United States with relatively little attention to Taiwanese college students' state of change in acculturation by various media sources while acquiring English as a second language. There are significant numbers of studies on assimilation to the host culture by both the ethnic and host media; however, there is a paucity of literature based on the one-dimensional media impact on a particular demographic group which can be easily traced to various types of media affecting …

Combating Violence Against Women Through C4d: The “Use Your Voice” Campaign And Its Implications On Audience-Citizens In Papua New Guinea, Vipul Khosla, Akina Mikami, Lauren B. Frank, Isabel Popal, Klara Debeljak, Amelia Shaw

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Violence against women (VAW) is universally identified as a barrier to legal, social, political, and economic equality for women, violating their rights and fundamental freedoms. This article brings together existing literature and empirical research on addressing such violence in Papua New Guinea (PNG), providing results that can inform future work in this area. The literature review examines the causes of violence against women and the role that communication for development (C4D) can play in addressing these issues. The Use Your Voice campaign was implemented in PNG in late 2011 in an effort to promote speaking out against violence and displace …

Power Girls Before Girl Power: 1980s Toy-Based Girl Cartoons, Katia Perea

Publications and Research

The socio/cultural history and partnership of toy advertisement and children’s television is rich and well documented (Schneider 1989, Kunkel 1988, Seiter 1993). In this article I discuss the influence of policy in girl’s cartoon programming as well as the relationship between commercialization and financial motivation in creating a girl cartoon media product. I then discuss the formulaic, gender normative parameters this new genre set in place to identify girl cartoons as well as girl media consumption and how within those parameters girl cartoon characters were able to represent an empowered girl popular culture product a decade before the nomenclature Girl …

The Effect Of Emotionally Arousing Negative Images On Judgments About News Stories, Martin Daniel Smith-Rodden

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Two experiments investigated the effects of the presentations of photographic images (highly emotionally arousing/low arousal/no image) on people's attitudes after reading a news story. Experiment 1 presented a story and images about U.S. involvement in the Afghanistan War. Experiment 2 replicated the design with a story and images about African famine relief efforts. Consistent with predictions of the affect heuristic model of judgment formation, the addition of emotionally arousing pictures had an effect on people's support for the war in Afghanistan and their support for famine aid. Additionally, effects were observed in broader attitudes concerning participant's support of a militaristic …

Communication At Superfund Sites And The Reification Of Division: Toward A Convergence-Building Model Of Risk Communication, Anna G. Hoover

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This case study evaluates government communication practices at Superfund sites. I describe agency communication practices in Superfund communities, paying particular attention to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's

Seven Cardinal Rules of Risk Communication and its role as a model for federal agencies engaged at these sites. Situating the study within a theoretical milieu that includes sensemaking and symbolic interactionism, I examine whether current practices deepen divisions among stakeholders, reducing the possibility for communicative convergence.

I implement textual analysis and narrative inquiry to examine written and spoken communication about the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant National Priorities List Superfund site. Through …

Ua25/2 Finance & Administration Human Resources, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Human Resources.

Ua35/11 Honors Program, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about the Honors Program. Includes brochures, awards programs, student handbooks, newsletters and research publications.

Quality, Objectivity, And Tone In Media Portrayals Of Care For Older Adults, Jennifer Van Loan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In response to the growing population of older adults who will need assistance to care for themselves, this research evaluates media coverage of care options for older adults presented in local newspapers, an informational resource used by baby boomers and older generations interested in planning for their futures and caring for their loved ones. Computer databases for four newspapers representing the Capital Region of New York State were scanned for keywords to identify articles about older adult care, then articles were reviewed to ensure they were relevant to older adult care. A quantitative content analysis was performed on the articles …

Glidden At Walmart: There For You, University Of Nebraska–Lincoln Nsac Team, Cody Elmore, Adam Kroft, Rachel Leitschuck, Brittany Rypkema, Jordan Oddo, Derek Niewohner, Matthew Anderson, Mitchell Benes, Meg Brannen, Griffin Gale, Devin Mcdermott, Grant Weber, Jennifer Gortik, Geremy Gortemaker, Katie Hottovy, Matt Wengert, Toan Chu, Devin Specht, Rich Bailey, Michael Goff

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Student Advertising Projects

Hectic, busy, tiring—these are just a few words our target markets use to describe their day-to-day lives. Millennials, young families, and Baby Boomers all feel the pressure of life. With jobs, schoolwork, and family, they find it hard to keep up. Because of these busy lifestyles, savvy consumers crave home improvement solutions that are both quick and reliable. Glidden offers a solution to these issues by placing its top-quality paint in the most convenient store on Earth, Walmart. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln NSAC Team has created a plan to promote this symbiotic relationship of Glidden’s quality and Walmart’s convenience as …

An Investigation Of Boaters' Attitudes Toward And Usage Of Targeted Mobile Apps, Kamra Bowerman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand boaters’ adoption and usage of smartphones and mobile apps as well as to obtain their opinion on potential features of a targeted mobile app being developed as part of a broader interdisciplinary Florida Sea Grant outreach project. Data were gathered from an online survey of a sample of 164 boaters from the surrounding Central Florida area. In contrast with previous empirical mobile app studies, many respondents reported using mobile apps for information-seeking versus escape gratifications. Further more than half of the respondents’ age sixty-five and over indicated using smartphones and mobile apps. …

Examining The Effect Of Innovation On The Market Structure Of The U.S. Media Industry, Thomas Edward Vizcarrondo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines if and how technological innovation influences market structure of the media industry. The empirical focus is twofold: 1) to measure and quantify the level of ownership concentration and competition (i.e., market structure) of the U.S. media industry, and 2) to examine the market structure of the media industry as a function of the adoption of three different media technologies, including television, cable television, and the Internet. OLS regression analysis is employed to address the following research question: How do technological innovations affect the market structure of the media industry? Results of the study provide support for the …

Segmentation In Hispanic-Targeted Marketing, Silvia Irene Medrano

LSU Master's Theses

Hispanic-oriented advertising is a growing area in the advertising industry. Findings reported in this research examined agency strategies for advertising in Hispanic-oriented advertising. Interviews with agency practitioners involved in the planning, creation and media selection provided insight into agency best practices in Hispanic-oriented advertising. In-depth interviews at two Hispanic-oriented agencies revealed that a focus on cultural understanding, client relationships, and opposition of common stereotypes and segmentation practices were key in creating successful advertising that connected to Hispanic mindsets. Research results suggest that growth in the U.S. Hispanic population will not only affect the advertising industry, but will also create changes …

Corporate Use Of Social Media, Viktorya Mirzoyan

LSU Master's Theses

Despite significant and constantly increasing volume of social media use by both individuals and corporate entities, scarce scholastic attention has been paid to practices undertaken by companies and organizations in creating presence on social media, managing social media accounts and communicating with constituents on social media. New social media platforms appear regularly, attracting millions of daily visitors, however, this new type of communication media still lacks in-depth analysis, which would provide guidelines to be used by corporate entities to make their presence on social media most effective. This study makes the first step to analyze possible relationships between companies’ practices …

March Madness For Men, Gabrielle P. Jones

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the manner in which the media covers men’s and women’s athletics and how it may affect the public’s perception of women’s athletics. The study also seeks to examine how the hegemonic devices and primes that the sports media use can affect viewers’ enjoyment of women’s athletic coverage as well as the effect that sports fandom plays on viewers perceptions. Using an experiment exposing participants to heavy men’s college and women’s college basketball coverage, the results showed that sports media coverage did not elicit negative perceptions toward women’s athletics.

When Your Good Friends Wear Prada : A Study Of Parasocial Relationships, Attractiveness, And Life Satisfaction, Kristen Marie Higdon

LSU Master's Theses

This study focuses on how viewers’ relationships with their favorite media characters can impact their outlook on their own lives. Through the examination of parasocial relationships (PSRs), attractiveness, and the traits of materialism and envy, this study looks at the consequences of such traits on one’s life satisfaction. Overall, the theoretical model presented argues to make the connection from one’s PSR to his or her life satisfaction. Using a sample of undergraduate students, participants were asked to complete a survey that examined individuals' relationships with their favorite fictional media character through the study of various characteristics, habits, and media uses. …

An Analysis Of Femininity : How Popular Female Characters In The Media Portray Contemporary Womanhood, Stephanie Ortego Roussell

LSU Master's Theses

The impact of the media on adolescent girls has received greater theoretical, legal and societal focus over the last few decades. Several studies link the development of women’s gendered identities, healthy sexual activity and self-efficacy to how the media portray women. Restrictive or unrealistic themes of womanhood or femininity in the media can impact a young girl’s social construction of identity and provide limited examples of what it means to be a woman in today’s society. This study qualitatively examines femininity in contemporary media by analyzing—via textual analysis and focus groups—how popular female characters embody, portray and promote different conceptualizations …

Did You Watch #Thewalkingdead Last Night? An Examination Of Television Hashtags And Twitter Activity, Jessica Hutchinson

LSU Master's Theses

This study examined on-screen hashtags and Twitter activity associated with four television programs (The Walking Dead, Pretty Little Liars, Scandal and Hannibal). Twitter facilitates real time discussions, allowing “water cooler conversations” about television to occur while shows air live. Hashtags organize these conversations around topics of interest. Active viewers will migrate to new media sources, searching for additional content that interests them. The act of complementarity increases their level of media enjoyment. The desire for this additional content dictates the viewer’s behavior. Network producers also promote media convergence, utilizing websites and social media to build word of mouth advertising for …

Multitude Of Needs Met By An Online Mom Community, Shannon Alexis Snell

LSU Master's Theses

Online communities for expectant mothers have existed for many years, but newer social media sites are allowing these groups to exist in different formats. This study features an online community of 94 women that originated from TheBump.com’s forums who then formed their own community, a Facebook group for February 2012 moms. The women exist in many different social media spheres including the group, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a separate Buy/Sell/Trade Facebook group. This study used a survey questionnaire to determine whether these different social media sites and platforms met different needs for this specific group of women. The study also …