Visual Communication 2016 Abstracts
Perceiving Health: Biological Food Cues Bolster Health Halo Health Perceptions • Adrienne Muldrow, Washington State University; Rachel Bailey, Murrow College of Communication • This study investigated the impact of food claims, food cues, and objective health characteristics on believability of claims and perceptions of health and taste. One hundred twenty-four individuals were exposed to counterbalanced product images, which varied in a fully crossed design by directness of visual food cues, type of food claims (health vs. taste), and objective healthfulness across three different food product types. Participants evaluated the perception of claim believability and perceptions of health and taste after exposure to each of these images. Generally, results support that direct visual cues, especially when used in coalition with health claims, improve health perception ratings and aid believability of health claims even for objectively unhealthy food products.
Good Crop, Bad Crop: Composition and Visual Attention in Photojournalism • Carolyn Yaschur; Daniel Corts, Augustana College • An eye-tracking experiment was conducted to determine whether cropping of professional photojournalistic images affects visual attention within the frame. Building on Entman’s principles of framing theory, photos were cropped according to or in defiance of strong composition to increase or reduce saliency of areas. Findings suggest participants took longer to find all of the important areas in poorly cropped photos than professionally cropped photos and preferred uncropped and professionally cropped photos over poorly cropped photos.
See it in his eyes: Linking nonverbal behavior to character traits in impression formation of politicians • Danielle Kilgo, University of Texas at Austin; Trent Boutler; Renita Coleman • This study examines the roles that specific non-verbal behaviors play in the forming certain impressions about the character of politicians. Theoretically, we tie the concepts of impression formation to the study of attributes in second-level agenda setting. Using published images of a politician and an experimental design, our results reveal eye contact was significantly better a conveying leadership and intelligence than other nonverbal behaviors, such as arm and hand positions, and smiling.
The Public Relations and Visual Ethics of Infographics: An Examination of Nonprofit Organizations’ Transparency, Clarity, and Stewardship • Diana Sisson, Auburn University; Tara Mortensen, University of South Carolina • This study employs a visual and textual content analysis to examine transparency, clarity, and stewardship practices in nonprofit organizations’ infographics (n = 376) that have been released on Twitter. Broadly, the findings suggest that nonprofit organizations are not following all of their own ethical guidelines with regard to infographics, and they are not translating these ethics to the world of visuals. The results extend current knowledge about nonprofit organizations’ stewardship and infographic visual ethics practices. Practical and theoretical implications are offered.
I AM NOT A Virus: A Comparative Analysis of Liberian Identity through the Photographs They Produce • Gabriel Tait, Arkansas State University; Viet Nguyen, Arkansas State University • “In 2014, the World Health Organization and various media outlets reported that the West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea were the epicenter for the Ebola Virus. As the media transmitted images of sick West Africans, four Liberian women decided to develop a photographic social media campaign to offer an alternative narrative. This study examines the 2014 -15 visual media campaign #IamaLiberiannotaVirus. By using content analysis to examine 75 photographs taken by Liberians of Liberians, this study offers a unique opportunity to view and understand how Liberians represent themselves in the midst of the Ebola outbreak. The findings reveal the complexities and possibilities that arise as others are empowered to construct their own visual communication narrative.
Evoking Compassion, Empathy, and Information Seeking: The Human-cost-of-war Frame, TOP student paper • Jennifer Midberry, Temple University • U.S. media consumers in an age of globalization regularly encounter mediated depictions of war. Sontag (2003) argued, “the understanding of war among people who have not experienced war is now chiefly a product of the impact of these images” (p. 21). Yet, exactly what type of impact war photos have on people is a question that remains largely unanswered in terms of visual communication research. For all of the theories and newsroom anecdotes about how audiences react to images of wartime suffering, empirical research on the capacity of news photos to move people to action is sparse and contradictory. This study aimed to fill that gap in the literature. Through a series of focus group discussions, this study investigated how media consumers generally make meaning out of images of conflict. It also specifically examined whether photos (from conflicts in Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo) with a human-cost-of-war visual frame evoked different empathic, compassionate, and information seeking responses in participants than photos with a militarism visual frame. This paper is a condensed version of a longer, in-progress monograph. The findings expand our understanding about the way audiences react to conflict photos, and they have implications for how photo editors might present audiences with images of war that will engage audiences.
Selfies and Sensationalism on the Campaign Trail: A Visual Analysis of Snapchat’s Political Coverage • Jerrica Rowlett, Florida State University; Summer Harlow, Florida State University • This exploratory, qualitative visual study of Snapchat’s Live Stories about the 2016 U.S. political primaries explored how this social media application, with its ephemeral, user-generated content covered political news. Few studies have examined Snapchat, let alone its political coverage, allowing this present research to advance the literature, informing our understanding of political communication in the digital age of the selfie. Findings suggest that Snapchat features like filters, emojis, and captions sensationalized the news.
Does Image Brightness Matter?: How Image Brightness Interacts with Food Cues When Viewing Food Pictures of Healthy and Unhealthy Foods • Jiawei Liu, Washington State University; Rachel Bailey, Murrow College of Communication • Given the high prevalence rate of overweight and obesity among the US population and its consequences, it’s important to understand how different mediated food information factors affect consumption and related responses and behaviors. This study examined how food image brightness interacted with food cues (direct visual food cues, indirect food cues) to influence affective responses and purchase intention toward different food products. Results indicate that individuals exhibit more favorable attitudes and greater purchase intentions when food information contained direct visual food cues and had greater image brightness. This was the case regardless of the health level of the foods (healthy and unhealthy). Implications and future research are discussed.
Exploring Relationships Between Selfie Practice and Cultural Characteristics, Second place student paper • Joon K Kim; Hwalbin Kim, University of South Carolina • The present study explored the relationship between individuals’ cultural characteristics and selfie practices such as posting and interacting with others on Instagram. Cultural characteristics include individuals’ independent and interdependent construal. Using an online survey (N =354), we found that the use of verbal information on selfies – captions and hashtags – was related with both independent and interdependent characteristics, while the use of nonverbal information – filter and geotags – was associated with only interdependent characteristics.
Seeing Another Way: The Competitive Spirit, Innovation, and the Race for the Better Visual • Julian Kilker, UNLV • Photojournalism faces well-known threats of deskilling and credibility associated with the shift to digitization. This paper finds evidence for an expanded notion of photojournalistic “workflow” that incorporates the activities of photographers shaping emerging technologies and techniques to handle new challenges. Technology “lead users” identify “reverse salients” in their workflows and resolve them. In doing so, they develop and propagate visual innovations. The broader implications for journalism practice and education are discussed.
Picture Perfect: How Photographs Influence Emotion, Attention and Selection in Social Media News Posts, TOP Faculty Paper • Kate Keib, University of Georgia Grady College; Camila Espina, University of Georgia, Grady College; Yen-I Lee, University of Georgia; Bartosz Wojdynski, University of Georgia; Dongwon Choi, University of Georgia, Grady College; Hyejin Bang, University of Georgia, Grady College • Social media has the primary conduit to news access for an increasing number of consumers, yet little is known about how consumers view social media posts containing news, and on what basis they make decisions about selecting and sharing this information. In a within-subjects eye-tracking experiment, this study examined the influence of image presence and valence on attention to and engagement with news stories on social media. Participants (N=60) viewed a series of 29 social media posts of news stories, each of which was either paired with no image, a positively valenced image, or a negatively valenced image, while their attention to images was recorded with an eye-tracking device, and subsequently completed several dependent measures about each image viewed. The results show that posts containing positive images elicited a higher level of emotion than those with negative or neutral images, which led to higher intentions click and share posts with positive images. The results provide a deeper understanding of how social media drives news consumption, and offer practical implications for journalists, news organizations and groups using social media to spread a message.
Framing the Migration • Keith Greenwood, University of Missouri; T.J. Thomson, Missouri School of Journalism • Human migration due to political upheaval is rapidly accelerating yet scholarly attention to refugees’ visual news representations has lagged. Using a framing analysis informed by visual symbolism and the politics of belonging, 811 images primarily depicting migration from Turkey into Europe in 2015 and submitted to the Pictures of the Year International competition were examined. Analysis determined the migration was framed in terms of scale and refugees’ hardships and lack of belonging.
Framing gender and power: A visual analysis of Peng Liyuan and Michelle Obama in Xinhua and the Associated Press • Li Chen, Syracuse University; Stephen Warren, Syracuse University; Anqi Peng; Lizhen Zhao • This study used visual framing analysis to investigate if and how gender and power are differently framed in First Ladies’ photographs between Xinhua and the Associated Press. Although communication scholars have paid attention to comparative framing analysis across cultures, there is limited scholarship focusing on the visual comparative analysis of women in politics between the US and China. This comparative content analysis explored how the interpretation of gender display, dominance, and valence of First Ladies is framed through visual language and the texts around it. 400 photographs of Peng Liyuan and Michelle Obama from Xinhua and AP were sampled, coded, and analyzed. The results indicate both differences and similarities in framing gender and power between two leading news services in the US and China. Specifically, the interaction between First Ladies and news services was found to impact the physical dominance and photo valence of First Ladies. The present study contributes to the scholarship on women in politics, visual communication, and content analysis.
Picturing Power: How Three International News Agencies Used Photos of A Chinese Military Parade • Lijie Zhou, The University of Southern Mississippi; Christopher Campbell • The current mixed-analysis study examines how three international news agencies, Xinhua, AP, and Kyodo, used news pictures in their coverage of China’s 2015 massive military parade. Based on a quantitative analysis, this study compared the major visual cues of the pictures used by each of the three news agencies. Beyond frequency calculations and statistical comparisons, the study also examined how the news images related to cultural and political hegemony through a critical visual analysis.
Building-Up and Breaking-Down Metaphoric Walls: A CDA of multimodal-metaphors in front-runner Super Tuesday victory speeches. • Marguerite Page, Southern Illinois University • Multimodal CDA following a social-semiotic approach using Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework. An abridged version of Sonjia Foss’s metaphoric criticism, and Charles Forceville’s visual metaphor theory was utilized. Text: March 1st, 2016 Super Tuesday victory speeches of front-runner’s Clinton and Trump for verbal and visual metaphors. These multimodal metaphors presented on a micro-level operate on a macro-basis and work to frame the understanding and ideological positioning/underlying beliefs of the American public during the 2016 Presidential campaign.
“Her” Photographer: The Roanoke Live Shot Murders and Visual Communication’s Place in the Newsroom • Mary Angela Bock, University of Texas at Austin; Kyser Lough, The University of Texas at Austin; Deepa Fadnis, University of Texas at Austin • Abstract: This study analyzes newspaper and television coverage of the shootings of two journalists in Virginia in 2015 in order to compare discourses about the victims, a videographer and an on-air reporter. Working within the larger framework of Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory, the analysis considers the way various subgroups within journalism maintain borders and work to establish hierarchies. Meta-journalistic discourse is one way to learn how an interpretive community represents and reproduces professional norms. This analysis focuses on how the reporter, a female on-air presenter and the videographer, a man who worked behind the camera, are discussed in terms of their contributions to journalism, their newsroom and their personalities. Three tensions that exist in the larger journalistic field: reporter-photographer, print-television and male-female, guide our analysis. Our findings suggest that coverage of the Roanoke murders offers insight into the way these tensions are navigated within the field and serve to communicate journalism’s value to the public.
Storied lives on Instagram: Factors associated with the need for personal visual identity • Nicole O’Donnell, Washington State University • This paper examines how sharing photos on social networking sites (SNSs) contributes to an individual’s sense of identity. A survey was conducted with Instagram users (n=788) to understand how they frame, annotate, and share their lives with others through digital photography. Results from a serial multiple mediator model shows that the frequency with which individuals post on Instagram predicts their need for personal visual identity and this relationship is mediated by self-objectification and self-esteem.
Machismo and marianismo images revealed in outdoor advertising: Argentina and Chile • Pamela Morris • Machismo and marianismo are important concepts for how men and women perform gender, create identity and build social relationships in Latin American cultures. In attempt to better understand these elusive concepts, this exploratory investigation reviews outdoor advertising images of men and women from Argentina and Chile. The qualitative study uses a constant comparison approach with literature of machismo, marianismo and advertising and consumer culture as a framework for theoretical development. Findings show the concepts’ subtleties that are taken for granted making them powerful forces to create inequalities between the sexes. The research expands scholarship on gender and communication in cultures little studied.
The Islamic State’s Visual War: Spotting the Hi-tech Narratives Within the Chaos • Shahira Fahmy, U of Arizona • Soon after the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (so-called ISIS or DAESH) declared itself to be the new Islamic State and the new ‘Caliphate’ on June 28 2014, it put out its official glossy English-language magazine called Dabiq. The magazine covers the Islamic State’s strategic direction, military strategy, and alliances, making it crucial to analyze. Given the geopolitical impact and context of ISIS today, and based on research that suggests almost 90 percent of what its media’s apparatus produces is visual, the current research sought to explain the role of Dabiq’s photographs in communicating the group’s ideological narratives. Drawing on recent works, it incorporates new ways to operationalize and measure visual framing in the context of visual communication and terrorism, with specific emphasis on three dimensions: themes; objectives and messages. The work concludes by a discussion and implications of the findings and pointing out limitations and suggestions for future research.
Towards an Association Between Expository Motion Graphics and the Presence of Naïve Realism • Spencer Barnes, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • Expository motion graphics are usually encountered within a digital news package and they are dynamic visual communication devices capable of both informing and entertaining because they provide visual explanations and present narratives to an audience. This paper explored how viewers interacted with motion graphics that offered exposition and two theories were utilized to frame this inquiry: the theory of naïve realism and cognitive load theory. Each theory described complimentary aspects of the motion graphic viewing experience and an experiment conducted by the author indicated that visual clutter is detrimental to the viewing experience associated with motion graphics and a viewer’s proclivities about motion graphics can be altered after exposure to multiple motion graphics that vary in fidelity or representativeness. These findings have implications for the application of expository motion graphics within journalistic contexts.
Politicians, photographers, and a pope: How state-controlled and independent media covered Francis’s 2015 Cuba visit • T.J. Thomson, Missouri School of Journalism; Gregory Perreault, Appalachian State University; Margaret Duffy, Missouri School of Journalism • Pope Francis’s 2015 visit to Cuba provided a unique opportunity for a comparative study of state-controlled and independent media systems. This study, grounded in the interpretivist tradition, uses symbolic convergence theory and fantasy theme analysis to explore how visuals created by U.S.-based AP Images, U.K.-based Reuters, and Cuba-based Prensa Latina reveal the underlying rhetorical visions, news values, and priorities of each culture’s media production.
Fungible Photography: A content analysis of photographs in the Times Herald-Record before and after layoffs of the photojournalism staff, Second place faculty paper • Tara Mortensen, University of South Carolina; Peter Gade • A constructed-week sample was developed from six months prior to and six months following the Times Herald-Record of Middletown, NY laid off its entire photojournalism staff. Images from each time period were content analyzed for variables pertaining to photo quality in professionalism and professional news values. The results are mixed, but broadly suggest that many variables did not change at all, while some qualities actually improved. Number of photos decreased, as did the size of images. The gap left by staff photos was filled largely with wire images. Only a few photo quality values studies underwent the degradation feared by some industry professionals.
Newspaper and Online News 2016 Abstracts
Open Competition
Can breaking news coverage fix lack of government openness? A case study of content strategies at Egypt’s increasing popular Youm7 online newspaper • Ahmed Orabi, Journalism Department, College of Media, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Eric Meyer, University of Illinois • “Increased attention to breaking news coverage of incremental developments rest have helped make Youm7 an Egyptian online newspaper one of the nation’s most frequent online destinations since Egypt’s Arab Spring unrest. This qualitative case study examines how and why the transformation occurred. It is based on four weeks of field work between April 8 and May 3, 2015, inside Youm7’s newsroom using three tools: ethnographic observation, in-depth interviews with 20 journalists and content analysis.
The Costs of Risky Business: What Happens When Newspapers Become the Playthings of Billionaires? • Alex Williams, University of Pennsylvania; Victor Pickard • This manuscript analyzes the actions of individuals that purchase struggling metro newspapers. We first contextualize the journalism crisis by reviewing the business model of the newspaper industry in the 20th century. To understand who buys metro newspapers, we then chronicle the most prominent newspaper acquisitions in 2011 and 2012: The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Orange County Register. We discuss three types of new owners: politicos; venture/vulture capitalists; and benevolent billionaires.
Tweeting news during a crisis: How professional norms influenced Ferguson coverage • Amber Hinsley, Saint Louis University; Hyunmin Lee, Saint Louis University • “This study explores journalists’ professional norms during a crisis by content analyzing their tweets in the week following Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Mo. It also identifies norms that resonated with the public and compares print and broadcast journalists. Journalists adhered to their objectivity norm, but broadcast journalists’ opinion tweets were more likely to be retweeted. Implications include whether journalists should have different social media policies, and if certain audience engagement measures should be reassessed.
The Portrayal of Schizophrenia in Legacy and Digital Native News • Anna Rae Gwarjanski, The University of Alabama; Scott Parrott; Brian Roberts; Elizabeth Elkin • A quantitative content analysis compared coverage of schizophrenia in legacy news websites and digital native news sites. Researchers coded 558 articles for the presence/absence of stereotypes concerning schizophrenia, the number and type of sources directly quoted, and the valence of source commentary and overall articles. Articles from legacy news sites stood greater chance of containing stereotypes about schizophrenia. Articles from legacy news sites stood greater chance of containing an overall negative valence about schizophrenia.
The Disappearance of the Front Page: Measuring Heterogeneity of Newspaper Stories in Print, Online and Mobile • Arthur Santana, San Diego State University • This paper examines the uniformity of news stories across three platforms – print, online and mobile – from the same newspaper, on the same day, at the same time of day. Using 50 U.S. newspapers in two constructed weeks, this paper quantitatively investigates the similarities of the top stories (N = 6,300) in each medium. Findings build on the theory of agenda setting in a digital age and prompt new discussions about the effects of media fragmentation.
Framing the same-sex marriage ruling: How audience ideology influences newspaper coverage • Brandon Szuminsky; Chad Sherman • This 487-newspaper study investigated the substantive differences in the media agenda of the 2012 Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, as represented by newspaper front page coverage, with emphasis on differences in coverage between “red” and “blue” states. Framing decisions expressed through headline word choice and space allocation were analyzed as examples of variation within the media agenda. The findings suggest the media agenda is in fact significantly impacted at the local level.
A network approach to intermedia agenda-setting: a big data analysis of traditional, partisan, and emerging online U.S. news • Chris Vargo, University of Alabama; Lei Guo, Boston University • This large-scale intermedia agenda-setting analysis examines U.S. online media sources for 2015. Based on the NAS Model, the results showed news media of different types set network agendas to various degrees. Agendas were highly reciprocal. Online partisan media best explained the entire media agenda. The agendas of the New York Times and the Washington Post were more likely to be caused by emerging media. NAS effects varied by media type, issue type and time periods.
Newspaper front page photographs: Effects of image consumption in a digital versus print news format • Daniel Morrison, University of Oregon; Nicole Dahmen, University of Oregon; David Morris II, University of Oregon • Based on a volume of scholarship citing differences in recall and knowledge of text-based content consumed from print versus digital platforms, this experimental research found certain significant differences regarding the same visual content viewed in a print versus digital format. Study findings indicate that technological change (digital consumption) has effects for communication consumption regarding images, which may underlie the changing nature of iconic images and iconic image formation in the age of digital news.
Did Black lives matter? The evolution of protest coverage after the deaths of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown • Danielle Kilgo, University of Texas at Austin; Rachel Mourao; George Sylvie • “This study utilizes devices from the protest paradigm to examine news media coverage of protests surrounding the judicial decisions of George Zimmerman and Darren Wilson. A content analysis of national newspaper coverage shows that coverage prior to the judicial rulings focused on protestors’ tactics (violence versus peaceful) and changed to the realm of ideas (grievances and demands) after the acquittals. No progression was found in legitimization of protests.
Why editors use human interactive features: Individual, organizational, and community level factors • Deborah Chung, University of Kentucky; Seungahn Nah • Employing Shoemaker and Reese’s hierarchy of influences approach (1996), we investigate factors affecting U.S. daily news editors’ use of human interactive features that facilitate the expression of ideas (customization features) and dialogue/discussion (interpersonal features). Individual-level factors were found to predict the use of customization features while organizational characteristics predict the use of interpersonal features. When individual and organizational variables were removed, the community structural variable emerged as a predictor for use of interpersonal interactive features.
Who Is Willing to Pay? Understanding Readers’ Payment Intention of News • Donghee Wohn; Mousa Ahmadi, New Jersey Institute of Technology • Despite the increase of people paying for digital content, media companies have been experiencing limited success to get people to pay for news. We conducted interviews (N= 25) to examine why people are inclined or disinclined to pay for news. We then conducted a survey (N= 250) to examine how much people would be willing to pay for news and the differences between fixed rate and pay-what-you-want models. We then examined differences in motivation and news engagement between three groups: those who did not want to pay anything (savers), people who were inclined to pay very little (scrimpers), and people who were willing to pay for news services (spenders). Understanding differences between these groups not only helps inform business models, but also demonstrates that changes in design could alter people’s attitudes about paying for news.
5 Ways BuzzFeed is Transforming (Or Preserving?) the Journalistic Field • Edson Tandoc, Nanyang Technological University • Guided by field theory and the concept of journalistic boundary work, this study sought to examine whether BuzzFeed, a new agent in the journalistic field, is participating in the preservation or transformation of journalism. This was carried out by analyzing its news outputs based on the markers—or boundaries—that defined traditional journalistic practice, such as news values, topics, formats, and norms. The analysis found that while news articles produced by BuzzFeed are exhibiting some departures from traditional journalistic practice, in general BuzzFeed is playing by the rules, which might explain its legitimation as a recognized agent in the field.
Giving in or giving up: What makes journalists use audience feedback in their news work? • Edson Tandoc, Nanyang Technological University; Patrick Ferrucci, U of Colorado • Guided by the theory of planned behavior, this study sought to identify factors that lead journalists to monitor and incorporate audience feedback in their news work through Twitter and web analytics. Based on a survey of 360 online journalists in the United States, this study found that journalists’ personal attitudes toward using audience feedback, organizational policy on the use of audience feedback, as well as how much knowledge and skill they think they currently have to use audience feedback in their work, affect their intention to use, and ultimately, their actual use of, audience feedback in their editorial decisions.
Divvying Up How We Spend Time With News Devices and Channels • Esther Thorson, University of Missouri School of Journalism; Samuel Tham, University of Missouri – School of Journalism • Americans spent around 70 minutes a day consuming news. With so many ways to access news, what variables determine how much time we spend with legacy media like newspapers and television, and what leads to digital and mobile usage. This study develops a model of the variables that lead to device and channel choices for news, which is tested in a national sample of 1000 adults.
Differently Pitiless: Representations of Immigrants in Episodic and Thematic Frames. A Transatlantic Comparative Analysis • Francesco Somaini, Central Washington University • This study investigated the representations of immigrants emerging from news stories in Arizona and Italy and the relationship between online comments attached to those stories and the episodic or thematic frame used to tell them. Quantitative content analysis was used in a comparative approach across regions that constitute borderlands between first and second world countries. Implications of framing for journalists covering minorities and disempowered groups are discussed.
Local Newspaper Use in Hawaii Fosters Acculturation to Local Culture, Community Ties and Involvement • Francis Dalisay, University of Guam; Masahiro Yamamoto, University at Albany – SUNY; Chamil Rathnayake; Joanne Loos, University of Hawaii at Manoa; Kapiolani Ching, University of Hawaii at Manoa • We use the case of Hawaii to test a proposed mediation model positively linking local newspaper use with community ties (i.e., social cohesion and trust) and community involvement via acculturation to local culture. Findings revealed acculturation to local culture was associated with higher social cohesion, trust, and community involvement. Also, local newspaper use had an indirect positive association with sense of belonging, feelings of morale, social trust, and community involvement through its positive association with acculturation to local culture.
News of the future: Journalism organizations’ members look at content, news practice, their jobs and their organizations • Fred Vultee, Wayne State University • This paper uses an online quantitative survey to explore the attitudes of members of journalism organizations toward journalism and the workplace, likely trends in employment, and what services those organizations should – and do – provide. By examining multivariate relationships rather than univariate measures, it offers suggestions for journalism organizations, employers, educators, and others interested in how journalists and colleagues in related professions see the world after the impact of the recession and the loss of revenue.
Normalizing Online Commenting: Exploring How Journalists Deal with Incivility on News Sites • GIna Masullo Chen, The University of Texas at Austin; Paromita Pain, The University of Texas at Austin • In-depth interviews with 34 journalists reveal they are becoming more comfortable with online comments and often engage with commenters to foster deliberative discussions or quell incivility. However, our data also suggest some journalists feel discomfort with engaging in this way for fear it breaches the journalistic norm of objectivity. Overall, findings suggest journalists are not ceding their gatekeeping role to the public through comments, but rather re-asserting it through moderating objectionable comments and engaging.
Active yet Passive: Students media habits begin with active choice, evolve to passive consumption • Hans Meyer, Ohio University; Burton Speakman • The definition of media habits must include more than one dimension: active choice. LaRose (2010) calls for expanding the theory to include active and passive use. This study advances LaRose’s call through at nationwide survey of more than 1,000 current college students. It finds that the main attitudes that drive frequent media usage are active, such as need to be involved, and passive, such as the need to know. In fact, the media students use demonstrate an evolution from a one-time active choice to passive attention. This is especially true for social media where students mainly seek entertainment and connection but end up getting a lot of important news and information.
The Reluctant Prosumer/Produser: Limited User Interest in Interactivity Offered by a Metropolitan Newspaper • Jackie Incollingo, Rider University • A mixed methods research project combining two quantitative survey results (n=632 and n=1,248) with semi-structured interview data (n=30) explored how users of a newspaper’s digital content engage with interactive features, and whether these features satisfy their desires. Although the literature celebrates the potential of prosumption (where the activities of consumer and producer converge), this research indicates that digital users do not prioritize sharing stories online, and reported little desire to leave comments or create content.
Groundbreaking Storytelling or Dancing Hamsters? What Eyetracking Tells Us About the Future of Longform Journalism • Jacqueline Marino; Susan Jacobson; Robert Gutsche • As journalists continue to integrate multimedia into longform journalism, news organizations wrestle with questions of audience interest and economic sustainability. To investigate audience reception to digital longform journalism, this study employs eyetracking technology and interviews with audience members to understand their interactions with text, video, and other elements. It also explores how digital longform journalism may attract and retain audience interest. Keywords:audience, digital journalism, eyetracking, longform journalism, mobile
Driving Las Vegas: News Coverage of Uber’s Clash with Unions in Sin City • Jessalynn Strauss, Elon University; Lauren Bratslavsky • This paper looks at the framing of Uber’s expansion into Las Vegas by the local newspaper of record, the Review-Journal. It examines and unpacks the complicated context of the fight between Uber and taxicabs in Las Vegas, taking into account the city’s strongly union history. The framing analysis pays particular attention to the portrayal of union opposition to Uber expansion in an attempt to determine how the newspaper mediates understanding of organized labor in this particular case.
“Two Cheers for ‘Doing It All’: Skills and Newspaper Reporting Jobs” • John Russial, University of Oregon • “This study looks at newspaper reporting jobs ads in order to examine whether reporters need to be able to “do it all” ¬– producing text, video and photography and using social media. It is based on content analyses of JournalismJobs.com, a major online marketplace. Photography and social media are mentioned considerably more often than video skills. Photo skills are more important for weeklies and social media for dailies. The results raise questions about what type of cross-platform training is necessary.
Journalists’ Use of Knowledge in an Online World: Examining Reporting Habits, Sourcing, and Institutional Norms • John Wihbey, Northeastern University • There has been little empirical study of how journalists are drawing on and applying academic research and systematic knowledge. This paper examines data from an original online survey (n = 1,118). A multivariate analysis finds that knowledge usage is more likely among journalists with certain forms of training, a national audience, and more coverage specialization. Politics and television reporting were associated with lower levels of engagement with expert knowledge.
The contextualist function: U.S. newspaper journalists value social responsibility • Karen McIntyre; Nicole Dahmen, University of Oregon; Jesse Abdenour • A survey evaluated U.S. newspaper journalists’ attitudes toward contextual journalism — stories that go beyond the immediacy of the news and contribute to societal well-being. Results indicated that journalists highly value professional roles associated with contextual journalism. Responses revealed new journalistic role functions, including the “Contextualist.” Contextualists and traditional journalists expressed positive attitudes toward contextual journalism forms — solutions journalism, constructive journalism and restorative narrative — while adversarial and market-oriented journalists had negative attitudes toward contextual journalism.
The Viability of Peace Journalism in Western Media Environments • Kimberly Foster; Beverly Horvit, University of Missouri School of Journalism • “Conflict is pervasive and inevitable. Although not all conflicts lead to violence, violent conflicts have left a measurable toll of devastation. Peace journalism, a concept born in the 1970s, aims to frame news in a way to provide a comprehensive understanding of conflict that empowers more insightful critical public discourse. This paper addresses the theoretical challenges to peace journalism practices and provides insight into opportunities for in-depth reporting from conflict zones by Western media practitioners.
#LoveWins: Sharing breaking news of the marriage equality act on Instagram • Leslie-Jean Thornton, Arizona State University; Sonia Bovio, Arizona State University • On the morning of Friday, June 26, 2015, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, commonly known as the marriage equality ruling. Within the minutes of the announcement, social media exploded with posts about the news. Participants in the online celebration rallied around the hashtag #LoveWins, with Twitter posts using the hashtag cresting at 5,187,809 when the day was done. But while Twitter garnered the most traffic, Instagram offered a different experience, along with a steady traffic flood of more than 1,500 posts using the #LoveWins hashtag within the first 20 minutes of the announcement. However, unlike Twitter, where imagery is an option, Instagram is fundamentally more visual as every post is image-driven. The #LoveWins feed on Instagram was awash in news reports from a wide variety of news organizations. Overwhelmingly, however, those breaking news posts did not come directly from the news organizations themselves. This qualitative study examines the visual messages of people using #LoveWins to share breaking news via Instagram. In light of those findings, it examines the visual messages and hashtag use of news organizations cited in #LoveWins breaking-news posts as news sources, and the potential news audience in Instagram communities.
Journalistic Identity as Branding: Individual, Organizational, and Institutional Considerations • Logan Molyneux, Temple University; Avery Holton, University of Utah; Seth Lewis • Journalists, scholars and industry observers have noted a rise in journalistic branding, especially on social media. To what extent and in what ways are journalists constructing social identities online? This study conducts a content analysis of Twitter profiles and tweets from a representative sample of U.S. journalists. It finds that nearly all journalists practice branding in some form (in bios, in tweets, via links), and branding is concentrated at organizational and individual levels.
Effects of News Framing on Reader’s Opinion of E-Cigarettes • Lu Wu, UNC-Chapel Hill; Rhonda Gibson • Electronic cigarettes have gained great popularity in the past few years but remain a novel and controversial subject in news coverage. The current study is an experiment that builds on existing content analyses of media coverage of e-cigarettes to determine what effects common news frames (those focused on regulation, health effects, and tobacco/smoking industry concerns) have on news consumers. Results show that different framing tactics in news can sway people’s attitudes towards e-cigarettes, specifically when it comes to discussion on regulation and youth smoking. Framing has little effects on people’s social norms towards e-cigarettes or their intention to use e-cigarettes.
Gathering Evidence of Evidence: News Aggregation as an Epistemological Practice • Mark Coddington, Washington and Lee University • News aggregation is often presented in opposition to reporting, though the two practices have much in common as journalistic evidence-gathering techniques. Using participant observation and interviews with aggregators, this study explores aggregation as an epistemological practice, examining the ways aggregators weigh evidence, evaluate sources, and verify information. It finds that narrative is a form of second-order newswork, built on the principles of reporting and reliant on it for secondhand evidence.
All The News That’s Fit To Post: Millennials’ Definitions Of News In The Context Of Facebook • Megan Mallicoat • The current study purposed to investigate the content of millennials’ Facebook news feeds with the intent of assessing how information therein compares with previously defined traditional news topics. The social-psychological theory of self-presentation was also considered: using Facebook can be a very public action, and so this study purposed to determine how self-presentation behavior might influence Facebook actions and news feed content. A purposeful sample of participants between the ages of 25-34 was selected (n = 20), and a computerized content analysis was conducted using Provalis Research’s program WordStat. One-on-one interviews were also conducted.
Framing Occupy Central: A Content Analysis of Hong Kong, American and British Newspaper Coverage • Mengjiao Yu, University of South Florida; Yan Shan, University of South Florida; Scott Liu, University of South Florida • Grounded in framing theory, this paper presents a quantitative content analysis of newspaper reporting of the Hong Kong protests, also known as the Occupy Central Movement or the Umbrella Revolution, between September 28 and December 11, 2014. The political, economic and legal implications involved have made the protests one of the most newsworthy events in the history of Hong Kong since the transfer of its sovereignty from the United Kingdom to China in 1997. This study aims to examine the various frames used in the coverage of the protests in three major newspapers that operate within different political, economic and ideological boundaries: South China Morning Post, The New York Times, and The Guardian. Results of the content analysis supported the hypotheses that significant differences existed in the newspapers in their framing of the protests, the protesters, the government, news censorship, and politically sensitive issues. While the frames used by The New York Times and The Guardian were in agreement with the Western democratic-liberal press system, the frames used by South China Morning Post reflected the authoritarian-liberal nature of the Hong Kong press system.
Now You See Me, But You Don’t Know: Consumer Processing of Native Advertisements in Online News Sites • Mengtian Jiang, Michigan State University; Brigitte Balogh McKay, Michigan State University; Jef Richards, michigan state university; Wally Snyder, michigan state university • “Native advertising has become increasingly popular among publishers and advertisers to indirectly compete for consumer attention. Guided by the Information Processing Theory and using a mixed method design, this exploratory study investigates consumer’s cognitive processing of online native advertisements in terms of attention allocation, native ad recognition and brand recall. Results showed that participants had a relatively low literacy for native advertising. Implications of the findings are discussed and future research directions suggested.
The Effects of Native Advertising on Legacy and Online News Publishers • Michelle Amazeen, Rider University; Ashley Muddiman, University of Kansas • Extending research from Wojdynski and Evans (2015), this experimental study replicates the challenges of effectively disclosing native advertising and demonstrates a promising inoculation method that increases likelihood of recognition. Moreover, this quantitative research indicates that both legacy and online news publishers were punished for displaying native advertising. Attitudes toward the publisher and perceptions of its credibility declined for both, although online publishers suffered greater attitudinal damage than did legacy publishers who may benefit from their established reputation.
Micropayments for News: The Effects of Sunk Costs on News Engagement • Nicholas Geidner, The University of Tennessee; Jaclyn Cameron, University of Tennessee Knoxville • Survey walls – a micropayment scheme where users answer survey questions in order to access content – represent a way news organizations are monetizing content. This experimental study examines the effects of survey walls on engagement with online news. The results demonstrate that survey walls alter individuals’ engagement with news content. Specifically, individuals in “pay” conditions spent more time on the article and were less willing to share the content than people in the “non-pay” condition.
Who’s in, Who’s out? Constructing the Identity of Digital Journalists • Patrick Ferrucci, U of Colorado; Tim Vos, University of Missouri • Through the framework of social identity theory, this study utilizes in-depth interviews with 53 digital journalists to see what they believe is essential to their work and who falls outside the label of digital journalist. The results support the notion that changes to the digital media environment have indeed been a new source of professional identity for digital journalists. We then explore what this might mean for the field of journalism.
Journalism Transparency: How journalists understand it as a professional value, ethical construct and set of practices • Peter Gade; Kevin Curran, Univ of Oklahoma; Shugofa Dastgeer; Christina DeWalt, The University of Oklahoma; Desiree Hill; Seunghyun Kim, University of Oklahoma; Emmanuel-Lugard Nduka, University of Oklahoma • This national survey of 524 journalists seeks to identify how journalists understand transparency as a professional value, ethical construct and set of practices. Results identify six dimensions of transparency knowledge, and that journalists strongly embrace transparency as an ethical construct. The extent to which journalists practice transparency is constrained by their existing work loads, concerns about negative outcomes and overall skepticism of change.
‘We don’t cover suicide … (except when we do cover suicide)’ • Randal Beam; Sue Lockett John; Michael Mead Yaqub • Unlike most other unnatural deaths, journalists approach suicide as an occurrence that they are hesitant to cover. “Our policy is not to write about suicides,” they say. Except that often, they do. This paper, based on interviews with 50 U.S. journalists, examines the rationales that the journalists invoke as they decide about whether to cover a suicide.
Twitter’s influence on news judgment: An experiment among journalists • Shannon McGregor, University of Texas – Austin; Logan Molyneux, Temple University • Literature suggests that journalists give a substantial amount of attention to Twitter. What affect might this have on their news judgment, their decisions on what to let through the gates? This study hypothesized a positive bias in favor of news appearing to be from Twitter. Instead, an experiment among working journalists (N = 212) finds a negative bias, suggesting that journalists who use Twitter less in their work tend to discount news they see there.
JOURNALISTS RESEARCHING BIG DATA: A study of research methods and processes in big data journalism • Soo-Kwang Oh; Edson Tandoc, Nanyang Technological University • Through a content analysis of data journalism stories from The Guardian (n=260), a pioneer in contemporary big data journalism, we sought to investigate how the practice of big data journalism takes into account rigorous research method and design. Findings suggested that big data journalism lacks discussions of several elements required for proper scientific research, such as size of data, date of collection and methods for analysis.
Advocacy or Objectivity? Role Perceptions and Journalistic Culture in Alternative and Mainstream Media in Brazil • Summer Harlow, Florida State University • Most research on journalists’ role perceptions and journalistic culture remains Western-focused, and is limited to mainstream media. This quantitative study uses a survey to fill two gaps in the literature by examining differences in role perceptions and journalistic culture among mainstream and alternative media journalists in Brazil. Results indicate significant differences in role perceptions, as mainstream media journalists place more importance on traditional ethics, while alternative media journalists value their normative responsibilities more.
Should There Be an App for That? An Analysis of Interactive Applications within Longform News Stories • Susan Jacobson, Florida International University; Robert Gutsche; Jacqueline Marino • The most-read story of 2014 on the website of The New York Times was a news app called “How You, Youse and You Guys Talk.” While news apps can enhance news stories, they cost a lot of time and money to produce. In this study, we conduct semi-structured interviews with 12 Millennial tablet computer users to evaluate longform multimedia news packages that include Web applications as part of the story presentation to better understand what might be involved in creating successful news apps.
#IfTheyGunnedMeDown: An analysis of mainstream and social media in the Ferguson, Missouri Shooting of Michael Brown • Tracy Everbach, University of North Texas; Meredith Clark, University of North Texas; Gwendelyn Nisbett, University of North Texas • Focusing on the hashtag #IfTheyGunnedMeDown, this study examined the framing of mainstream newspaper coverage of social media activism in the aftermath of the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. People of color primarily used the hashtag to draw attention to what they perceived as negative stereotypes perpetuated by the news media. The study employed a textual analysis of news coverage followed by semi-structured interviews with hashtag-protest participants. The analysis found that the mainstream media followed news production rituals by relying primarily on elite, established sources and generally ignoring the social media protestors’ voices. The social media protestors who used the hashtag said they employed it to bypass the mainstream media, and this research indicates they may well have done so and possibly reached a younger generation that relies more on social media than legacy media.
Student Papers
Exploring the Effects of News Personalization and User Comments: Third-Person Perception of the 2013 Target Data Breach • Boya Xu, University of Maryland • It has been robustly supported that media can have a profound social impact indirectly that people’s attitudes or behaviors may be influenced by their perception of the effects of certain content on others, not by the content directly. This impact is particularly magnified when people see others as more negatively influenced than they are themselves, known as the third-person effect. The current study dives into the 2013 Target data breach that has grasped intense attention among the public and media outlets nationally. Survey results show that personalized news content and news sources may encourage individuals to perceive themselves as equally or more vulnerable to the information than others, which was overlooked by the original theorization of third-person effect.
#wjchat: Discursive Construction of Journalistic Values and Norms on Twitter • Frank Michael Russell, University of Missouri School of Journalism • This qualitative textual analysis of posts from @wjchat (web journalism chat) on Twitter provides evidence that journalists and journalism educators use social media to discursively construct institutional values and norms such as verification, objectivity, and diversity. The findings were consistent with and extended gatekeeping theory, the hierarchical influences model, and sociological and discursive institutionalism. Keywords: Gatekeeping, new institutionalism, journalistic values, Twitter. Method: Qualitative.
Carrying Credibility: How News Distribution Affects Reader Judgment • Holly Cowart, University of Florida • This experiment examines the impact of online platforms on source credibility. Using a traditional news media with an online presence, and an online-only news media, it compares news content on three platforms (website, Facebook, Twitter). Results of the 146-person experiment indicate a difference in perceived credibility among platforms. The traditional news media sees a significant drop in credibility between the website and the two social media sites. The online-only news media does not. The implications of these finding are discussed in terms of the changing way that news is presented. News media distribute their content to apps and social media sites. Based on this study, that distribution may result in a loss in credibility for the news source.
Framing EU borders in the news: An analysis of three European news websites • Ivana Cvetkovic, University of New Mexico • Human mobility is widely reported in the news with various framings of national spaces, migrants, borders, home, and security. Using discourse analysis of articles published in the online editions of Croatia’s Jutarnji list, Britain’s The Guardian, and Germany’s Der Spiegel, this research identifies news frames about borders in the European Union context. The analysis produced four micro-frames: borders as lived space, border security, border materialization, and disputes over border-management.
Is That News Story an Ad? News Homepage Design May Mislead Consumers into Sponsored Content • Kate Keib, University of Georgia Grady College; Mark Tatge, University of South Carolina • “While advertisers are set to spend nearly $8 billion on native ads this year, the Federal Trade Commission released a policy on deceptive advertising specifically addressing paid content designed to look like editorial. We execute a content analysis of 60 top U.S. news websites, capturing the design elements of native ads and their similarity to editorial content. Results show that native ads are very similar to editorial content.
An Impolite Conversation: The Interaction between Anonymity and Online Discourse on Political Blogs • Meghan Erkkinen, University of Minnesota • “Previous research has indicated that anonymity is correlated with increased impoliteness and incivility in newspaper comments sections. This study uses quantitative content analysis to examine the impact of anonymity on the comments of partisan political blogs. Results indicate that sites allowing anonymous comments host more impolite and uncivil comments, and that those comments are more likely be directed interpersonally, than sites that require users to verify their identities.
National Issues and Personal Choices, Agendamelding in Iran: A Study of Traditional Media and Twitter in 2015 • Milad Minooie • Building on agenda setting research, agendamelding posits that audiences form their agendas based on social/horizontal media (e.g. Twitter) and their personal preferences in addition to traditional/vertical media (e.g. newspapers). The findings of the present study suggest that social media users adopt their agendas from social/horizontal media rather than traditional/vertical media. One of the implications of this finding is that when the government holds monopoly over traditional/vertical media, personal preferences and social/horizontal media become more salient.
Intermedia Attribute Agenda Setting in the Context of Issue-Focused Media Events: The Case of Caitlyn Jenner and Transgender Reporting • Minjie Li, LSU • On April 24, 2015, Olympic gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner confirmed her transgender identity on “Bruce Jenner: The Interview” with Diane Sawyer and started her own reality show, I am Cait. This study identifies patterns of second-level intermedia agenda setting in the framing of Caitlyn Jenner’s high-profile planned media events about her gender transition, examining the extent to which they influence the way national news outlets report transgender-related stories and the salience of certain story attributes. More specifically, through a comparative quantitative content analysis, this study found that transgender-related reports appearing after the Caitlyn Jenner’s interview were more likely to 1) mention alternative non-binary gender discourses to highlight transgender subjectivity, 2) take the intersectionality perspective to address the the complexity of transgender issues from the aspects of race, class, and sexuality difference, 3) differentiate transgender issues from LGBT issues, and 4) take in-depth approaches to report the stories.
How Online News and Informational Media Position Themselves in the Networked Media Ecosystem: A Study of Niche • Mohammad Yousuf, University of Oklahoma • This study used the Theory of the Niche to examine how four types of online news and informational media—Mainstream, Institutional, Alternative, and User-generated—position themselves in the networked media ecosystem. A total of 700 content units—175 from each media type—were analyzed to test four hypotheses regarding the primary functionalities of these media types. Three hypotheses were supported and one was rejected. Data did not find a primary functionality of the Institutional media.
Digital News Sharing: The Role of Influence and Habits in Social Media News Sharing • Samuel Tham, University of Missouri – School of Journalism • 30% of Americans use social media for news. With news organizations seeking to harness more online news sharing from their viewers, questions are raised as to what kinds of users share news on social media. This study proposes a model that examines the impact of technology leadership (social influence), news affinity, digital device use (habits), and the role of demographics to better understand the characteristics of users that share news on social media.
War of Perception: A Habermasian Discourse Analysis of Human Shield Newspaper Reporting During the 2014 Gaza War • Shane Graber, University of Texas-Austin • In 2014, as Arabs and Israelis fought a deadly and destructive 50-day military battle in Gaza, a simultaneous war of perception was being waged in American news media. This study uses a Habermasian critical discourse analysis to examine how five of the largest newspapers reported accusations of Palestinian human shielding. The findings show that journalists tended to report distorted representations of the human shield claims, potentially obfuscating unfairly a highly complex Middle East conflict.
“When India was Indira”: Indian Express’ Coverage of the Emergency (1975-77) • Subin Paul • When Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed censorship in the summer of 1975, few newspapers tried to withstand the attack on press freedom. This historical study used framing theory to examine how Indian Express constructed its position against the Gandhi regime during the 21-month National Emergency. The qualitative content analysis of the Indian Express’ coverage demonstrated its struggle to frame the Emergency as authoritarian. More broadly, the analysis provided a way to understand how journalism functions under censorship.
Electronic News 2016 Abstracts
Anchor Appearance: Matters of Gender • April Newton, University of Maryland, College Park; Linda Steiner, U of Maryland • This research investigated the experiences of on-air news anchors regarding their physical appearance. Specifically, the goal was to study what kinds of comments broadcast anchors have received from audience members, colleagues, or bosses, and whether or how the experiences of men and women differ. Through in-depth interviews with anchors and meteorologists, this research shows that women receive significantly more critical comments than do men and that most of those comments are about appearance.
Parasocial Interaction and Newscast Viewing: Extending the Effect from English Language to Spanish Language TV News • Ashley Gimbal, Arizona State University; Kirstin Pellizzaro • Parasocial interaction has been widely studied in the English language news market, but has never been used to understand the phenomenon within the ever growing Spanish language broadcast news market.. This study sought to fill a gap in the literature while adding to parasocial interaction research. Through the use of an online survey, this study found a significant difference in parasocial interaction levels between English language and Spanish language broadcast news audiences.
T.V. Talking Heads and the Nielsen Sweeps: An analysis of Rhetorical Complexity, Charisma and Ideology in Opinionated Cable News. • Ben Wasike, University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley • This study examined the rhetorical complexity and charisma of opinionated cable news show hosts in respect to sweeps months using integrative complexity as the theoretical guide and computerized content analysis. Liberal hosts were more complex rhetorically and were also more charismatic. Both complexity and charisma correlated with ideology and the hosts displayed more complexity during non-sweep months. Overall, opinionated hosts react to the sweeps by damping down their rhetorical complexity and charisma during sweeps months.
Even a Celebrity Journalist Can’t Have an Opinion: Post-Millenials’ Recognition and Evaluation of Journalists and News Brands on Twitter • D. Jasun Carr, Idaho State University; Mitchell Bard, Iona College • Post-Millenials have exhibited decreasing levels of news usage but increased consumption of news via social media, more pronounced than the changes in older cohorts. These changes raise questions about the role of media skepticism and the recognition and evaluation of journalists and non-journalist information sources. This study employs an experimental design to examine how media branding influences Post-Milleinals’ assessments of credibility, objectivity, and evaluations of the individual and information presented on a Twitter feed.
Tweetkeeping NBC’s Olympics: A Qualitative Content Analysis of the @NBCOlympics Twitter Account Gatekeeping Practices • Daniel Sipocz, Berry College • This qualitative content analysis examined the gatekeeping practices of the @NBC Twitter account as well as the network’s relationship with its Twitter audience during the 2012 and 2014 Olympics. Findings illustrate NBC’s social media gatekeeping is similar to its television gatekeeping practices. Further, its Twitter presence acted as a promotional vehicle to drive online audiences back to the traditional television broadcast where the network generates most if its revenue from Olympic coverage.
Sunday Morning Talk Shows and Portrayals of Public Opinion during the 2012 Presidential Campaign • Dylan McLemore, Auburn University at Montgomery • Public opinion polls can influence public opinion. This study considers how Sunday morning political talk shows used public opinion polls during the 2012 presidential campaign. Poll-based differentiation strategies are hypothesized and tested. Some programs relied heavily on their own networks’ polls, establishing legitimacy. All programs presented a tighter horserace than polls suggested. However, partisan bias did not appear to be a motivation. Results are discussed and methodological considerations for future research are presented.
Out of Bounds? How Gawker’s Outing a Married Man Fits into the Boundaries of Journalism • Edson Tandoc, Nanyang Technological University; Joy Jenkins, University of Missouri • Gawker ignited a controversy when it published an article in July 2015 about a married Conde Nast executive who allegedly sought the services of a gay escort. The popular blog eventually removed the article following an almost universal condemnation from readers and other journalists. This study considers this case as a critical incident in journalism that provoked reflections among journalists and audiences about the boundaries of acceptable journalistic practice. Four themes emerged from the analysis of 65 news articles and 2,203 online comments: First, discussions focused on whether Gawker is a news organization. Second, journalists and audiences questioned whether the article meets the definition of news. Third, discussions touched on questions of journalism ethics. Finally, online commenters engaged in a meta-discourse, examining their own community, while journalists also paid attention to such discourse, recognizing audiences as part of the interpretive community engaged in reflecting about the boundaries of journalism.
Video Goes Vertical: Local News Videographers Discuss the Problems and the Potential of Vertical Video • Gino Canella, University of Colorado Boulder • By utilizing 15 in-depth interviews with current and former local television news videographers and editors, this paper examines vertical video and what impact it is having on the production of local TV news. I analyze (1) the discourse video professionals use to distinguish their work as professional while labeling 9×16 video “amateur,” (2) what role vertical video has on influencing video professionals’ daily newsroom responsibilities, and (3) where it fits within the business of local TV news.
WDBJ: When TV News Becomes the News, A Social Network Analysis • Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, UNO Social Media Lab, School of Communication • The purpose of this paper is to explore Twitter conversation related to the August 25, 2015 shooting deaths of Parker and Ward, as well as the injury of Gardner,during their WDBJ in Roanoke, Virginia live report. The initial breaking news top Twitter accounts and hashtags were replaced with emerging topics and influencers, as the conversation shifted over time. The gun control debate activated a political conversation with polarized clusters, conspiracy theory videos, and overall shift from shooting event to gun control issues.
Are traditional journalism principles still alive and well in today’s local TV newsrooms? • Keren Henderson, Syracuse University; Michael Cremedas • This study surveyed 348 local TV journalists to learn whether—given the demands of the contemporary, conglomerated television news industry—they still adhere to traditional journalistic principles. The findings suggest that, by and large, reporters make a determined effort to uphold good journalism practices despite management pressures to produce increasingly higher volumes of news content more quickly and with fewer resources.
Audience Research and Web Features of Radio Stations in A Time of Uncertainty • Lu Wu, UNC-Chapel Hill; Daniel Riffe • This study examined news radio managers’ self-reported beliefs about their organizations’ marketing orientation and their Website features. Combining a national survey of news radio managers with data from a content analysis of radio station Websites and secondary data from industry resources, this study found that external factors had limited influence on marketing orientations in news radio stations and what determined radio stations’ Website features largely resided in the organizational goals and resources allocation.
When “News Experts” Became “Showmen”: The 1948 National Conventions and the Roots of Live Coverage • Marilyn Greenwald, Ohio University • “This paper reviews the 1948 political conventions – the nation’s first televised conventions– and discusses how the introduction of television into the political process parallels in some ways the role the Internet played in coverage of the 2004 conventions. Using both primary and secondary sources, the author will show that the introduction of television into the convention process was chaotic, turbulent, and often comical, but also tremendously eye opening for those in front of and behind the camera. The injection of the camera into the political process introduced the concept of “infotainment” by forcing correspondents to realize that the visual aspect of television made entertainers of all of them. This paper will have three specific purposes: first, it will review some of the details of coverage and discuss how those involved handled what today seem like mundane challenges: for instance, applying flattering makeup for the camera, coping with temperamental equipment, and filling hours of open airtime; second, the paper will point out similarities to today’s media environment — like today, journalism was undergoing a sea change brought on by a variety of factors triggered primarily by advances in technology; and third, it will offer examples that point to a departure by news managers in the definition of news – one that tilted in the direction of entertainment.”
Age nothing but a number? Experience’s impact on perceptions of journalistic norms • Patrick Ferrucci, U of Colorado • This study examines how experience within the field of journalism affects perceptions of journalistic norms and success. Utilizing in-depth interviews with 53 digital journalists working in both legacy and digitally native newsrooms, the results show that veteran journalists (10+ years) and less-experienced (5 years or less) have differing views on both traditional norms and definitions of success. The results are interpreted through the lens of Robert Merton’s theory of cumulative advantage.
A History of Fallen Broadcast Journalists: Dying in the Line of Duty, at Home and Abroad and on Live TV • Raymond McCaffrey • This historical study examined how broadcast journalists have died on assignment, including the assassination of George Polk nearly 70 years ago and the recent fatal shootings of two Virginia journalists on live TV. The best known of the 110 U.S. fallen broadcast journalists on the Newseum’s Journalists Memorial died on foreign assignment. The New York Times covered about 73 percent of them compared to about 49 percent who perished while facing unimagined dangers at home.
Melodramatic animation in crime news and news information learning • Wai Han Lo; Benjamin Ka Lun Cheng • This study is conducted within the framework of dual-coding hypothesis, and it examines the effects that using melodramatic animation in crime news reports has on the learning of news information among older children in Hong Kong. For this study, 74 older children (mean age = 15.3) participated in an experiment that involved being exposed to news videos that either did or did not include melodramatic animation. The results showed that the participants learned news information better if it was presented with melodramatic animation. The social implications of the results are discussed.
Cultural and Critical Studies 2016 Abstracts
Destabilizing the Nation-State: News Coverage of Citizenship in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 • Alejandro Morales; Cristina Mislan, University of Missouri, Columbia • This study explores the discourse of citizenship in newspaper coverage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986. A historical analysis of a twenty-year period reveals how news media have constructed citizenship as a problematic concept threatening to destabilize the nation-state. Such discourse reinforces exclusionary politics, where employers, immigrants, and bureaucratic institutions are positioned against one another. Furthermore, the study provides insight into the ways media help reinforce the boundaries of national sovereignty.
Cognitive Film Theory and the Representation of Corporate Bureaucracy as the Apotheosis of the Banality of Evil • Angela Rulffes, Syracuse University • This study advanced a unique perspective on the banality of evil by examining how it is depicted in film and television through portrayals of corporate wickedness. Specifically, this study used a cognitive film theory lens to analyze three works by Joss Whedon. The results suggest that Whedon portrays banality of evil in the corporate world and indicates, through his works, that breaking away from corporate dominance, particularly through individual liberation, is of critical importance.
A Cowgirl and a Descendant of Slaves: Comparing Newspaper and News Magazine Coverage of Sandra Day O’Connor in 1981 and Thurgood Marshall in 1967 • Boya Xu, University of Maryland • As the first female justice and the first African American justice, Sandra Day O’Connor and Thurgood Marshall have both set irreplaceable marks in the U.S. Supreme Court’s history as inspirational embodiments. This study employs a qualitative textual analysis and examines the two justices’ nomination and confirmation process under mainstream media’s spotlight. It also investigates whether gender and ethnic stereotypes were present in news coverage of the two history-making figures. Five major influential news publications were selected to serve as the source of the study. Research results show that gender and race played some roles in determining each nominee’s qualifications and overall impression in front of the Judiciary Committee, yet the roles were not major compared to the political game analysis that all five publications engaged in larger amount of texts. The liberal or conservative viewpoints each publication shares also contributed to the diverse finding results. It is concluded from this research that news analysis was largely influenced by reporting and organizational bias. And contemporary social movements often served as a direct, larger background for the news making process.
The Corporation as Fellow Advocate: Norfolk and Western Magazine’s Reification of the Corporate Persona in the Cause of Free Enterprise – 1949-1952 • Burton St. John III, Old Dominion University • An underexplored area of organizational rhetoric concerns how the corporation attempts to position itself as a humanlike persona that speaks out on issues that concern the average man. This study of the Norfolk and Western Magazine’s rhetoric in defense of free enterprise in the early 1950’s establishes one example of the rise of the corporate persona in the U.S. and the lingering implication that such a construct presents for the understanding and discussion of pressing issues in the United States.
Doing Journalism and Sex Research: A Sociology of Knowledge Approach • Chelsea Reynolds, University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication • This essay introduces a theory of sex reportage as normalizing discourse. It synthesizes the relationship between the normalizing gaze of sexuality studies and the normalizing gaze of news ideology. It extends the utility of representational perspectives when analyzing ideology in news content, including the importance of examining dominant-hegemonic media alongside potentially counter-hegemonic vernacular media. The essay provides methodological recommendations for analyzing sex reportage using a hybrid critical discourse analysis-grounded theory approach.
“You Have No Idea the Feeling of Insult”: Comparative Newspaper Discourses about Civil Rights • Christopher Frear, University of South Carolina • This study looks at four different types of newspapers — an African American weekly in South Carolina, a national African American weekly, a South Carolina white-run daily newspaper, and a national daily — and examines the discourses that each constructed over time and during four specific events in South Carolina civil rights lawyer and federal judge Matthew J. Perry’s career in the American South of the Jim Crow and civil rights era.
NPR, Marketplace, and the Sound of Finance • Diane Cormany, University of Minnesota • Abstract: Marketplace has self-consciously created a program that is different in tone, music, pacing, and even story selection from its financial news competitors. Yet it also claims the largest audience of any broadcast radio or television finance and business program. My paper uniquely combines political economy and generic analysis with theories of affect and financialization (the pervasiveness of finance capital) to demonstrate how Marketplace’s form interprets financial markets for its millions of listeners.
Alan M. Thomas’ Concept of the Active Audience in People Talking Back • Errol Salamon • In 1959, adult educator Alan M. Thomas outlined one of the first concepts of the active broadcast audience in Canada as a force for two-way communication and direct democracy. In 1979, Thomas created People Talking Back, a six-episode participatory television series, in order to facilitate democratic decision making outside of formal educational institutions. This paper brings together Thomas’ concept of the audience, his adult educational broadcasting scholarship, and archival research on People Talking Back.
Fan Representations and Corporate Media Hegemony in The Big Bang Theory • Heather McIntosh • The CBS series The Big Bang Theory (2007-) follows four nerdy friends who regularly engage a range of fandoms, offering an opportunity to engage fan representations through the ideological hegemony of a situation comedy. An examination of the show through themes of the fans’ participatory activities, media and merchandise consumption, and their social connections reveals that while the representations appear more positive, they offer limited range of fan behaviors that aligns with corporate media interests.
Aluta 2.0: A Qualitative Exploration of the emergence of social media as space for social movement contention in Ghana • Henry Boachi, Rutgers University • This interview-based study explores reasons why the #OccupyFlagStaffHouse movement in Ghana used social media – the least accessible form of media – as a mobilization tool, amidst a ubiquitous traditional mass media landscape. The study found that the usage of social media – Facebook and Twitter – was motivated by the skills of the movement members, the comparative anonymity it provides, desire to reach their primary social media-savvy audience, and to escalate the movement’s concerns beyond Ghana.
Necessary Complexity of Transnational Media Culture: K-pop in the West • Hyeri Jung, The University of Texas at Austin • By conducting close readings of Western fans’ reaction videos to K-pop and online users’ interactive enunciative productivity, this study aims to explore the theoretical validity of imperialism traditions, the nature of transnational media culture of K-pop, Western fans’ encoding/decoding of K-pop, and how and why their reception of the so-called hybridized K-pop creates ideological twists in global/international contexts. The ‘necessary complexity’ of interconnected audiences in ‘deterritorialized mediascapes’ is exemplified in K-pop.
Everything’s a Product: Reconciling the Commodification of Critique • Jared LaGroue, The Pennsylvania State University • Critical scholars face a frustrating ethical dilemma when critique is commodified: how do we reconcile the pleasure/truth of a text when its material production serves contrary capitalist ends? Is it possible to simultaneously celebrate a narrative while condemning its medium? The Lego Movie serves as a relevant pedagogical device for exploring the tension between culture industry and cultural studies arguments that elucidate this dilemma. I first conduct comparative textual and material analyses of The Lego Movie and Screen Junkies’ Honest Trailers parody of the film. I then develop a theoretical-categorical schema in attempt to map the potential normative-axiological positions available for reconciling the ethical dilemma of commodified critique. I conclude by applying this schema to the pedagogical example of The Lego Movie, and by offering potential applications of the reflexive practices associated with utilization of this model, and how this exploration aids efforts to achieve axiological congruence.
News media development in the Afghan case: The enigma of news media “capture” • Jeannine Relly, The University of Arizona; Margaret Zanger, The University of Arizona • This qualitative study of news media development utilizing the Afghan case examines the challenges facing Afghan journalists (N = 30) nearly 15 years after the fall of the Taliban, more than a decade of news media training, and the year that the U.S. military mission ended in the country. We found that although the majority of journalists were optimistic about the level of professionalism reached in the country, there were constraints at the organization level and from pressures outside of news outlets that made conducting journalistic work remarkable in the current environment. We suggest that future research could look more closely at both media development and the paradox of news media “capture.” We suggest a typology could further refine this work with six distinct forms of capture (economic, political, cultural, legal, bureaucratic, societal) that could be further developed by country.
“Guns don’t kill people…selfies do”: The narcissism fallacy in media coverage of selfie-related deaths • Jessica Hennenfent, University of Georgia • Through a textual analysis of six major news outlets, this research argues that a misinterpretation of the original Narcissus myth leads to a fallacious critique of selfies. Instead, the language used to describe selfie-related deaths indicates exhibitionism is a more accurate description of the selfie-taking phenomenon. This discursive shift parallels the analog to digital shift, in which it is not enough to capture one’s self image, but the image also needs to be shared.
“Multicultural-phobia” in Rumors: Why Rumors about Jasmine Lee Matter • Jinsook Kim, The University of Texas at Austin • This study explores rumors about Jasmine Lee, the first non-ethnic naturalized Korean lawmaker. Although rumors are often dismissed as the distribution of false information, this paper foregrounds rumors as political discourse that reflects certain social conditions and political anxieties. Since Lee is a symbolic figure of Korean multiculturalism, I argue that the consistent production and circulation of rumors about her is crystallized from the tension between state-led multiculturalism, and Koreans’ anxieties around changing nationhood
From overt to covert: An analysis of HIV/AIDS PSAs from 1989-1994 and 2009-2014 • Kellie Stanfield, University of Missouri • Since 1981, the CDC has released PSAs about HIV/AIDS. Despite this effort, more than 1.1 million people in the United States have the infection. Using media tropes as a theoretical concept and analytical method, this study engages in textual analysis of the CDC’s first televised PSA campaign and its most recent campaign. The analysis reveals the PSAs are socially and historically bound, and shows health campaigns can provide insights into complex cultural and social values.
Knowledge ghettos: The end of the public sphere? • Kevin Curran, Univ of Oklahoma • Habermas wrote of the need for informed debate in the public sphere. Donohue, Tichenor and Olien’s knowledge gap theory said those with more knowledge have more power. Applying knowledge gap theory to media, Bard suggests people who receive information from partisan sources are living in a knowledge ghetto. This paper will examine Bard’s propositions through audience measurements, electoral results or public actions. The result is a detriment to the public sphere.
Who Uses Dewey and Why? Remembering and Forgetting John Dewey in Communication Studies • Lana Rakow, University of North Dakota • Despite the prominence of communication in John Dewey’s philosophy, the field has a history both of trying to remember and of remembering in order to dismiss his ideas. By mapping his place in speech, rhetoric, journalism, and mass communication, this critical review demonstrates there has been too little attention to Dewey’s work; a conflation with pragmatism, progressivism, and the Chicago School; and received histories that obscure his approach to power and knowledge.
Simulacra-A Concept Explication • Leah Stone, Colorado State University • American media use simulacra across various media platforms to foster a synergistic consumer “hyperreality” of an image or object. The creation of media simulacra, a generation of models of a real object without origin or reality, defines American consumption culture. This explication will examine the concept simulacra and its key dimensions and epistemology, uses in both media and other research fields, and how simulacra may be refined and used as a lens for future research.
Habermas’s Account of Public Judgment: Future Directions for the Age of Networked Communication • Lewis Friedland; Thomas Hove • This paper analyzes the degree to which Habermas’s theories remain useful for evaluating the quality of public opinion in an age of networked communication. First, we review his account of how the media system enables societies to generate considered public opinion. Second, we explain why his description of the media system is outdated. Third, we identify a series of problems that need to be addressed by any theory of rational democracy.
How to understand a woman director? : A perspective of Chinese women audience members on Ann Hui’s The Golden Era (2014) v Li Chen, Syracuse University v The issue that this study addresses is the unprivileged status of women directors and women audiences in the male-dominated film industry in China. The purpose of this study is to use the concept of gender practice to explore how Chinese women audience members make sense of Ann Hui and her films. 18 in-depth interviews were conducted. The results indicated that ordinary Chinese women audience members are still unfamiliar with the concept of gender.
When Sexual Assault Becomes the Story: The Gendered War Reporter in the Media Text • Lindsay Palmer • This paper conducts an analysis of the CBS 60 Minutes interview that followed correspondent Lara Logan’s sexual assault during the 2011 Egyptian uprising. Drawing upon a mixed set of methods deployed in the humanist field of film and media studies, I first provide some important background information on the cultural context in which Logan’s assault unfolded, analyzing the journalistic discourse on the broader coverage of the 2011 uprisings in Egypt. In order to examine this discourse, I conduct a critical reading of the English-language journalism trade articles published during the winter of 2011. I also draw upon the professional insights and cultural performances of 20 journalists I have interviewed, each of whom covered the 2011 protests. After providing this context, I finally turn to a textual analysis of Logan’s interview, illuminating the contradictory ways in which she is represented in that media text. In doing this, I argue that while the CBS video claims to facilitate Logan’s belated transcendence of Tahrir Square—casting her as an agent who can “speak out” on behalf of female war reporters—the interview ultimately represents Logan as the white, feminine victim of a racialized other: the abstract “Egyptian male,” who cannot be trusted to pilot Egypt toward a new political future.
Always Already Hailed: Negotiating Memory and Identity at the Newseum • Lori Amber Roessner, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Carrie Teresa, Niagara University • This autoethnography considers the experiences of two media scholars at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., on August 10, 2013, and their digital return in February 2016. It considers the Newseum’s role in how we remember and why we forget certain aspects of American journalism and the relationship between this institutional site of memory and our individual and collective identities (D’Amore & Meriwether, 2013; Kitch, 2002; Schudson, 1995). The self-reflexive, autobiographical methodological form allows the historians of media and culture to consider the calls of Zelizer (1995), Kitch (2006), and Hume (2010) for more conceptual clarity in our understandings of public, social, cultural, and collective memory; for new understandings of the reception and negotiation of media memory-texts and sites of memory; and for the operation of memory in physical and digital landscapes, respectively.
A Normative History of Identifying Native-Americans as Mascots: The Redskins Case Study • Meghan Delsite; Bob Trumpbour, Penn State Altoona • The use of Native-Americans for team names in American sports teams has elicited a broad range of reactions in media, ranging from anger to aggressive defense of such practices. This research focuses on the use of the Redskins name in professional sports and the use of Native-American mascots in general as a practice that has within it an implicit and explicit power-dynamic. Normative approaches are presented to suggest a resolution that transcends power-based ideologies.
Identity, Representation and Travel: Negotiated and Transactional Communication in Tourism • Meta G. Carstarphen, University of Oklahoma • Discourse about tourism is not just about a living, breathing space. It is a narrative about ourselves, if we are tourists, and how we see ourselves in relationship to others. Considering Stuart Hall’s key ideas about identity and representation, this paper argues for a new critique about how the experience of travel is constructed in journalism, marketing and public relations.
Please exit through the gift shop: On the ethics of the 9/11 Memorial Museum Store • Miles Sari, Washington State University • Is it ethical for the 9/11 Museum to have a gift shop? Adopting Bandura’s notion of moral disengagement, this paper addresses this question by arguing that the shop is unethical because it forges an inhumane commercial space where visitors’ anxiety and need for closure is negotiated through consuming souvenirs. By capitalizing on the deaths of dehumanized 9/11 victims, under the guise of sustaining the memorial, visitors are alienated from the devastation associated with Ground Zero.
Mobile Masculinities: An Investigation of Networked Masculinities in Gay Dating Apps • Nathian Rodriguez, Texas Tech University; Jennifer Huemmer, Texas Tech University; Lindsey Blumell, Copenhagen Business School/Texas Tech University • This study argues that hegemonic masculinity and inclusive masculinity are conciliatory when applied to networked masculinities in homosexual spaces. It contends hegemonic masculinity is a macro-level process that informs micro-level processes of inclusive masculinity. Employing a textual analysis of 500 individual profiles in gay dating apps (Scruff, GROWLr, GuySpy and Hornet), findings indicate networked masculinities informed by hegemonic masculinity. A process of “mascing” also resulted from the data.
What were newspapers for? Artistic and literary responses to the 2009 newspaper crisis • Nicholas Gilewicz, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania • 2009 newspaper closures caused extensive reflection in journalism about newspapers’ future and generated responses from interrelated fields. Two case studies—the 2010 New Museum of Contemporary Art exhibition The Last Newspaper and the 2009 literary journal McSweeney’s publication of the San Francisco Panorama newspaper prototype, and news coverage of each—illustrate how representatives of the art and literary worlds mediatize the newspaper materially and conceptually as a mnemonic deposit of sociocultural ideas about newspaper journalism.
Constructing a “First” First Lady Through Memory: The Case of China’s Peng Liyuan • Qi Ling, The University of Iowa; Dan Berkowitz, University of Iowa • Our study analyzed how cultural memory of previous and contemporary first ladies was used as journalistic devices to make sense of the unusual case of Peng Liyuan, the current first lady of China. When faced with reporting international news in little-understood cultural dimensions, the media turn to memory of the familiar to make the news resonant, thus reaffirming the cultural and gender values that are associated with the a typical Western first lady.
Living with Images of Suffering: A Critical Examination of News Photographs Depicting the Dead • Richard Lewis, The University of Southern Mississippi • This paper examines the historic development and contemporary reactions to images of corpses published in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Framed by a discussion of Susan Sontag’s concern over the anesthetic effect of photographs of suffering and Stuart Hall concept of preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings, it argues that Hurricane Katrina represented a rare circumstance when shocking images of dead bodies were published by the commercial press without presenting obvious and overt challenge to hegemony.
Discourse and Localization of Children’s Rights in Youth-Produced Digital Media in the Global South • Sanjay Asthana, Middle Tennessee State University • Through the study of four UNICEF supported youth media initiatives from Palestine, Israel, Ghana, and South Africa, the paper will theorize and generate new empirical knowledge about the encounter between constructions of youth in rights based discourses of UNICEF and young people’s digital media narratives. The research on children and youth media practices, encountered instances where the universal discourse of children’s rights does not connect with the local realities of youth (constraints), but found that young people translate children’s rights to construct new meanings to suit their local contexts and experiences (possibilities). It is this double dialectic, of constraints and possibilities, revealed in youth digital media narratives that the article examines in greater detail, and offers reflections on the interconnectedness among the triptych children’s rights, digital media, and youth life-worlds.
Precarious copycats: The subaltern problem in Shanzhai culture • Sara Liao, Department of Radio-TV-Film, The University of Texas at Austin • This study evaluates the discourse of Shanzhai culture, that is, the copycat phenomenon, in its historical, social-political, and cultural context. A close reading of Shanzhai cellphones and fashion copycats complicates the subaltern problem which posits stable social relations between elites and subalterns or bourgeoisie and workers. In contemporary China, I see precarity embodies both a material condition of one’s socio-economic position, and an anthropological or existential condition of ontologically uncertainty, both of which intensify and approach closer to each other. Precarity in Shanzhai reflects and constitutes today’s sensibility of class, labor, and gender. Today’s sensation of Shanzhai culture in general and Shanzhai fashion in particular, where women make fashion copycats, challenges the way we perceive and experience the precariousness under neoliberalism.
Journalists’ Normative Discursive Constructions of Political Viewpoint Diversity • Tim Vos, University of Missouri; David Wolfgang, University of Missouri • This interview-based study with 18 U.S. political journalists explores how they conceptualize political viewpoint diversity as a journalistic norm in a time in which news and the news media ecology are changing. The political journalists still embrace the normative role of providing audiences with a range of political viewpoints, but have assumptions about democracy that seem to thwart their intentions. The implications for field theory are considered.
“LinkedIn is my office; Facebook my living room, Twitter the neighborhood bar”: Media scholars’ liminal use of social media for peer and public communication • Victoria LaPoe, WKU; Candi Carter Olson, Utah State University; Stine Eckert • This study grounds 45 interviews with media scholars in liminality theory and analyzes how they use social media as they transition to an offline and online communication paradigm. Scholars employ personal strategies to decide if and how to integrate social media into their professional lives for peer and public communication. Scholars struggle with a double bind of needing to be social media savvy while worrying about career consequences of posting publicly. Few best practices exist.
Reproducing the “Imprint of Power:” Framing the “Creative Class” in Putin’s Russia • Volha Kananovich; Frank Durham • This textual analysis traces the framing of the 2011-2011 anti-Kremlin protests in Russia by the nation’s most popular newspaper Komsomol’skaya Pravda. Findings show that the newspaper shifted its position from discounting the seriousness of the protests to adopting an increasingly negative frame of the protesters once the Putin government made its opposition clear. The pattern shown here describes the abandonment of the newspaper’s nominally middle-ground position in favor of adhering to the state’s political power.
The Spectacular Mo’Ne Davis: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in U.S. Belonging • Zachary Vaughn, Indiana University • Building on Sarah Projansky’s spectacular girlhood proposition, I investigate how Mo’ne Davis complicates our understanding of national belonging in the United States. Davis first became popular in the U.S. mediascape for her phenomenal success in boys Little League baseball, in which she pitched her team into the Little League World Series tournament. Primarily, I am fascinated with a short documentary produced by Spike Lee: “Throw Like a Girl.” I argue that Mo’ne Davis can be seen as a case study in how issues related to gender, race, and perceived sexuality can inform us of the deeply demarcated divisions always already infused in the United States as an imagined community. Davis, and girls like her, expose these ideological and cultural instantiations and can allow us to deconstruct and then reconstruct a new national consciousness that is held together by both our similarities and our differences to begin the process of imagining the U.S. as a melting pot in the truest sense.
Communicating Science, Health, Environment, and Risk 2016 Abstracts
Using Visual Metaphors in Health Messages: A Strategy to Increase Effectiveness for Mental Illness Communication • Allison Lazard, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Benita Bamgbade; Jennah Sontag, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; Carolyn Brown • Depression is highly prevalent among college students. Although treatment is often available on university campuses, many stigma-based barriers prevent students from seeking help. Communication strategies, such as the use of metaphors, are needed to reduce barriers. Using a two-phase approach, this study identified how college students conceptualize mental illness, designed messages with conceptual and visual metaphors commonly used, and tested these message to determine their potential as an effective communication strategy to reduce stigma.
How Journalists Characterize Health Inequalities and Redefine Solutions for Native American Audiences • Amanda Hinnant, University of Missouri, School of Journalism; Roma Subramanian; Rokeshia Ashley, University of Missouri-Columbia; Mildred Perreault, University of Missouri/ Appalachian State University; Rachel Young; Ryan Thomas, University of Missouri-Columbia • This research investigates how journalists for Native American communities characterize health inequalities and the issues with covering determinants of health. In-depth interviews (n = 24) revealed a tension between “medical” and “cultural” models of health, contributing to the oversaturation of certain issues. Interviews also amplified the contexts that shape health inequalities, illuminating the roles of historical trauma and the destruction of indigenous health beliefs and behaviors. Failure to recognize the issues can stymie communication efforts.
Poison or Prevention? Unraveling the Linkages between Vaccine-Negative Individuals’ Knowledge Deficiency, Motivations, and Communication Behaviors • Arunima Krishna • The last few decades have seen growing concerns among parents regarding the safety of childhood vaccines, arguably leading to the rise of the anti-vaccine movement. This study is an effort to understand situational and cross-situational factors that influence individuals’ negative attitudes toward vaccines, referred to as vaccine negativity. In doing so, this study identified two categories of reasons for which individuals display vaccine negativity – liberty-related, and safety-related concerns – and elucidated how situational and cross-situational factors influenced each type of vaccine negativity differently. Specifically, this study tested how knowledge deficiency, or acceptance of scientifically inaccurate data about vaccines, and institutional trust influenced negative attitudes toward vaccines. Using the situational theory of problem solving as the theoretical framework, this also identified and tested a knowledge-attitude-motivation-behavior framework of vaccine negative individuals’ cognitions and behaviors about the issue.
Chronic pain: Sources’ framing of post-traumatic stress disorder in The New York Times • Barbara Barnett, University of Kansas; Tien-Tsung Lee, University of Kansas • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common reaction after witnessing a violent event. While nearly eight million Americans, including combat veterans, have PTSD, few studies have explored how the condition is represented in mass media. This content analysis examined sources’ characterization of PTSD in New York Times articles. Results show that news stories framed PTSD as a long-term problem, with little chance for recovery, a frame that could negatively affect public policy decisions.
This Is Not A Test: Investigating The Effects Of Cueing And Cognitive Load On Severe Weather Alerts • Carie Cunningham • Climate change is increasing and causing more severe weather events around the globe. Severe weather events require effective communication of incoming dangers and threats to different populations. The current study focuses on investigating ways in which severe weather alerts are attended to and remembered better by audience members. To this end, this study used a 2 (primary task cognitive load: low vs. high) x 2 (weather alert cueing technique: cued vs. non-cued) within-subject experiment to understand how television weather alerts evoke attention and memory from viewers. Participants were exposed to TV films that varied in cognitive load, through which they were exposed to both cued and non-cued weather alerts. The findings show that cognitive load changes viewers’ recognition and memory of the weather alerts, but not of the main content. Furthermore, the interaction of cueing and cognitive load influenced fixation and gaze in attention measures, but not the recall measures for the weather alerts. Results are discussed in the context of dependent variables: visual recognition, information recognition, cued recall, free recall, fixation, and gaze. The findings support some nuances to television viewing under different conditions.
A State-Level Analysis of the Social Media Climate of GMOs in the U.S. • Christopher Wirz, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Xuan Liang, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Michael Xenos; Dominique Brossard, UW-Madison; Dietram Scheufele • This study is a state-level analysis of the relationship between the social media, news, and policy climates related to GMOs. We performed a systematic and exhaustive analysis of geographically-identified tweets related to GMOs from August 1, 2012 through November 30, 2014. We then created a model using a variety of state-level factors to predict pessimistic tweets about GMOs using states as the unit of analysis.
Psychological determinants of college students’ adoption of mobile health applications for personal health management • Chuqing Dong; Lauren Gray; Hao Xu, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities • “Mobile health has been studied for patient care and disease management in the clinical context, but less is known about factors contribute to consumers’ acceptance of mobile health apps for personal health and fitness management.
This study serves as one of the first attempts to understand the psychological determinants of mobile health acceptance among millenials – those most likely to use mobile apps. Built on an extended model combining the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Reasoned Action approach, this multimethod study aimed to identify which proximal determinants and their underlying salient beliefs were most associated with intention to use mobile health apps in the next twelve months.
Results from the qualitative belief elicitation data analysis indicated 14 different positive and negative consequences (behavioral beliefs) of using mobile health apps, 11 social references (normative beliefs) important to the use of mobile health apps, and 9 behavioral circumstances (behavioral control beliefs) that would enable or make it more difficult to use mobile health apps. Results from the quantitative Reasoned action data indicated perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of the app were positively correlated with attitude towards mobile health app use and perceived usefulness was also positively correlated with intention to use it in the next twelve months. Instrumental attitudes and perceived behavioral control (capacity), as well as several of their underlying beliefs, were the strongest predictors of intention to use mobile health apps in the next twelve months.”
Talkin’ smack: An analysis of news coverage of the heroin epidemic • Erin Willis; David Morris II, University of Oregon • The number of heroin users continues to rise in the United States, creating a public health epidemic that is cause for great concern. Recent heroin use has been linked to opiate abuse and national organizations have identified this issue as a serious public health challenge. The Obama administration recently directed more than $1 billion in funding to expand access to treatment and boost efforts to help those who seek treatment. Newspapers are seen as reliable and credible sources of information, and newspapers’ portrayals of public health problems influence readers’ perceptions about the severity of the problem and solutions to the problem. The current study examined national and city newspapers coverage of heroin. The results of this study inform health communication and public health education efforts and offer practical implications for combatting the heroin epidemic.
Exchanging social support online: A big-data analysis of IBS patients’ interactions on an online health forum from 2008 to 2012 • Fan Yang, Pennsylvania State University; Bu Zhong, Pennsylvania State University • This research conducts a big-data analysis to examine why IBS patients offered social support to peer patients on an online health forum. Social network analysis of 90,965 messages shared among 9,369 patients from 2008-2012 suggests that although having received support from others encourages individuals to offer support in the online community, being able to help others previously also emerges as a significant and long-lasting impetus for social support provision online. Reciprocating support with one another, however, prevents one from keeping offering support on the forum over time. Furthermore, based on sentiment analysis, it is indicated that the extent to which one could freely express emotions for support seeking also serves as a significant predictor for the amount of social support he/she could obtain from others. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
To entertain or to scare? A meta-analytic review on the persuasiveness of emotional appeals in health messages • Fan Yang, Pennsylvania State University; Jinyoung Kim, The Pennsylvania State University • This research conducts a meta-analytic review on the how appealing to positive vs. negative emotions in health messages could persuade. Emotional appeals significantly enhance the persuasiveness of health messages on cognition, attitude, and intention, but not on actual behavior. Appealing to negative rather than positive emotions appears to be more persuasive. Furthermore, richer formats of presentations of health messages are significantly more effective than plain texts. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
A Disagreement on Consensus: A Measured Critique of the Gateway Belief Model and Consensus Messaging Research • Graham Dixon, Washington State University • The newly developed Gateway Belief Model suggests the key to scientific beliefs is one’s perception of a scientific consensus. However, inconsistent findings question the explanatory power of the model and its application. This paper provides further depth to the explanatory power of the model, suggesting consensus messages affect audience segments in different ways. This nuanced perspective of the model can usher in future research seeking to close belief gaps between the lay public and experts.
Communicating inaction-framed risk: Reducing the omission bias via internal causal attribution • Graham Dixon, Washington State University • Despite identical outcomes derived from actions or inactions, people often experience more intense affective reactions toward action-framed outcomes. This “omission bias” presents challenges to communicating various risks. Reporting on two experiments, findings suggest that the omission bias occurs across various risk topics and message stimuli. Importantly, dimensions of causal attribution, such as locus of causality and stability, play a mediating role on the omission bias. Recommendations are made for more effective risk communication practices.
You Win or We Lose: A Conditional Indirect Effect Model of Message Framing in Communicating the Risks of Hydraulic Fracturing • Guanxiong Huang, Michigan State University; Kang Li; Hairong Li • This study explores the effects of message framing and reference frame on risk perception and associated behavior intent. Using an environmental hazard of hydraulic fracturing as an example, a 2 (message framing: gain vs. loss) × 2 (reference frame: self vs. group) between-subject experiment shows significant interaction effects between message framing and reference frame, in that gain-framed message paired with self-referencing frame is most effective in enhancing risk perception whereas the loss-framed message paired with group-referencing frame is most effective in increasing willingness to sign a petition to ban hydraulic fracturing. More theoretical and practical implications for environmental risk communication and persuasive message design are discussed.
Messages Promoting Genetically Modified Crops in the Context of Climate Change: Evidence for Psychological Reactance • Hang Lu, Cornell University; Katherine McComas; John Besley, Michigan State University • Genetic modification (GM) of crops and climate change are arguably two of today’s most challenging science communication issues. Increasingly, these two issues are connected in messages proposing GM as a viable option for ensuring global food security threatened by climate change. This study examines the effects of messages promoting the benefits of GM in the context of climate change. Further, it examines whether attributing the context to “climate change” vs. “global warming” vs. “no cue” leads to different effects. An online sample of U.S. participants (N=1,050) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: “climate change” cue, “global warming” cue, no cue, or control (no message). Compared to the control, all other conditions increased positive attitudes toward GM. However, the “no cue” condition led to liberals having more positive attitudes and behavioral intentions toward GM than the “climate change” cue condition, an effect mediated by message evaluations.
An Enhanced Theory of Planned Behaviour Perspective: Health Information Seeking on Smartphones Among Domestic Workers • Hattie Liew; Hiu Ying Christine Choy • This exploratory study investigates the antecedents of health information seeking via mobile smartphone (HISM) among migrant domestic workers. 320 Filipina workers in Hong Kong were surveyed. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was extended with health literacy and external factors like needs of workers’ family as predictors of HISM intention. Findings support the TPB as a predictor of HISM and suggest the importance facilitating health information literacy and technical know-how among migrant domestic workers.
Need for Autonomy as a Motive for Valuing Fairness in Risk Communication • Hwanseok Song, Cornell University • Research shows that people strive to restore autonomy after experiencing its deprivation. An experiment was used to test whether people’s need for autonomy explains why they value non-outcome fairness (i.e., procedural, interpersonal, informational) in risk management contexts. Partial support was found for this effect, moderated by attitudes toward the risk itself. After experiencing autonomy-deprivation, participants who were more negative about the risk valued non-outcome fairness more and technical competence of the risk manager less.
Humor Effects in Advertising on Human Papillomavirus (HPV): The Role of Information Salience, Humor Level, and Objective Knowledge • Hye Jin Yoon; Eunjin (Anna) Kim, Southern Methodist University • As human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States, it is imperative that health communicators seek message strategies that educate the public on prevention and treatment. Guided by the elaboration likelihood model (ELM), an experimental study tested the effects of sexually transmitted disease (STD) information salience, humor level, and objective knowledge in HPV public service advertisements (PSAs). The findings show objective knowledge moderating responses to advertisements varying in STD information salience and humor levels. Theoretical implications for humor and knowledge effects in health communication and practical implications regarding the design and targeting of HPV campaigns are provided.
Media Use and Antimicrobial Resistance Misinformation and Misuse: Survey Evidence of Information Channels and Fatalism in Augmenting a Global Health Threat • Jacob Groshek, Boston University; James Katz; Chelsea Cutino; Qiankun Zhong • Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is giving rise to a global public health threat that is not reflected in public opinion of AMR. This study thus proceeds to examine which individuals among the general public are more likely to be misinformed about AMR and report misusing AMR-related products. Specifically, traditional media (newspaper, radio, television) consumption and social media use are modeled as factors which may not only reinforce but perpetuate AMR misinformation and misuse.
Who is Scared of the Ebola Outbreak? The Influence of Discrete Emotions on Risk Perception • Janet Yang; Haoran Chu • Utilizing the appraisal tendency framework, this study analyzed discrete emotion’s influence on the U.S. public’s risk perception and support for risk mitigation measures. An experimental survey based on a nationally representative sample showed that discrete emotions were significantly related to public risk perception. Further, fear exhibited an inhibitive effect on the relationship between systematic processing of risk information and institutional mitigation support. Systematic processing, in contrast, had the most consistent impact on mitigation support.
Sexual Health Intervention Messaging: Proof Positive that Sex Negative Messages are Less Persuasive • Jared Brickman • As comprehensive sexual health education programs are adopted by universities, there is a need to evaluate what messaging approaches might connect best with students. This study measured reactions to sex positive or negative messages, framed as a gain or loss. Participants evaluated 24 messages on their mobile phones. Gain framing was preferred over loss framing, and sex positive messages were rated as more believable and persuasive. An interaction between the two concepts was also found.
Examining the Differential Effects of Emotions: Anxiety, Despair, and Informed Futility • Jay Hmielowski, Washington State University; Rebecca Donaway, Washington State University; Yiran Wang, Washington State University • Using survey data collected during the fall of 2015, we examine the role of different emotions in increasing and decreasing active information seeking and processing behaviors. We replicate results from the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model focusing on anxiety as a key variable that triggers these active information seeking behaviors. We also test the informed futility hypothesis, which proposes that learning about an issue leads people to become disengaged with solving the problem.
Public Support for Energy Portfolios in Canada: How Cost and National Energy Portfolios Affect Public Perception of Energy Technologies • Jens Larson; Jiawei Liu, Washington State University; Zena Zena Edwards; Kayla Wakulich; Amanda Boyd, Washington State University • In this study, we examine current energy perceptions in Canada, exploring how regional differences of current electricity-producing energy portfolios and evaluable information affect support for energy sources. Our results show that individuals support electricity-producing energy portfolios that vary significantly by region. We demonstrate through the use of a portfolio approach that evaluable information could significantly change support for electricity-producing energy technologies.
The effects of gain vs. loss framed medical and religious breast cancer survivor testimonies on attitudes and behaviors of African-American female viewers • Jensen Moore, University of Oklahoma • African-American women are at elevated risk for the most advanced form of breast cancer due to late detection. This 2 (Message Type: Religious/Medical) X 2 (Message Frame: Loss/Gain) X 4 (Message Replication) experiment examined breast cancer narratives aimed at African-American women ages 35-55 who had not had breast cancer. Narratives contained medical/religious messages and gain/loss frames. Effects of the narratives on attitude, credibility, behavioral intent, arousal and emotions were examined. Results suggest medical, gain framed narratives were the most effective. Specifically, gain framed narratives increased attitudes, mammogram behavioral intentions, arousal, and positive emotions while medical narratives increased credibility, mammogram behavioral intentions, and arousal.
Gap in Scientific Knowledge and the Role of Science Communication in South Korea • Jeong-Heon Chang; Sei-Hill Kim; Myung-Hyun Kang; Jae Chul Shim; Dong Hoon Ma • Using data from a national survey of South Koreans, this study explores the role of science communication in enhancing three different forms of scientific knowledge (factual, procedural, and subjective). We first assess learning effects, looking at the extent to which citizens learn science from different channels of communication (interpersonal discussions, traditional newspapers, television, online newspapers, and social media). We then look closely into the knowledge gap hypothesis, investigating how different channels of communication can either widen or narrow the gap in scientific knowledge between social classes. Our data indicated that among the four mass media channels examined, television was the most heavily-used source for science information in South Korea. Also, television was found to function as a “knowledge leveler,” narrowing the gap between highly and less educated individuals. The role of online newspapers in science learning is pronounced in our research. Reading newspapers online indicated a positive relationship to all three measures of scientific knowledge. Contrary to the knowledge-leveling effect of television viewing, reading online newspapers was found to increase, rather than decrease, the gap in knowledge. Implications of our findings are discussed in detail.
Beyond the worried well: Emotional states and education levels predict online health information seeking • Jessica Myrick, Indiana University; Jessica Willoughby • This study combined conceptual frameworks from health and risk information seeking, appraisal theory of emotions, and social determinants of health literatures to examine how emotional states and socioeconomic status individually and jointly predict online health information seeking. Using nationally representative data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 4, Cycle 3), we found that different discrete emotions predicted information seeking in different ways. Moreover, education levels interacted with anxiety to predict online information seeking.
The Effect on Young Women of Public Figure Health Narratives regarding HPV: An Application of the Elaboration Likelihood Model • Jo-Yun Queenie Li • “The Genital Human Papillomavirus (also called HPV), the most common STD which causes virtually all cases of cervical cancer in the U.S, has been overlooked by society due to a lack of knowledge and stigma surrounding STDs. This study explores the effectiveness of public figure health narratives and different media platforms on young women’s awareness of HPV and their behavioral intentions to receive vaccination. An online between-groups experiment with
275 participants based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model revealed that the effectiveness of public figure health narratives on individuals’ awareness and behavioral intentions are maximized when the messages appear in newspapers rather than in social media, and when the
message recipients are in high involvement conditions. The interaction among the three variables is discussed, along with implications for health communication and HPV promotion campaigns.”
“I believe what I see:” Students’ use of media, issue engagement, and the perceived responsibility regarding campus sexual assault • Jo-Yun Queenie Li; Jane O’Boyle, University of South Carolina; Sei-Hill Kim • “Abstract
The topic of campus sexual assault has received much news media attention recently, prompting scholars to examine media effects on students’ attitudes and behaviors regarding the issue. Our survey with 567 college students examines how students’ media use have influenced their engagement with the issue of campus sexual assault and their perceived responsibility regarding the issue, looking particularly at the question of who is responsible and the perceptions of rape myths. Results revealed that newspapers’ coverage regarding campus sexual assault may contribute to college students’ victim-blaming and enduring victim myths. However, these may be minimized by raising students’ perceived importance about the issue. And the most effective media channel in which to increase students’ perceived importance is social media. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.”
Cultural Representations of Gender and Science: Portrayals of Female STEM Professionals in Popular Films 2002-2014 • Jocelyn Steinke, Western Michigan University; Paola Paniagua Tavarez, Western Michigan University • This study focused on a textual analysis that examined representations of female STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) characters in speaking roles and portrayals of female STEM characters in lead, co-lead, and secondary roles in popular films that featured STEM characters from 2002 to 2014. Findings indicated that female were outnumbered by male STEM characters in speaking roles by 2 to 1. Portrayals of female STEM characters were varied. Some portrayals revealed gender stereotypes although scientist stereotypes were rare. Most female STEM character were portrayed as equal members of research teams, almost all portrayals focused on their attractiveness, and about half of the portrayals highlighted their romantic relationships. The findings from this study were compared with those from previous research in order to trace changes in cinematic representation and portrayals of female STEM characters over time. A discussion of the implications for future research in this area and implications for broadening participation in STEM will be addressed.
“You Made Me Want to Smoke”: Adaptive and Maladaptive Responses to Tweets from an Anti-Smoking Campaign using Protection Motivation Theory • Jordan Alpert, Virginia Commonwealth University; Linda Desens • The F.D.A. developed the Real Cost campaign to prevent and reduce the number of teens who experiment with smoking and become lifelong tobacco users. The $115 multimedia campaign utilizes channels such as television, radio, print and online, including social media. Since social media allows for interaction and immediate feedback, this study analyzed how Twitter users responded to anti-smoking messages containing fear-appeals created by the Real Cost. Over 300 tweets exchanged between a Twitter user and @KnowtheRealCost were gathered between 2015 and 2016. Through the lens of Protection Motivation Theory, content analysis discovered that 67% (220) of responses were maladaptive and 33% (111) of tweets were adaptive (intercoder reliability, κ = .818). Iterative analysis was also performed to identify and categorize themes occuring within threat and coping appraisals. For threat appraisals, it was found that perceived vulnerability was lessened due to incidence of the boomerang effect, perceived severity was reduced by comparison to other dangerous activities, and rewards included relaxation and reduced anxiety. Coping appraisals included evidence of self-efficacy and social support. Results of the study indicated that although users reacted in a maladaptive manner, Twitter can be a powerful platform to test messages, interact with users and reinforce efficacious behavior.
“Pass the Ban!” An Examination of the Denton, Texas, Fracking Ban • Judson Meeks, Texas Tech University • This paper examines how groups on both sides of the fracking debate presented their cases to the public by conducting a visual and textual analysis to examine campaign materials. The study found that anti-fracking advocates presented the issue as one about local control and unity, whereas the pro-fracking advocates presented the issue as an economic threat the local community and the financial well-being of future generations.
Promoting Healthy Behavior through Social Support in Mobile Health Applications • Jung Won Chun, University of Florida; Jieun Cho; Sylvia Chan-Olmsted, University of Florida • Mobile health applications serve as a venue for promoting personal well-being by allowing users to engage in health-promoting behavior, such as sharing health information and health status/activities with each other. Through social interactions enabled by mobile health apps, people are likely to engage in healthy behavior and well-being with support from others. The current study explored which factors of smartphone use and motives for using health applications influence the perceived social support from mobile health applications. It also investigated the effect of perceived control as a mediating variable on the relationship between perceived social support in the applications and healthy behavior and well-being. The results showed that perceived social interaction and technological convenience were the main predictors of perceived social support in mobile health apps, which have indirect effects on exercise and perception of well-being. Perceived control positively mediated the relationship between perceived social support in the applications of both exercise and well-being.
Are you talking to me? Testing the value of Asian-specific messages as benefits to donating healthy breast tissue • Kelly Kaufhold, Texas State University; Yunjuan Luo; Autumn Shafer, University of Oregon • The Komen Tissue Bank at the Indiana University collects breast tissue samples from volunteers but suffers from a dearth of donations from Asian women. This two-part study was devised to test messages targeting Asian women. Applying Health Belief Model to a survey and five focus groups, low perceived susceptibility and severity yielded increased barriers and lower benefits among Asian women. Asian-specific messages showed significantly higher benefits for Asian women who suggested even more Asian-specific messaging.
Sources of Information About Emergency Contraception: Associations with Women’s Knowledge and Intentions to Use • Kyla Garrett, University of North Carolina; Laura Widman; Jacqueline Nesi; Seth Noar • Emergency contraception (EC) is a highly effective form of birth control that may lower rates of unintended pregnancy among young women. Currently, lack of adequate information and misunderstandings about EC hamper efforts to disseminate EC to women who need it. The purpose of this study was to determine the sources from which women had learned about EC (including health care providers, friends or interpersonal sources, media sources, or no information sources), and to examine whether source credibility was associated with accuracy of knowledge about EC and intentions to use EC. Participants were 339 college women (M age = 18.4) who reported where they had received information about EC, if anywhere, along with their EC knowledge and behavioral intentions. In total, 97% of women had heard of EC from at least one source and 49% indicated they were highly likely to use EC in the future, if needed. Results demonstrated significant positive relationships among higher credibility of EC information sources, more accurate EC knowledge, and greater intentions to use EC. Moreover, EC knowledge mediated the relationship between source credibility and intentions to use EC. Future EC education efforts should capitalize on credible information sources to positively influence EC knowledge and increase uptake of EC in emergency situations. Additional research is needed to examine the content, quality, and frequency of messages young women receive about EC.
Stymied by a wealth of health information: How viewing conflicting information online diminishes efficacy • Laura Marshall, UNC Chapel Hill; Maria Leonora Comello, UNC Chapel Hill • Confusing information about cancer screening proliferates online, particularly around mammography and prostate antigen testing. Whereas some online content may highlight the effectiveness of these tests in preventing cancer, other sources warn these tests may be ineffective or may cause harm. Across two experiments, we found support for the notion that exposure to conflicting information decreases self-efficacy and response efficacy, potentially discouraging the likelihood of behavior change that could prevent cancer.
Thematic/Episodic and Gain/Loss Framing in Mental Health News: How Combined Frames Influences Support for Policy and Civic Engagement Intentions • Lesa Major • This current research tests whether changing the way online stories frame depression affects how audience members attribute responsibility for depression and their civic engagement intentions towards policy solutions for depression. This study uses two framing approaches: 1) emphasis on an individual diagnosed with and living with depression (individualizing the coverage or episodic framing) and 2) emphasis on depression in more general or broader context (thematic or societal framing).This research examines gain (emphasizes benefits – e.g. lives saved) and loss (emphasizes costs – lives lost) frames to measure the interaction effects of frames (e.g. thematic-loss coverage or episodic-gain coverage) in news stories .A significant contribution of this research is the construction of the episodic frame. Findings of this research indicated loss-framed stories increased support for mental health policy solutions for depression, but the episodic frame increased societal attribution of responsibility for causes associated with depression.
Obesity News: The Effects of Framing and Uncertainty on Policy Support and Civic Engagement Intentions • Lesa Major • This study examined the effects of episodic (individual) frames and thematic (societal) frames in news on the causes (causal attribution) of and treatments (treatment attribution) for obesity. Interactions are investigated in this research by including gain and loss frames. Gain and loss frames have been examined in health messages, but have not received as much scholarly attention in terms of framing effects in health news. Finally, this study explored the effects of uncertainty and certainty on responsibility attribution. Findings suggest combined frames could influence support for obesity related policies.
Examining Ad Appeals in Over-the-Counter Drug Advertising in Japan • Mariko Morimoto, Sophia University • A quantitative content analysis of Japanese OTC drug TV commercials broadcasted during prime time was conducted to provide an overview of pharmaceutical advertising in Japan. In the sample of 204 ads, nutritional supplement drinks were the most frequently advertised drug category. Ad appeals including effective, safe, and quick-acting were popular. Additionally, these ads predominantly used a product merit approach, and celebrity endorsers, particularly actors/actresses and “talents” (such as TV personnel and comedians), were frequently featured.
Effects of Persuasive Health Information on Attitude Change and Health Behavioral Intentions in Mobile Social Media • Miao Miao; Qiuxia Yang; Pei-Shan Hsieh • Previous research has shown that online health information suffers from low credibility. Drawing on the elaboration-likelihood model (ELM), the central and peripheral routes were operationalized in this study using the argument quality and source credibility constructs respectively. We further examined how these influence processes were moderated by receivers’ health expertise. A between-groups, 2 (argument quality) × 4 (source of credibility) factorial design was tested from WeChat which is the dominant mobile social media in China.
Health Literacy and Health Information Technology Adoption: The Potential for a New Digital Divide • Michael Mackert, The University of Texas at Austin; Amanda Mabry, The University of Texas at Austin; Sara Champlin, The University of North Texas; Erin Donovan, The University of Texas at Austin; Kathrynn Pounders, The University of Texas at Austin • Approximately one-half of American adults exhibit low health literacy. Health information technology (HIT) makes health information available directly to patients through electronic forms including patient portals, wearable technology, and mobile apps. In this study, patients with low health literacy were less likely to use HIT or perceive it as easy/useful, but perceived information on HIT as private. There is room to improve HIT so that health information can be managed among patients of all abilities.
Sharing Health-Related Information on Facebook: An Integrated Model • Ming-Ching Liang, Metropolitan State University • This study proposes a model that explains proactive and reactive information sharing behaviors. In the context of sharing influenza-related information on Facebook, a survey study (N=338) was conducted. Results confirmed the applicability of the proposed information sharing model in current research context. Perceived norms of information sharing, need for self-presentation on SNSs, and sense of virtual community were identified as predictors for proactive and reactive information sharing behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
The Impact of Fear Appeals in The Tailored Public Service Announcements Context • Nam Young Kim, Sam Houston State University • In the context of an anti-binge drinking health campaign, this study particularly tested how the emotional content (i.e., fear appeals) in tailored messages influences people’s messages processing as well as their attitudinal/behavioral changes. Using a 2 (regulatory fit: fit vs. non-fit) X 2 (level of fear appeals: low vs. high) experimental design, the findings indicate that the influence of tailored messages should be discussed cautiously, because the tailored message’s effectiveness is reduced when combined with a high fear appeal. The findings have theoretical and practical implications on the use of emotional appeals in tailored communication.
Testing the effects of dialogic communication on attitudes and behavioral intentions related to polarized and non-polarized scientific issues • Nicole Lee, Texas Tech University • Dialogue has been presented as an alternative to the deficit model. This online experiment tested the impact of dialogue on trust in science, relationship qualities, and behavioral intentions. In order to examine the influence of political polarization, the issues of climate change and space exploration were compared. Dialogue significantly affected relationship qualities and behavioral intentions for space exploration, but not climate change. Results serve to integrate public relations theory and science communication scholarship.
Science in the social media age: Profiles of science blog readers • Paige Jarreau, Louisiana State University; Lance Porter, Louisiana State University • Science blogs have become an increasingly important component of the ecosystem of science news on the Internet. Yet we know little about science blog users. The goal of this study was to investigate who reads science blogs and why. Through a survey of 2,955 readers of 40 randomly selected science blogs, we created profiles of science blog users based on demographic and science media use patterns. We identified three clusters of science blog readers. Super users indicated reading science blogs for a wide range of reasons, including for community seeking purposes. One-way entertainment users indicated reading blogs more for entertainment and ambiance. Unique information seeking users indicated reading blogs more for specific information not found elsewhere. But regardless of science blog users’ motivations to read, they are sophisticated consumers of science media possessing high levels of scientific knowledge.
Using Weight-of-Experts Messaging to Communicate Accurately about Contested Science • Patrice Kohl; Sharon Dunwoody, University of Wisconsin-Madison • Research indicates that balanced news coverage of opposing scientific claims can result in heightened uncertainty among audiences about what is true. In this study, we test the ability of a weight-of-experts statement to enhance individuals’ ability to distinguish between more and less valid claims. An experiment found that the WOE narrative led participants to greater certainty about what scientists believed to be true, which made participants more likely to “buy in” to that belief.
Framing climate change: Competitive frames and the moderating effects of partisanship on environmental behavior • Porismita Borah • The present study conducted both focus groups and experiments to understand the influence of frames on environmental behavior intention. The focus groups and the first experiment were conducted with undergraduate students for pilot testing while the main experiment used an U.S. national sample. Findings show that a message with elements from both problem-solving and catastrophe frames increases individuals’ environmental behavior intention. This relationship is moderated by political ideology, such that only those participants who identified as Democrats and Independents showed more willingness to pro-environmental behavior. Over all, Republications were low on pro-environmental behavior intention compared to the Democrats. But within the Republicans, participants showed more likelihood for pro-environmental behavior intention in the catastrophe framed condition. Implications are discussed.
Abstract or Concrete? A Construal-level Perspective of Climate Change Images in U.S. Print Newspapers • Ran Duan, Michigan State University; Bruno Takahashi; Adam Zwickle; Kevin Duffy, Michigan State University; Jack Nissen, Michigan State University • Climate change is one of the most severe societal environmental risks that call for immediate actions in our age; however, the impacts of climate change are often perceived to be psychologically distant at a high level of construal. This research presents an initial exploration of newspapers’ visual representations of climate change using a construal-level perspective. Focusing on the recent years from 2012 to 2015, this study content analyzed a total of 635 news images with regards to image themes and nine other factors in relation to construal level (e.g., image formats, chromatic characteristics, etc.) Unexpectedly, the results show that overall, climate change has been visually portrayed as a relatively concrete rather than abstract issue and has mostly been portrayed with a high level of specificity. In particular, USA Today visually covered the issue as most concrete, followed by the New York Times, and Wall Street Journal. Human themed images were the most concrete images as compared to nature themed and industry themed images. Findings indicate that construal level aspects in the news images provide another way of understanding and interpreting climate change imagery in the media in the U.S.
“Standing up for science”: The blurring lines between biotechnology research, science communication, and advocacy • Rebecca Harrison, Cornell University • Targeted for their vocal support for genetic engineering and their work in science outreach, upwards of 50 academic agricultural biotechnologists have received Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests since February 2015. The U.S. Right to Know (US-RTK), a self-described watchdog organization who filed the requests, sought to uncover any conflicts of interest (COI) between industry and tax-payer-funded scientific research on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The action has been called a “witch hunt” and “bullying” by supporters of the scientists, and an October 2015 Nature Biotechnology Editorial challenges its audience to “stand up for science” in the wake of this “smear campaign.” The dominant view of science communication is rooted in the idealized assumption that the very act of communication is nothing more than an apolitical transfer of a simplified version of scientific knowledge. The conceptualization of general COI by the scientific community often reflects this outdated framework. But, as scientists become politically engaged as advocates for their own work, this framework is challenged. Using the 2015 case of biotechnology researchers and records requests, this paper explores the question: Why is “scientific outreach” often considered categorically different than “research” — both structurally at the university level, but also as a distinction internalized by these particular scientists — and therefore perceived as immune to charges of COI?
Effects of Heuristic-Systematic Information Processing about Flu and Flu Vaccination • SangHee Park, University of Michigan, Dearborn • This study applied the heuristic-systematic model (HSM) in order to explore risk perceptions of flu and the flu vaccination because the HSM explains individual’s information processing as an antecedent to attitude. Accordingly, this study examined how people process different types of risk information applying a 2 (Message framing: heuristic information message vs. systematic information message) by 2 (expert source vs. non-expert source) online experiment. The experiment found that risk perception of flu illness was positively related to benefit perception of the flu vaccination. The result also indicated that heuristic messages affected risk perception of the flu vaccination, but not flu illness perception. Implications and limitations of these findings were discussed.
Exploring the Multi-Faceted Interpersonal Communication Strategies Used By College Students to Discuss Stress • Sara Champlin, The University of North Texas; Gwendelyn Nisbett, University of North Texas • Mental health issues are a prevalent problem on college campuses yet stigma remains. We examine patterns of college students either seeking help for personal stress or providing help to a stressed friend. Textual analysis was used to extract themes of participant comments and identify common behaviors. Results suggest that students use direct, indirect, and avoidant approaches to addressing stress with friends. Distinctions are blurred in self help-seeking behavior. Implications for creating interpersonal campaigns are discussed.
“Warrior Moms”: Audience Engagement and Advocacy in Spreading Information About Maternal Mental Illness Online • Sarah Smith-Frigerio, University of Missouri • One in seven women will experience a maternal mental illness, yet little is known about why individuals seek information about maternal mental illness and treatments, or how they make use of messages they find. By employing a grounded theoretical approach, involving a close reading of Postpartum Progress, the world’s most read online site concerning maternal mental illness, as well as analysis of semi-structured audience interviews of 21 users of the site, this study contributes a more nuanced understanding of how participants use information and peer support on the site. In addition, the research explores how participants move beyond seeking information anonymously online about a stigmatized mental illness or use private support forums for peer support, to engage in online and offline advocacy efforts.
From Scientific Evidence to Art: Guidelines to Prevent Digital Manipulation in Cell Biology and Nanoscience Journals • Shiela Reaves, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Steven Nolan, University of Wisconsin-Madison • As technological advances have made it easier to digitally manipulate images, the scientific community faces a major issue regarding ethics of visual data. A content analysis of editorial guidelines for the scientific images in cell biology and nanoscience journals demonstrates differences between the two disciplines. Cell biology images in high impact journals receive detailed guidelines about digital manipulation. However, nanoscience journals and low-impact journals have less detailed instructions to prevent misleading visual data.
The Influence of Internal, External, and Response Efficacy on Climate Change-Related Political Participation • Sol Hart, University of Michigan; Lauren Feldman, Rutgers University • This study examined how changing the type and valence of efficacy information in climate change news stories may impact political participation through the mediators of perceived internal, external, and response efficacy. Stories including positive internal efficacy content increased perceived internal efficacy, while stories including negative external efficacy content lowered perceived external efficacy. Perceived internal, external, and response efficacy all offered unique, positive associations with intentions to engage in climate change-related political participation.
Recycling Intention Promotes Attitudinal and Procedural Information Seeking • Sonny Rosenthal; Leung Yan Wah • Information seeking is more likely to occur when the information has utility to the seeker. Prior scholarship discusses this property of information in terms of instrumental utility and, more recently, informational utility. Research on information seeking describes various factors that may motivate information search, but none has directly modeled behavioral intention as an antecedent. The current study examines the effect of recycling intention on intention to seek two kinds of information: attitudinal and procedural. Results show strong effects, which suggest that in the context of recycling, information seeking may serve functions of behavioral and defensive adaptation. Additional findings suggest that recycling personal norms and recycling-related negative affect influence information seeking, albeit indirectly, as forms of cognitive and affective adaptation. Results have implications for selective exposure theory and the practice of environmental communication.
The Effects of Environmental Risk Perception, and Beliefs in Genetic Determinism and Behavioral Action on Cancer Fatalism • Soo Jung Hong, Huntsman Cancer Institute • This study investigates the effects of environmental risk perception, and beliefs in genetic determinism and behavioral action regarding cancer development on cancer fatalism, as well as the moderation effect of education and the mediating role of environmental risk perception on those associations. Nationally representative data from the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) 2013 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) was employed. Findings reveal interesting and meaningful dynamics between those variables and suggest directions for future research.
Perceptions of Sexualized and Non-Sexualized Images of Women in Alcohol Advertisements: Exploring Factors Associated with Intentions to Sexually Coerce • Stacey Hust; Kathleen Rodgers; Stephanie Ebreo; Nicole O’Donnell, Washington State University • The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with college students’ intentions to sexually coerce. An experiment was conducted with (N= 1,234) participants from a college sample. One condition was exposed to sexualized alcohol advertisements and a second condition to non-sexualized alcohol advertisements. Identifying as a man, adherence to traditional gender roles and heterosexual scripts, and exposure to alcohol advertisements with sexualized images of women were positively associated with intentions to sexually coerce.
Enabling Tailored Message Campaigns: Discovering and Targeting the Attitudes and Behaviors of Young Arab Male Drivers • Susan Dun, Northwestern University in Qatar; Syed Owais Ali, Northwestern University in Qatar; Rouda almeghaiseeb, Northwestern University in Qatar • Citing the preventable nature of traffic accidents and the unacceptably high number of causalities, the World Health Organization recently issued an international call for action to combat the needless loss of life and injuries (Nebehay, 2015). Because of dangerous driving behaviors 18-25 year old men are the highest the risk group for accidents, yet they are resistant to typical risk communications. Young Arab men are particularly at risk within this group. The study reported here discovered the driving attitudes and behavioral intentions of young Arab men to enable communication campaigns to specifically tailor persuasive messages for this high-risk yet understudied group in a bid to save lives and decrease the injuries from accidents. We suspected that they are high sensation seeking, fatalistic, and as members of a collectivistic, masculine culture, likely to engage in risking driving behaviors. Using a culturally contextualized focus group setting, we confirmed that they fatalistic, value assertive driving by equating good driving with high-risk behaviors, dislike fear appeals and blame other drivers for accidents. Suggestions for risk communication campaigns are provided. We discovered tensions in their belief systems that could provide an avenue for persuasive messaging, by exposing the contradictions and resolving them in a pro-attitudinal direction. Basic safety beliefs need to be targeted as well, such as the importance of seat belts and defensive driving. Finally, a novel campaign that is not recognizable as a dramatic or sad safe driving campaign is a must, especially initially, or the message is likely to be ignored.
MERS and the Social Media Impact Hypothesis: How Message Format and Style Affect TPE & Perceived Risk • T. Makana Chock, Syracuse University; Soojin Roh, Syracuse University • This study examined the effects of narrative transportation and message context on third person effects (TPE), perceived risk, and behavioral intentions. A 2 (Format: Narrative/Factual news) X 2 (Context: news site, news story on Facebook page) plus 1 (personal account on a Facebook page) between-subject experimental design (N=269) conducted in South Korea examined the differences between reading news stories about the risks of The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in different media contexts – online news sites and Facebook pages – and different formats — narrative, factual, and personal accounts. TPE were found for factual news stories read on news sites, but not for the same story when it was read on a Facebook page. Narrative versions of the story elicited greater transportation and limited TPE regardless of whether the news stories were read on news sites or Facebook pages. TPE was found for personal accounts read on a Facebook page. Source credibility and identification were found to partially mediate the relationship between narrative transportation and perceived story effects on self. In turn, perceived effects on self contributed to personal risk perceptions and risk-prevention behaviors.
Tracking public attitudes toward climate change over time: The declining roles of risk perception and concern • Tsung-Jen Shih, National Chengchi University; Min-Hsin Su; Mei-Ling Hsu • Increasing public risk perception of and concern over climate change has long been regarded as an effective strategy to motivate environmental-friendly behaviors. However, the levels of risk perception and concern may be volatile. For one thing, people may deny the existence of climate change when they feel threatened and, at the same time, do not know what to do. Furthermore, the concept of “issue fatigue” may occur when people are chronically exposed to threatening information. Based on two nationally representative telephone surveys conducted in Taiwan (2013 and 2015), this study examines how people’s risk perception and concern may change over time and whether the impacts on the adoption of pro-environmental behaviors will be different. The results indicate that, although people were more likely to take actions aimed at mitigating climate change in 2015 than in 2013, the levels of risk perception and concern declined significantly. Regression analyses also showed that the effects of risk perception and concern were moderated by time. Implications of the findings will be discussed.
On the Ever-growing Number of Frames in Health Communication Research: A Coping Strategy • Viorela Dan; Juliana Raupp • Recent years have brought a large number of studies citing framing as a theoretical guide in science and health communication research. Keeping track of this literature has become increasingly difficult due to a “frustrating tendenc[y]… to generate a unique set of frames for every study” (Hertog & McLeod, 2001, p. 151). In this study, in an attempt to assist those intending to keep track of this literature, we report the results of a systematic review of literature on news frames in the media coverage of health risks. In the studies scrutinized (k = 35), we found forty-five frame-names for just fifteen frames. They were: attribution of responsibility, action, thematic, episodic, medical, consequences, human interest, health severity, economic consequences, gain, loss, conflict, uncertainty, alarmist, and reassurance. In the paper, we address the overlap between some of these frames and other concepts and frameworks. Also, as some frames entail others or intersect with others, we provide a visualization of how frames relate to each other (see Figure 1). We suggest that building framing theory is stalled by the use of various frame-names for the same frames; yet, we realize that scholars using framing in their studies may follow other goals than building framing theory. However, those new to the field may have difficulty coping with the ever-growing number of frames. In this regard, we hope that our systematic review can help towards reaching consistency, a characteristic indispensable to any theory.
Who Are Responsible for HPV Vaccination? Examination of Male Young Adults’ Perceptions • Wan Chi Leung • HPV vaccination is an important public health issue, but past research has mostly been done on the HPV vaccination for females. An online survey was conducted on Amazon Mechanical Turk, and responses from 656 males aged 18-26 in the United States were analyzed. Attributing the responsibilities for getting HPV-related diseases more to women and to the self were associated with weaker support for the HPV vaccination for males. Attributing the responsibilities for getting the HPV vaccine more to women and to the self were associated with stronger support for the HPV vaccination for males. Findings point to suggestions for future promotions of the HPV vaccination for males.
Media Use, Risk Perception and Precautionary Behavior toward Haze Issue in China • Xiaohua Wu; Xigen Li • The study examined to what degree people’s risk perception of the haze in China was affected by mass media exposure, social network sites involvement and direct experience towards haze. The risk perception was examined in two levels: social risk perception and personal risk perception. Impersonal Impact Hypothesis was tested in the digital media context. The study also explores the influencing factors of precautionary behaviors. The key findings include: 1) mass media exposure and SNS involvement regarding haze issue mediate the effect of direct experience on risk perception; 2) Impersonal Impact Hypothesis was not supported in the context of multi-channel and interactive communication; 3) vulnerability slightly moderates the effect of mass media exposure on personal risk perception; 4) mass media exposure and SNS involvement positively affect precautionary behavior mediated through personal risk perception.
Expanding the RISP Model: Examining the Conditional Indirect Effects of Cultural Cognitions • Yiran Wang, Washington State University; Jay Hmielowski, Washington State University; Rebecca Donaway, Washington State University • This paper attempts to connect literature from the Risk Information Seeking and Processing model with the cultural cognitions literature. We do this by assessing the relationship between cultural cognitions and risk perceptions, then examine whether these risk perceptions are associated with the three outcomes of interest relative to the RISP model: Information seeking, systematic processing, and heuristic processing, through a full serial mediation model using 2015 data collected from ten watersheds communities across the U.S.
Introducing benefit of smoking in anti-smoking messages: Comparing passive and interactive inoculation based on Elaboration Likelihood Model • Yuchen Ren • This study tested the effect of message interactivity in inoculation (interactive inoculation message versus passive inoculation message) on children’s attitude towards smoking based on elaboration likelihood model. Eighty-two primary school students were recruited from Shenzhen, China. Experiment results showed that compared with passive inoculation message, interactive inoculation message generated more negative attitude towards smoking and higher involvement in both central route and peripheral route. Moreover, mediation analysis showed that only the central route indicator mediates the effect of message interactivity on children’s attitude towards smoking. In conclusion, this study not only introduces message interactivity to inoculation theory in smoking prevention context, but also reveals the mechanism of the proposed persuasion effect.
Adolescents’ Perceptions of E-cigarettes and Marketing Messages: A Focus Group Study • Yvonnes Chen; Chris Tilden; Dee Vernberg • “Prior research about e-cigarettes has rarely focused on young adolescents exclusively and explored their perceptions of the industry’s marketing efforts. This focus group study with adolescents (n=39) found that factors that motivate them to experiment with e-cigarettes (e.g., looking cool, curiosity, flavors) are identical to traditional tobacco uptake among adolescents. E-cigarette advertising was memorable because of color contrast, sleek design, and promised benefits. Restricting flavors and advertising may reduce e-cigarette experimentation and future tobacco use.”
Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Texts? Investigating the Influence of Visuals on Text-Based Health Intervention Content • Zhaomeng Niu; Yujung Nam; QIAN YU, Washington State University; Jared Brickman; Shuang Liu • Healthy eating and exercise among young people could curb obesity. Strong messaging is needed for weight loss interventions. This study evaluated the usefulness of visual appeals in text messages. A 2 (gain vs. loss) X 2 (picture vs. no picture) design with pretest and posttest questionnaires (N=107) revealed text-only messages with loss frames had an influence on affective risk response, while text messages with pictures had a positive effect on attitudes, intentions, and self-efficacy.
2016 Abstracts
AEJMC 2016 Conference Paper Abstracts
Minneapolis, MN • August 4 to 7
The following AEJMC groups conducted research competitions for the 2016 conference. The accepted paper abstracts are listed within each section.
Divisions:
- Advertising
- Communicating Science, Health, Environment, and Risk (ComSHER)
- Communication Technology (CTEC)
- Communication Theory and Methodology
- Cultural and Critical Studies
- Electronic News
- History
- International Communication
- Law and Policy
- Magazine
- Mass Communication and Society
- Media Ethics
- Media Management and Economics
- Minorities and Communication (MAC)
- Newspaper and Online News
- Public Relations
- Scholastic Journalism
- Visual Communication (VisCom)
Interest Groups:
- Community Journalism
- Entertainment Studies
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (formerly: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender)
- Graduate Student
- Internships and Careers
- Participatory Journalism
- Political Communication
- Religion and Media
- Small Programs (SPIG)
- Sports Communication (SPORTS)
Commissions:
Journalism Educators Urge Social Media Platforms to Ensure Ethical Transparency in Curating and Disseminating News
CONTACT: Lori Bergen, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2015-16 President of AEJMC | June 3, 2016
The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), the oldest and largest association of journalism and mass communication educators in the world, calls upon social media platforms (such as Facebook) to ensure ethical transparency in curating and disseminating news.
Facebook has been accused of liberal bias in its “trending” news section that lists the most popular news stories for the estimated 1.6 billion people in its social network. This accusation is predicated on Facebook’s professed desire to be a trusted platform for users and media partners. Critics are calling Facebook to task for not embracing traditional news values that ostensibly include being immune to biases and remaining impervious to nontransparent influences.
News media’s societal role is to present truth as journalists and their media companies perceive and interpret it in good faith, with accuracy, fairness and attempted-albeit impossible to fully achieve-objectivity.
Beginning in the 1830s Penny Press era, news reportage was considered, not as the dissemination of an ideological message, but as a commodity that could be sold because of its value to all consumers, irrespective of their political or other beliefs. Basic trust in the presentation of news depended upon accuracy, impartiality and professional values that encouraged fairness and objectivity in reportage.
The relatively restricted news media choices resulted in a considerable monopoly of knowledge by news media organizations, but sufficient market competition existed to encourage overall high quality news coverage, and journalism was highly professionalized, with journalists abiding by ethics codes, shared news values and objective reporting methods.
Today’s media platforms and channels of communication have democratized both the dissemination and access to information, including news. Of course, legacy media comprising news media and their professional journalists who embrace professional news values and ethics have earned public trust and use diverse media platforms in their dissemination of news. However, news media must be distinguished from-and held above-other organizations that use or own media platforms.
As a social media platform, Facebook is powerful and undoubtedly influential, and it should exercise ethical transparency in curating and disseminating news.
Certainly, Facebook content, including its “trending” news section, should not be confused with news, as perceived professionally, nor should Facebook be held to the same standards that have encouraged trust in the legacy press. If Facebook is biased or is purposely inaccurate in what news and information it says is “trending,” it should be judged as a social media platform, not as a news media company that embraces the news values that are essential to a free and democratic society.
Media entities enjoy a First Amendment right to publish and disseminate news content, as they deem fit. Editorial discretion forms the critical core of any media company. However, in their emerging role as news providers, social media platforms should exercise ethical transparency in their policies and practices for curating and disseminating news, in conformance to established journalistic practices of informing citizens in our commitment to a democratic society.
About AEJMC
The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) is the oldest and largest “nonprofit, educational association of journalism and mass communication educators, students and media professionals” in the world. The AEJMC’s mission is to promote the highest possible standards for journalism and mass communication education, to cultivate the widest possible range of communication research, to encourage the implementation of a multi-cultural society in the classroom and curriculum, and to defend and maintain freedom of communication in an effort to achieve better professional practice and a better informed public.
For more information about AEJMC, please visit www.AEJMC.org, follow @AEJMC on Twitter or email to .
For more information regarding this AEJMC Presidential Statement, please contact Lori Bergen, 2016 President of AEJMC, University of Colorado at Boulder, at .
AEJMC Trailblazers of Diversity – Clint Wilson
AEJMC Trailblazers of Diversity in Journalism Education
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
School of Journalism
University of Texas at Austin
The purpose of this index is to mark the themes that have emerged in the interviews conducted so far. From these indexes we will develop an extensive guide of the areas to be covered in the interviewer’s story of the interview subject – and where the viewer/listener can find them.
We ask you watch the interview and give descriptions about what the interview has to say about the issues listed here. We ask you to note any NEW topics that you find in the interview – issues that are not included in this index. YOU MUST INCLUDE COUNTER OR TIMES. At the end of the index you will find a section for your comments of the interviewer in general, the interviewer and your suggestions for improvements in further interviews. We also ask you to give us your opinion on whether this interview is a good subject to be contacted for the second-level interviews.
Lastly, we appreciate feedback on this index so that we can revise future forms.
Interview Subject: Clint Wilson
Interviewer: Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Interview date: 5/7/2014
Number of Recorded Segments: 3
Interview length: 01:37:10
Language: English
Reviewer: Carlos Morales
Date of review for index: 6/20/14
Table of Contents:
Early experiences in journalism (2-3)
Background Questions (3-5)
Diversity awareness (5-8)
Other Experiences (8-9)
Diversity in the newsroom (9-12)
Diversity and academia (12-17)
Media and the Community (17-20)
Early Experiences in Journalism:
0:00 – 1:30 Introductions and preamble
1:46 Clint’s introduction into journalism came from his father who was an editorial political cartoonist.
1:57 His father worked for the black press. For the Los Angeles Sentinel and the California Eagle.
2:09 Clint was an only child and his father worked at home.
2:18 He brought newspapers home and would read to Clint. His father’s interest in newspapers passed onto him.
2:33 He started writing very early. In elementary school he would write stories and share them with classmates.
2:48 He had a pretty good idea that writing is something he might want to do
2:55 Throughout high school and college he started to work on the school papers.
3:07 As a senior at Cal State Los Angeles – what he refers to as the “big awakening” – Clint was offered several positions after college. He said the college had a good track record at finding students jobs post graduation.
4:07 When the department chair talked to him about these opportunities, the first thing he said was “You know, I’ve looked around and nobody wants a colored reporter”
4:11 This set Clint off on a new path.
4:20 He knew he could write well. He had already been doing this professionally for several years.
4:46 This made him wonder, “why would somebody who has the talent not be able to get a job? Why would classmates – who were less accomplished – and not black or Hispanic getting jobs?
5:06 This set a research agenda for Clint.
5:16 The ironic part, Clint says, is that once he started in higher education, suddenly he started getting offers from newspapers. Even broadcast stations.
5:45 But by then he had his career set in education.
5:55 However, Clint would work at some of these places, like AP, during summer session, or he would take a sabbatical
6:10 His career had been established because he had been denied.
Background questions
6:18 Clint went to high school in LA at Fremont high school.
6:24 He graduated in 1961
6:31 At Fremont at that time, Clint’s graduating class had 640-something students, 70 percent African American, 25 percent Latino and the rest white.
7:02 Clint says, Fremont had a decade earlier, been an all-White school. But “the flight took place” and minorities, Clint says, became the primary population at that school.
7:25 While there Clint says he had a number of Latino friends and they all saw themselves in the same boat.
7:58 He had an “inborn affinity for an understanding of that [Latino] culture”
8:20 It was an excellent preparation for when Clint would meet Felix Gutierrez.
8:50 Clint says his parents rarely talked about the status of African Americans in the United States because “a lot of it was obvious.”
9:00 Clint read the black press – he knew the issues and what was going on.
9:10 His father encouraged him to get involved at an early age.
9:14 His father told him to make sure he voted and even took him to the polls
9:24 That, Clint says, was his introduction into the political side of things.
9:33 His father, as a cartoonist in the black press was tackling those issues
9:37 Prior to the Watt’s riots, the relationship between the African American community and the Los Angeles police department was tense.
10:08 Even now, Clint says, events like the Trayvon Martin case is reminiscent of the times he grew up in (“It’s not a lot different”)
10:19 Clint says it’s interesting that someone like him who came from a middle-class background, had never been in trouble, but was still “hassled by the police.”
10:41 One time in high school, Clint remembers, he started working at the Herald Examiner in LA. He was working late one night and on his way home he was pulled over and asked to get out of the car.
11:27 In college, Clint was pulled over and the officer told him racial epithets.
11:47 These weren’t isolated events. Clint says a lot don’t understand that this happens.
12:03 When the Watt’s riots occurred, Clint didn’t participate but he understood the frustrations.
12:14 You’re aware of the oppression, Clint says, just because you live in that community.
12:35 At the time, Clint’s mother was a union seamstress. She worked downtown in the garment district.
12:48 His father worked at a bank in the evenings, because he couldn’t make enough income solely as a cartoonist.
Awareness of Diversity
13:19 Clint says his family was active in NCAAP, active in church, and grew up in the club scouts. These organizations he said were to hopefully socialize one into a “midstream.”
13:54 At no time, Clint says, did it occur to him that high school was the end of his education.
14:09 It struck him that a large number of students at Fremont high school did not go to college.
14:23 Clint knew that his classmates were capable of going to college.
14:38 At that time there was tracking. Clint was placed in the college prep group.
14:47 Out of that group all of Clint’s classmates went to college.
14:55 The key moment, Clint recalls, was in middle school. Before moving to Fremont, Clint met with a counselor at his middle school to discuss the curriculum he would take.
15:30 -16:30 Pause in story due to background noise
16:29 The counselor tells Clint if he’d prefer woodshop, electric shop, the automotive program
17:12 Clint says he didn’t mind working with wood and he’d do that.
17:22 But when his parents found out they went to the school and asked why they were placing him in these vocational areas. With his test scores and other indications, Clint’s parents said he’d be able to do well in the college prep.
17:45 The counselor’s changed Clint’s curriculum.
17:51 As a kid, Clint thought woodshop would be an easier way out.
18:06 That was the nature of the schools at that time, Clint recalled.
18:12 Even if you had the intellectual capacity to do something beyond vocational tracks, you would be steered in that direction.
18:34 He never really thought about this moment until he was older and reflected on this time and how things were.
18:44 Growing up, Clint’s family didn’t have a lot of money. But there were options he said, like community college for little and work your way up. So Clint went to community college at LA City College
19:03 After LA City College he transferred to Cal State LA.
19:09 At LA City College he became a journalism major and worked his way up.
19:20 His last year there, elections for editor were held. He and another student – a white candidate – were the two running for the position.
19:52 His classmates told him that he’ll be the next editor.
20:04 On election day, Clint said that the next editor would be revealed by 1 o’clock during a staff meeting.
20:31 The meeting ended up starting late. The Chair of the department said it was a close election and that Clint’s opponent would be the next editor.
21:04 But Clint had reservations. He felt the chair’s wording was weird and that it was strange that the staff meeting was delayed.
21:10 The other students, according to Clint, were baffled, wondering how this happened.
21:18 In Clint’s mind, this was “racism at its best.” He was the only black student in his class and this was his first experience in a predominantly white environment.
21:38 The students were saying one thing, but the outcome was different.
21:53 The Chair said that since the election was so close that they would make Clint the managing editor. Normally, the editor-in-chief picks the staffs.
22:06 Years later, as Clint is working on his doctorate, he’s teaching at Cal State LA. One of his colleagues on the faculty had formerly been on the faculty at LA City College.
22:40 During lunch with Clint, his colleague revealed that he’ll “never forget how they kept him from being editor.”
23:00 The colleague goes on to tell Clint that the department had a faculty meeting and that the chairwoman told the faculty that Clint had won in a landslide. However, she was determined that there wouldn’t be an African-American editor as long as she chaired that department.
23:29 Clint never knew that, although he had his suspicions.
23:48 It’s an interesting area of study, Clint says.
24:00 He clears this up, adding: “Communication is so important. It can marginalize communities. If you don’t have a voice and you can’t acquire it in a mainstream environment, then you’re subject to whatever news they’re going to report about your community.”
24:38 The highest level of educational attainment for both of his parents was high school.
24:56 Clint didn’t concentrate on stories about African Americans.
25:05 This is because, Clint says, to be a well-rounded reporter you need to cover a lot of different topics.
25:13 So he started in sports.
25:24 There are events in sports, Clint says, that help you sharpen your journalistic skills.
25:39 Early on, Clint covered campus affairs, educational issues, etc.
25:58 A memorable story: Clint went to report on a lecture by a scientist from the jet propulsion lab. The scientist was discussing the lunar landing module.
26:15 On the blackboard were symbols, Clint knew he “was in trouble.”
(clip break)
Other Experiences
26:41 At a conference in Houston, Texas during the late 70s, Clint received a note from the head of operation Breadbasket in Houston.
27:20 He wanted to talk to Clint because he had seen some of his research.
27:55 This man needed someone to come up with a program and asked Clint to join their board of directors.
28:16 This takes place over the period of a years
28:22 Clint was introduced and told them what initiatives and research.
29:14 All of tis happened in the 1980s during the Regan administration.
29:32 Before that time, Clint wasn’t a member of the Black Media Coalition
29:54 Black Media Coalition was a national group but it was based in Houston
30:16 The NABJ starts around 1975.
30:25 NABJ was inevitable, Clint says. Following a report, the mainstream media started hiring African-Americans into the newsroom. In doing so, they raided the black press
31:01 They were lured away with higher salaries and the opportunity to speak with a larger audience.
31:29 Clint describes this as a double-edged sword: this integration of African-Americans into white media was a major blow to the black press
32:31 The development of NABJ developed because of this integration. Black journalists were limited in the stories they’d cover, or they weren’t being promoted like their white colleagues were.
33:28 Although there was a larger number of African-American reporters, Clint said that insensitivity to these issues still continued.
33:29 This created friction amongst colleagues
34:06 NABJ became an institution in which those individual journalists could address those concerns in a collective kind of way.
34:36 At the same time the Kerner Commision asked higher education folks to put some people of color “in the pipeline.”
35:16 Everybody believed that integration was a good idea (in these higher education organizations) but no one was doing anything, Clint said.
35:26 At the local level, Clint was a founder of the BJA of Southern California, an NABJ chapter.
35:45 He was teaching at Cal State during this time. He began meeting with his black friends from area media like the LA Times and discussing these issues.
36:14 Three of them decided to start the organization.
36:20 (break)
36:36 The founders of the organization were Valerie (Clint can’t remember last name), she was a writer for the style section at the La Times; Bill Luis, a black cameraman at NBC – the 3 of them started talking and things developed from there.
37:18 They were able to get the organization started successfully and then applied to be apart of the national group. It still exists today.
Diversity and the newsroom
38:05 Clint remembers certain stories that advanced the cause of diversity in a negative way.
38:39 At the LA Times there was a black woman, and her colleagues made sexual comments about her.
39:02 Clint’s colleagues knew he wouldn’t partake in these jokes and stopped talking to him about it.
39:11 Another example, Clint says, happened at the times, too.
39:27 A story came across Clint’s desk. His story was about a shooting in South-Central LA. It was full of language implying this was gang related. But the facts, to Clint, didn’t seem to suggest this wasn’t the case.
40:18 There was one source, a cop, who believed this was gang-related violence.
40:32 Clint removed that graph from the article. The next day the reporter was livid.
41:16 Another instance, Clint recalls, occurred during a summer he worked at AP.
41:31 This occurred during the 1980s while Clint was at USC teaching.
41:38 A news advisory came across the wire saying that the LA county health department is going to have a news conference to discuss the deaths of 5 hispanics in East LA.
42:06 It didn’t suggest violence, Clint says. He then passed it on to the Editor’s desk saying this needed to be covered.
42:28 They didn’t do anything, however.
42:42 Later that day, they saw on TV, that the lead story was about these deaths, which were caused by tainted cheese found in this community.
43:24 They came to Wilson, who was on the desk at the time, and asked why this wasn’t covered.
43:33 They later recognized that they blew that story
43:49 They key thing here, Clint says, is that this happened in East LA. Any time 5 people die – for whatever reason – it needs to be covered. That’s news 101.
44:14 Days later they apologized to Clint, saying that they dropped the ball.
44:24 This mentality amazes Clint.
44:43 That experience, specifically, was very instructive because it showed Clint how things worked and why certain things are covered and certain things are not.
45:00 He hopes things are better now, but he says he doesn’t believe the Trayvon Martin story is an isolated event.
45:16 Clint mentions a movie, Fruitdale Station. It’s about a young man that’s kill by the police in that area. These events aren’t infrequent, Clint says.
45:30 Clint says that the notion that people in 2013 think this is an isolated event is mindboggling
45:57 His family didn’t talk about civil rights per se, but Clint was always told that when a cop approaches you don’t give them any hassle.
46:30 “You grow up that way – if you want to survive”
46:53 Clint says that younger colleagues were more observant of his role and status at the newspaper. Older ones, were resentful of Clint’s position.
47:23 There was a diversity role that needed to be filled, Clint says. Whether or not his boss at paper was sincere in his decision remains to be seen.
48:05 The reception generally among his colleagues wasn’t too warm, Clint says.
48:29 The Times wrote a series of stories about black criminal gangs leaving Watts to commit crimes.
49:38 The first headline read: “Marauders from South L.A. Invade”
49:47 Clint was shocked.
49:52 He says the Times spent a lot of money setting up a dummy storefront across the street from the neighborhood these reported gang members lived in.
50:08 Reporters hid inside. The idea was to notice people leaving, presumably getting on this freeway (which was referred to in print as “Nairobi highway”) to commit crimes elsewhere.
50:38 Clint wrote a letter to the editor about this, while he was still working the desk.
50:51 Clint says he was ostracized.
50:55 If something came across his desk, his colleagues would say “Clint wouldn’t want to deal with this ‘cause he thinks we’re all a bunch of racists.” These are the types of comments he received.
51:39 These kinds of stories, Clint hopes, are isolated now.
51:48 This whole thing has been a gradual process.
51:52 Clint is worried that as we get to the point where newspapers are declining in revenue and circulation, there will be fewer and fewer voices for underrepresented communities.
52:14 (quick pause due to noise)
52:29 Clint says there are fewer and fewer people of color that are representing those communities. There’s even a dearth of whites who are sensitive to these issues.
53:04 As these communities are becoming a larger part of the demographics of the United States, at the same time we see the media becoming less representative of those voices.
53:26 The interest in doing this kind of thing has peaked and we’re going down again. We’re loosing people right and left in the industry, Clint says.
Diversity and Academia
53:40 Clint got his Ph.D from USC.
54:24 For many years, Clint ran the summer programs for minority students. He started at Cal State LA.
54:45 For about 10 years he did this program. And were mainly funded by the Wall Street Journal.
54:53 They – Clint and Feliex – started with the multicultural group and as the program got larger they continued to get grants for their efforts.
55:30 The idea was to give these kids a start early.
55:33 The other issue was the de-emphasis of journalism in high school.
55:40 They were trying to fill that void at that level.
55:54 When you talk to educators, they say the main problem is there were pressures put on the curriculum to do other things.
56:09 Also, these programs were expensive. The equipment, how to print a paper – the costs added up.
56:25 At Fremont High School, Clint says they had their own print shop.
56:33 Their journalism program wrote the articles and the print shop printed the articles and the paper came out, Clint said.
56:44 The students, at the beginning of every school year had the option of subscribing to the paper – it was a means of making revenue.
57:08 The benefit for the print shop is they were teaching this craft so it all made sense, Clint said.
57:10 But not many high schools have print shops on campus so they had to find other means of printing.
57:29 That was only true in certain areas, Clint adds. “If you were in a more affluent area, you did have access to those things.”
57:55 Although there is the internet, Clint says students still need to be taught journalistic ethics, reportorial skills, what’s worth reporting and what’s not, etc.
58:05 (Break in recording)
58:19 Clint’s book is now in its 4th edition.
58:28 He’s not sure how many books have been sold, but it’s done very well.
58:43 Last he’s heard, more than 100 colleges and universities use it.
59:07 Clint says it’s rewarding because it laid the groundwork for that field of endeavors.
59:17 That helps people to publish in this area and build their portfolios.
59:32 It’s the combination, Clint says, of having a diversity standard and accreditation.
1:00:08 The first piece Clint wrote academically came out in Journalism Educator.
1:00:14 He was at Cal State LA. Clint’s research was on black journalism students. The research, Clint says reflected his experience: You have these people graduating but they’re not being hired.
1:00:53 In Clint’s research he found that students that are active on the campus newspaper had the best opportunities of getting jobs upon graduation
1:01:10 Those with internships also fared a better chance
1:01:16 But a look at the student body revealed that there were very few minorities
1:01:32 The faculty, Clint says, has a large part in that. They’re not pushing for recruitment, retention, or finding students employment post graduation.
1:01:49 Part of that, Clint believes, has to do with the fact that they’re white. “You look out for your own”, he says.
1:02:00 It occurred to Clint that they needed to get more people of color and women on these faculties.
1:02:10 There have been inroads, but it’s a work in progress.
1:02:20 That was around the time that Clint started going to AEJMC
1:02:35 Here, he met people, who were seeing the same issues in journalism he was.
1:02:48 Clint previously served on the centennial commission.
1:03:13 Armistead Pride was the chair at Lincoln University in Missouri, the prominent journalism university for African Americans
1:03:36 Pride was the first African-American faculty member in AEJ.
1:03:39 Clint read Pride’s book on the history of AEJ and wanted to include it in the centennial book (which never came out).
1:04:06 AEJ has had women almost from the beginning, but not many.
1:04:19 Multiculturalism needed to be a huge component of that book, Clint says.
1:04:38 Clint pushed for its inclusion. Others thought it was weak.
1:05:05 Clint believes there could’ve been a more concerted effort to track this information and the development of faculty of color down.
1:05:33 In 1978, there was a study of the faculty and the researcher found that as late of 1978 there 98 percent of the faculty were white males.
1:06:04 That was an astonishing realization, Clint says. The Kerner report had been out for 10 years by that point.
1:06:15 This is something that Lionel Barrel was addressing from the beginning.
1:06:23 Clint isn’t sure whether he was the second-ever black person at AEJ, but he was one of the firsts.
1:06:45 As we begin to discuss these issues of race in America, we look at the industry and point the finger, Clint says
1:07:00 Clint brings up an anecdote. He was reading an article in the Washington Post. The lead, he says, was essentially that as President Obama walks into a room to discuss race in America, all the reporters covering it are white.
1:07:28 When he comes into the room to discuss immigration, all the reporters are white, Clint says. There are no Hispanics in the room to ask questions or illuminate this issue.
1:07:52 Clint brings up this anecdote, because it’s still a problem still in the industry, but
1:07:57 Clint wonders what kind of innovative ways, if any, are being applied to bring in young, diverse people into the academy.
1:08:39 Clint uses another anecdote to illustrate a point.
1:08:48 His student, a doctoral graduate, recently got his degree. He’s an assistant professor
1:09:37 Clint was also weary of the fact that you have to do these things in the academy if you’re to succeed. Is this issue being taken seriously enough?
1:09:50 If they really want to get a diverse faculty, Clint says, extra effort will have to be made.
1:10:00 He suggests lightening the teaching load, or extra mentoring to make sure that these professors don’t get lost in the system.
1:10:22 It’s really no different than the industry’s situation, Clint says.
1:10:29 “It’s not enough to just give lip service to it”, Clint says. You can’t just hire a person and then put extra expectations on them that nobody in the organization has to address.
1:10:55 This takes extraordinary effort on the part of those in power, Clint says.
1:11:04 It won’t happen on its own, Clint says. “What incentive is there for somebody to go through all this when there’s no real commitment.”
1:11:40 These are bright people with options, Clint says.
1:12:14 These faculty members are “precious jewel”, Clint says. “You need to nurture this and help this person along.”
1:12:30 Clint’s graduate students often ask him if there will be a job for them
1:12:49 There are pressures on these students/faculty members, and Clint believes the academy needs to realize that.
1:13:05 While in graduate school, Clint didn’t have to get many loans. He could afford the tuition at Cal state and then used the GI bill to get his Master’s and doctorate at USC.
1:13:42 He was the only black student in the program. At both the Master’s level and doctorate level.
1:14:36 At Cal State LA his curriculum didn’t really center on diversity.
1:14:41 He taught news writing and reporting, history of media,
1:15:16 One of the things that attracted Clint to teach history was the fact that every history course he took never covered colored people.
1:15:41 The message, Clint says, is that these people are not important.
1:16:02 Additionally, he’s taught mass communication,
1:16:20 You have a certain student body, Clint says, and he felt it was important that they know something about their history in the industry.
1:16:33 At USC, he started his own course. The textbook, minorities in the media, became the basis for the course at USC.
1:16:47 This move was approved by the faculty. It became an elective course.
1:16:57 He also taught introductory mass communication course.
1:17:13 In this class Clint would introduce a unit on people of color in the media.
1:17:25 It was generally well received, he said. But there was always a handful of students questioning its merit.
1:17:41 At Howard, there was more of a background for teaching about people of color in communications.
1:17:57 There was already a course there called “History of the Black and White press.”
1:18:09 When Clint took that course over, he refined it to include the history of multicultural media. He wanted to be as inclusive as possible.
1:18:38 The cultural mix, at Howard, is greater than people think
1:19:03 Every couple of years, Clint teaches, an undergraduate course, but his focus has mainly been on graduate courses.
1:19:30 He has a course on the Black Press, specifically. The other courses he teaches are on pop culture and mass media
1:19:53 He also teaches a sports and media culture course
1:21:11 Clint is often interviewed by established news media, primarily around Black History Month.
1:21:25 Clint served several years on the board of the NAPA, the black press. He was the board of directors on their foundation.
1:21:47 A number of publishers will go to Clint, inquiring about the history of their paper, or if he’ll write a history of their paper.
1:22:10 He’s done a couple of NPR interviews
1:22:17 People in the community don’t really seek out Clint.
1:22:23 At USC he did more community engagement.
1:22:36 He had a couple of seminars for the community on how to deal with the media. For example, a church group would ask how they get positive messages about the community out.
The Media and the community
1:23:20 There is a distrust, Clint says, of general-audience media in the community.
1:23:33 The summer Clint worked at AP, one of the anniversaries of the Watt’s riot came up. “Wilson, that would be a good assignment for you.”
1:23:50 In doing that story, he found there was a lot of distrust, because he was representing AP.
1:24:05 It takes a while to talk to people and show them your sincerity, Clint says.
1:24:25 “I may work for the enemy, but I’m representing you”
1:23:53 Clint thinks it’s all about the readership because anything he does “is filtered through my cultural experience.”
1:25:19 There’s no question that either an editor or as a reporter, Clint decides the content that’s in there.
1:25:35 If something seems too stereotypical, Clint avoids it. He want readers to see causal things, how did things get to be this way?
1:26:09 It’s the responsibility of all reporters to be accurate
1:26:19 Years ago, Clint wrote about his belief that in many instances many well-meaning white reporters are unaware. “When they go into our communities it’s like going into a foreign venue.”
1:26:45 It’s almost like sending an American reporter, who doesn’t know any background information, to Afghanistan, and starts writing away.
1:27:02 A lot of that is subtle, but to Clint it’s fundamental reporting that his job is to present the truth as he sees it. And when you only have a part of the truth, your reporting is affected.
1:27:43 Much of the reporting is the truth, but not the whole truth.
1:28:00 That kind of perspective is the absolute epitome of solid reporting. We don’t get that if we don’t have a cultural understanding, Clint says.
1:28:38 Clint has no problem telling a source the quote he’ll use because he wants to be as accurate as possible.
1:29:03 He likes to think that almost all our reporters of color and women see things through another lens. There’s a sense of obligation to be accurate.
1:29:37 Without the Kernner Commision report, Clint believes we’d still be where we are today.
1:29:50 Clint doesn’t see any particular allegiance to the report.
1:30:01 He thinks that within 10 years of the report it became passé
1:30:16 He believes there have been other forces that have been more important, socio-cultural events that have made a difference.
1:30:33 Specifically, the movements, gay rights, issues with respect to reproductive rights. Clint says there’s been a shift in society.
1:30:58 Changes in demographics have also had profound influence.
1:31:15 There’s been – in some instances – better reporting by whites, Clint says
1:31:22 The Kerner report brought it to our consciousness, but that’s it
1:31:42 Clint uses an anecdote to illustrate his point
1:31:42 A professor once told him that ‘Americans can’t concentrate any one issue for too long. They may seem gung-ho about it, but something else will happen and draw their attention away.”
1:32:16 When Clint thinks about the Kerner report he sees it in a similar vein. It was something that struck at the communication industry, but the general population has no idea what this report means or its implications.
1:32:34 Clint believes that the initial reaction was one of embarrassment
1:33:32 It had the collective attention for a few years, Clint says, but there was no commitment.
1:33:40 The first couple of years were an attempt to fix that initial embarrassment
1:34:00 Clint wonders why summer programs for minority journalists stopped. “Are we suggesting this problem has been resolved?”
1:34:13 Clint says that some use the recession or state of the newspaper industry as an excuse: “how can we hire more people?” The irony of that, Clint says, is that some papers could’ve survived had they taken note of the demographic shift
1:34:30 In an article Clint co-wrote, Otis Chandler, publisher of the LA Times, said when African-Americans, Latinos and Asians get sophisticated enough they will become readers of the LA Times and when they become readers then our advertisers will jump on board
1:35:07 Clint doesn’t agree. “Advertisers have no allegiance to the media, only to those who can deliver the audience.
1:35:19 “If you’re sitting in the middle of Los Angeles in a sea of black, brown, yellow – all kinds of faces – and you’re not addressing the needs of those communities, you are going to die.”
1:35:50 Clint believes that if diversity “takes a back seat” then our society will be in trouble.
1:36:00 Corporate America will be the first to take notice the demographic shift, because their livelihood depends on extracting dollars from the consumers
1:36:46 Media that doesn’t change will be in trouble.
1:36:51 Clint’s concern right now is that digital media operations are as interested in multiculturalism as they should be
AEJMC Trailblazers of Diversity – Reginald Stuart
AEJMC Trailblazers of Diversity in Journalism Education
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
School of Journalism
University of Texas at Austin
The purpose of this index is to mark the themes that have emerged in the interviews conducted so far. From these indexes we will develop an extensive guide of the areas to be covered in the interviewer’s story of the interview subject – and where the viewer/listener can find them.
We ask you watch the interview and give descriptions about what the interview has to say about the issues listed here. We ask you to note any NEW topics that you find in the interview – issues that are not included in this index. YOU MUST INCLUDE COUNTER OR TIMES. At the end of the index you will find a section for your comments of the interviewer in general, the interviewer and your suggestions for improvements in further interviews. We also ask you to give us your opinion on whether this interview is a good subject to be contacted for the second-level interviews.
Lastly, we appreciate feedback on this index so that we can revise future forms.
Interview Subject: Reginald Stuart
Interviewer: Martin do Nascimento
Interview date: 3/30/2014
Number of Recorded Segments: 1
Interview length: 01:13:51
Language: English
Reviewer: Carlos Morales
Date of review for index: 7/1/2014
Table of Contents:
Early Experiences in Journalism (3-7)
Diversity in the Newsroom (7-11)
Journalism education (11-14)
The News Industry Today (14-15)
0:00 – 3:15 Introduction and preamble
Early experiences in journalism
3:16 Stuart’s first experience with journalism dates back to his childhood. He had
3:22 He had a newspaper when he was a kid, around 10-12-years-old.
3:30 The major daily newspaper in his hometown of Nashville did a story about two competing neighborhood editors, Stuart and a kid from down the street.
3:57 When they interviewed Stuart for the article they asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up. He told them that he wanted to own the paper – their paper.
4:05 Stuart says they were amused.
4:16 When he went to college he majored in sociology.
4:24 After he graduated he went looking for a job and decided not to go into sociology. He went by the newspaper and applied for a job.
4:33 In those days, Stuart says, it’s a lot easier than it is today.
4:42 They told Stuart that there wasn’t an immediate job opening but he could apply and they’d let him know when positions became available.
4:48 The newspaper remembered Stuart from the childhood story that was written about him.
4:54 They said, “He’s the kid that wanted to buy the paper, right?” and hired him.
4:58 The newspaper called Stuart about a week before graduating college and offered him a job.
5:06 The position was a starting reporter.
5:23 The managing editor – although Stuart had wanted to take the summer off before working – said he needed Stuart to beging work the Monday after graduation.
5:28 He told Stuart that if he couldn’t take it the job would be gone. Stuart took the offer.
5:36 “I went to work like a week after I graduated and I haven’t stopped work since and that was more than 40 years ago.”
5:47 Stuart says that he loves what newspaper do now and he loved what they did then as a child.
6:10 Stuart grew up in a “city where news is very important to all people”
6:19 There were weekly papers, there were the two major daily papers. Those weren’t papers for kids, though, Stuart says.
6:27 Stuart says that he wanted to have a paper not because the other papers were for adults, but because he wanted to be involved in “this enterprise of gathering information.”
6:50 The idea, Stuart says, was to be the first to know about things in his neighborhood.
6:57 The inspiration, Stuart says, was the desire to get the news first and disseminate it.
7:07 Stuart shortly realized that despite how good the local papers were, there was still news that they couldn’t cover.
7:17 They didn’t have enough people, time, or they just didn’t know about things.
7:25 Stuart wrote about the things he thought should be in the paper.
7:37 He had news stories in it, he had a friend make cartoons for the editorial page, entertainment news, a gossip column, a music column – it was hyper-local news, focusing on his street.
8:13 Stuart did that for 3 years and it evolved into a really good following.
8:23 Stuart’s rival editor, who lived at the end of the street, took care of his end of the neighborhood.
8:30 “It was growing on an innate feeling that there’s more news out there and I want to tell about it.”
8:45 Stuart gives an example of the kind of stories he’d write. The hospital in his neighborhood was going to expand and build a new wing – he wrote about that.
8:51 There were back-to-school stories.
9:01 He had a fire-prevention week story.
9:06 It was “nice stuff”, Stuart says, that he found interesting as a young person.
9:37 His early endeavor was “ a reflection of what was going on around the neighborhood – it was important.”
9:45 Stuart called it “The Neighborhood Times”.
9:50 He named nicknamed the paper “TNT” – after the explosive material, a reference to the Cold War Era, Stuart says.
10:26 Stuart wrote some of the stories, but he also relied on his neighborhood for help. Older people in the area helped Stuart with cooking columns or secretarial tips columns and kids his age wrote the gossip and music column.
11:10 Whenever these people didn’t have time to write, Stuart would write it.
11:18 He would then type it up on stencils and would have it printed at printing department at the hospital, who Stuart had befriended.
11:33 He would charge Stuart a dollar or so for 100 sheets of paper
11:38 Stuart would write for a couple days, sell ads for a couple days, then print on a Thursday or Friday and distribute the paper.
11:50 Stuart says that at some point his paper gained popularity and he reached “national circulation”
11:59 “National circulation” included all of Stuart’s relatives across the country.
12:43 Stuart says his innate feeling to cover and disseminate the news was because he “must’ve been nosey”
12:47 “I liked reading the paper…I just thought that newspapers were cool because they talked about stuff and I liked to talk about stuff.”
13:10 Stuart read many newspapers growing up, including The National Tennessean, The Banner, Life Magazine.
13:40 Stuart got these at the library. He was a paperboy and “threw” the Banner so he kept a copy for himself.
14:04 Stuart goes on to list several more newspapers and magazines that he read and that were available to him.
14:48 The main thing, Stuart says, is that they all had something new and different.
15:14 There wasn’t a particular theme or topic that Stuart enjoyed the most. He “liked it all”
15:30 A lot of things, Stuart says, you learned as you went. “You started off saying I want to know what’s in there, and then you start picking and choosing.”
15:46 For Stuart some of his disinterests included sports. He liked science, and politics. He wasn’t a big culinary enthusiast, he adds.
16:25 There were things that were important, Stuart says, that he may not have had an interest in, but others did.
16:42 Stuart says he learned a lot about the importance of the skillsets that were described in his columns, such as cooking and typing.
17:22 Stuart’s mother was a “big reader”, his dad read Western fiction and the paper. But they weren’t “consumed with reading” – it was jut a part of their routine.
17:56 Radio news was marginal in those days, Stuart says.
18:07 Television was a half hour a day. No noontime newscast, or evening news. Stuart said he had 3 stations: NBC, ABC, CBS.
18:30 Stuart says that the 30-minute newscast only allowed for so much. The news generally included sports, weather, and regular news.
18:46 Eventually, Stuart says, more and more stations began having newscasts, what they called “rip and read”
18:55 Stuart says they were called this because on the FCC mandates you have 5 minutes of news every hour if you were a certain category of station.
19:05 According to Stuart, everyone had news. They might be “ripping and reading” Stuart says, but they had news.
19:14 That’s important, he continues, because you grew up in an environment of being informed.
19:41 Stuart says you couldn’t listen to one station all day long. “You had to get some information on which to make decisions about things. And that was cool.”
20:04 Stuart says that he learned that “gossip is valuable”
20:15 “Even the smallest information you have – that’s a story.
20:25 You also learn, Stuart adds, that as a newspaper editor or publisher you have a lot of power, you have a lot of responsibility.
20:52 In TV you learn the same thing, Stuart said.
20:54 “You’re reaching thousands of people at one time. It’s a very delicate and fragile responsibility.”
21:48 Stuart says that when you have only a certain number of people on the staff you can’t cover everything.
22:24 A lot of publications couldn’t cover everything because they didn’t have the manpower, Stuart says.
22:33 Another reason is that as a news organization you make a judgment about what’s important and what needs covering.
22:42 A lot of times you make a judgment that reflects your history, what your interests are, etc.
23:05 This is why, Stuart says, that broadening the ranks of newsmakers became so important.
23:15 News organizations soon realized that they weren’t covering the whole community; they weren’t covering people of color, they weren’t covering poor people, women, etc.
23:28 As these organizations open their mind to what’s important, Stuart says, then you’ll start seeing things that weren’t being covered.
24:30 Stuart says he was too young to recognize that they local papers weren’t covering these issues.
24:40 There were a lot of social changes between when Stuart was a kid and when he began working.
24:52 It’s then, he says, that he realized what the issues were
25:13 Stuart offers an example of how he understood news as a kid and as an adult
25:17 Nashville had a lot of colleges and the paper had a “vibrant” sports section
25:43 You realized after a while, Stuart says, that some of the black colleges were only getting a couple paragraphs worth of coverage – even in their winning season.
26:05 Clip abruptly cuts
26:33 Stuart says that American Airlines – the major airline servicing Nashville – had a strike coming up. This kept him busy
26:44 One time, he went to the airport and noticed a factory that was making the wings for what was then a type of plane, the jumbo jet.
27:14 This inspired Stuart and he went back to the paper saying that he’s found his beat: “a combination of transportation and aviation”
27:29 Although reluctant at first, the paper allowed Stuart to work this beat. He ended up writing at least 2 front-page articles a week for the next several months.
27:50 Stuart says he had to learn how to write newspaper style first and had to find his niche. “You had to figure out a niche, this is yours, aviation and transportation were mine.”
28:13 “Those little things,” Stuart adds, “were important, teach-ful moments that helped me get focused as a journalist.”’
Diversity in the Newsroom
28:53 Stuart was the first full-time black news reporter. There was a part-time black religion writer and one full-time black person running the photo lab.
29:12 “It was a diverse as you were going to get in 1968”
29:33 Stuart says there weren’t any problems that came up in the newspaper
29:38 The problems that Stuart had were “external.”
29:47 Stuart had a problem with the police department. He realized that the speech they used when talking over the radio was antiquated, “they were stuck in the 50s and before.
30:29 Stuart went to the Police chief and asked them if they still used the term “colored.”
30:40 By then, Stuart adds, they were being called “negroes.”
30:50 The police chief was hesitant to believe Stuart, asking if he had research to back up the claim that they didn’t want to be called “colored.” So Stuart started a survey.
31:09 Stuart then did a survey, asking members of city council and civic leaders of the black neighborhood.
31:18 He took the survey back to the chief. But Stuart doesn’t think it every changed anything.
31:35 Stuart says that the paper was very supportive.
31:38 What the paper wanted, Stuart said, was people – regardless of sex or color – who were in to journalism, who had spark, who could go out and do things.
32:06 “What I also learned was that if they gave anybody hell, they gave everybody hell.”
32:26 It didn’t matter who you were, Stuart said. “If your stuff was bad, your stuff was bad”
32:32 When Stuart realized that the structure of checks and balances on people wasn’t limited to race or sex, he saw that the newspaper had a high standard of productivity and expectation.
32:57 The newspapers commitment to journalism was greater than any discriminatory practices.
33:16 Stuart watched a couple people who got one-day dismissals because they weren’t reporting well.
33:46 “It wasn’t a double standard or triple standard or a black standard or a white standard – it was a standard for journalism and you had to be good at it.”
New York Times?
35:44 At the times, Stuart says, there was a high standard as well. What you didn’t know you had to learn fast
36:21 They were a superbly edited newspaper, Stuart adds. “If you work with them, they worked with you.”
36:57 The level of diversity at the Times was about the same as the Tennessean
36:59 Stuart says this is because newspapers were two mindsets 1) they were going to find journalists or 2) they were going to find untrained people and teach them journalism skills.
37:36 No one is really qualified, Stuart said, adding, “the question is are you ready for the challenge?”
37:46 Stuart says that news organizations were going to have much more luck in finding a successful reporter if they looked for spark and drive – not color or sex.
38:09 The Times was looking for people ready for the challenge.
39:08 Stuart, however, does say that there were plenty of times when diversity needed to be addressed in the newsroom.
39:13 There were two lawsuits against the New York Times, Stuart says, both about hiring women and minorities.
39:22 Both lawsuits looked at the number of people being hired and salary discrepancy.
39:36 “They were at points in time for the Times that you could use that boost of attention to keep doing progressive things – not because it was the law, but because it was the right thing to do.”
40:14 You don’t find many people saying that today, Stuart says.
40:28 When Stuart got in the business he says there was a passion to change things.
41:01 Stuart says that could be said of all the places he worked. “In that era it was the time to do the right thing.”
41:29 You had degrees of moving forward
41:41 You could identify the different paper’s ideologies, Stuart says, by reading them for a couple weeks. What are they covering? What are the editorials saying? What kind of columnists do they have?
42:25 Stuart says that to “you wanted to make sure you had a complete report” when reporting.
42:36 His report would be diverse when it needed to be. He didn’t ignore anything.
42:50 “You got to remember there’s a lot of discrimination that’s active and there’s discrimination that’s passive.”
42:55 He says that a lot of discrimination that was before his generation was passive.
43:02 A lot of discrimination was active, too. Stuart says that you could find a lot of newspapers – primarily in the south – that actively didn’t cover.
42:19 “That was a reflection of who they were as an institution”, Stuart says.
42:25 Stuart saw influencing diversity as part of his job. “My job was not to go out and make sure the race news got covered, my job was to make sure that the news we covered was inclusive.”
43:38 Stuart says that it’s a sematic difference, but that it’s a very important one.
43:41 There are some things, Stuart says, that he would find that he would want to be covered that wouldn’t be normally.
43:55 Stuart gives example
43:55 Stuart says that if he’s writing a story about the demise of the old military-related retiree clubs, historically you would write about the white club. But he says he would find the Black club and include the two American Legion Clubs together.
44:23 It’s a subtle shift in what you’re doing, Stuart says, but you’re still writing about the same topic.
44:46 Across the South, Stuart says that there were a couple of teacher associations. There was the white one and there was the black one.
45:12 De-segregation happens and these two organizations dissolve and unite into one. But the merger occurred differently on both sides, Stuart says.
45:25 In some of them “all the black structure would disappear” and blacks would just be members they wouldn’t be leaders.
45:35 In others you would find that blacks were merging as leaders or in some higher capacity.
45:41 In writing about this simulation, Stuart says, you would focus on the shortcomings of the mergers, e.g. people aren’t paying dues. Race, Stuart says, adds “a whole new layer of discussion.”
Journalism education
47:20 Stuart first got started with journalism education in the 1970s. At this time, he says, there was still an effort to accelerate the pace at which they were bringing people of color into the newsrooms.
47:39 Several programs emerged out of these efforts. One was by the Ford Foundation out of Cornell University in New York. It eventually moved to UC Berkley.
47:55 It was called the Summer Program for Minorities in Journalism
47:57 Stuart says you would recruit about 15-20 college graduates who wanted to be journalists and you would bring professionals in to mentor them about 6 days a week, 8 hours a day.
48:18 The idea was to teach the students in about 8-10 weeks what they would normally learn in 1 year in a newsroom.
48:25 This is where Stuart got started in journalism education.
48:46 By this point, Stuart had 12 years experience in journalism.
49:07 The mentors would teach how to structure a story, how to report it, what the ups and downs are of doing so, ethics, writing style, etc.
50:01 These students, Stuart said, needed to figure out what a reporter does. Which he says is to find people, go to situations, and get them to talk. The second part is to write it.
50:42 Nowadays, he adds, you find that too many reporters – particularly television reporters – you find that you’re told what a source says, but never hear from them.
50:56 “Your job, truthfully, is to facilitate people telling the story.”
51:19 You need to tell their story effectively, coherently – in either long form or briefly. Stuart says that a lot of what the students wanted to know is how to do that.
51:30 “You got to ask questions”
52:39 Stuart says that the program taught these students how to report and in the process of good reporting “the adjectives will provide themselves”
53:24 We’d also teach them to learn that “they’re not important, the story is”
54:18 It’s the philosophy of being inclusive. You can’t just say you’re looking for the truth, Stuart says, you need to be looking for the facts – the truth will emerge.
55:50 Stuart says that the questions that the program’s students asked (about diversity) were generally expected.
55:55 “’I’m going into an all-white newsroom. What do I do?’ and my answer is pretty stupid, ‘be a reporter.’”
56:02 Stuart says he doesn’t want to inject more skepticism, or self-intimidation into your thinking before you get there.
56:20 If you’re not productive, if you’re not good, they’re going to target you, Stuart says.
56:25 Stuart says that thinking that they’re picking on you because you’re black is the wrong thinking.
56:35 He says that’s because your work may be sloppy. “There’s a lot of reasons they don’t like you and race is not the main one.”
56:50 Stuart says he’s worked with people who were racists.
57:14 Stuart says that sometimes when you can overcome the other reasons that they’re picking on you, the race factor will disappear.
57:41 “You can’t play the race card over and over again when you’re not producing up to speed, when you’re not carrying your part of the load.”
59:19 Stuart says that the main thing you need to understand about teaching journalism is that the people you’re teaching aren’t dumb just because they don’t know what you know.
59:32 By the same token, Stuart says, you need to understand that people that have been here longer than you know more.
59:46 Stuart says he was interviewing a student who wanted to be a sports writer. He gave him a name-recognition quiz, tailored for sports. The student failed it.
1:00:14 “That doesn’t mean he’s dumb, that doesn’t mean he’s stupid – it does mean he’s not qualified, but he’s ready for the challenge.”
1:00:29 Stuart says that if he spends time working with this student on his knowledge gap then he’ll be ready in a couple years.
1:01:06 “So when you’re teaching you have to understand that you’re going to wind up with a mixture of people who just really are late. There’s lots that they don’t have.”
1:01:26 If you can find someone who wants to learn, then share your knowledge with them, Stuart says.
1:02:14 Stuart tells an anecdote of a graduate student.
1:02:25 This student had to take a math class. And she said in the middle of class, “I’m not here to learn math, I’m here to cover politics and government.”
1:02:47 Stuart says she missed the whole point. “Wherever you are – politics, entertainment, science, health – it’s money.”
1:03:19 Stuart says that this student was too narrow in her thinking of what a journalist does.
1:03:40 Stuart says that he meets a lot of people in college that want to be entertainment writers.
1:04:00 But, Stuart says, what happens if they star gets in trouble? You need to know how to write a court story, follow their arrest procedure, etc.
1:04:41 “Will you lose the story once it goes to page 1?”
1:05:52 “It’s so important to write about the whole story. We’re talking about inclusiveness – that’s the whole story.”
(switching SD cards)
The News Industry Today
1:07:06 Stuart says that overall the role of diversity in newsrooms has cooled off. The economy, Stuart adds, has also contributed to this
1:07:26 The enthusiasm of journalism is not present today, Stuart says.
1:07:40 People still say the right thing, but we don’t see them doing the right thing, Stuart says.
1:07:55 In that respect, Stuart says, diversity may be important, but how important it is to the people has come down a few notches.
1:08:09 There’s no one making noise about it, Stuart says.
1:08:18 The consequence of this is that the newsrooms will regress to where they were years ago.
1:08:30 Newsrooms that were once making progress in bringing diversity to their ranks and no longer doing that.
1:08:49 You don’t want this to be a fluke decade or era, Stuart says, in regards to diversity efforts, but that’s what it’s become.
1:09:52 Media owners still have a lot of money left, Stuart says, and they need to invest in people of color.
1:10:06 There are a lot more companies now moving online and social media, Stuart says. And he hasn’t seen a serious effort there to bring emerging people of color into these areas
1:10:44 “The same effort you had for print and broadcast 30 years ago, 40 years ago, you need to have that same presence today for emerging media – and I don’t see it.”
1:11:43 Stuart says that we need to be straightforward in asking for more people of color.
1:12:01 We want a broad array of meaningful programing aimed at a broad audience.
1:12:10 If we don’t get the consumer giving us feedback, Stuart says, then the people “running it” don’t realize that they’re missing anything.
1:12:32 If you hear more people complaining, then you’re going to hear it, Stuart says.
1:13:06 The reader, the public may need to wake up, Stuart says, and say something and the newsrooms will respond and “get their act together”
1:13:15 Stuart says that the news industry is unfortunately “trailing off” in that area.
AEJMC Trailblazers of Diversity – Paula Poindexter
AEJMC Trailblazers of Diversity in Journalism Education
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
School of Journalism
University of Texas at Austin
The purpose of this index is to mark the themes that have emerged in the interviews conducted so far. From these indexes we will develop an extensive guide of the areas to be covered in the interviewer’s story of the interview subject – and where the viewer/listener can find them.
We ask you watch the interview and give descriptions about what the interview has to say about the issues listed here. We ask you to note any NEW topics that you find in the interview – issues that are not included in this index. YOU MUST INCLUDE COUNTER OR TIMES. At the end of the index you will find a section for your comments of the interviewer in general, the interviewer and your suggestions for improvements in further interviews. We also ask you to give us your opinion on whether this interview is a good subject to be contacted for the second-level interviews.
Lastly, we appreciate feedback on this index so that we can revise future forms.
Interview Subject: Paula Poindexter
Interviewer: Martin do Nascimento
Interview date: 5/7/2014
Number of Recorded Segments: 3
Interview length: 01:13:24
Language: English
Reviewer: Carlos Morales
Date of review for index: 5/14/14
Table of Contents:
Early Experience in Journalism (3-6)
Diversity and Academia (6-12)
AEJMC*( (7-)
AEJMC and Diversity (12-16)
*Poindexter begins to mention AEJMC here with frequency, by page 12 the mentions are more related with diversity
Introduction
0:09 Poindexter is the president of AEJMC – the association of education in journalism and mass communication. She’s also a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
0:21 – 3:38 (Preamble and miscellaneous)
Early Experiences in Journalism
3:48 Poindexter’s interest in journalism was completely “accidental.”
3:55 When she graduated from college, she was a radio-television-film major.
4:03 Poindexter wasn’t involved in journalism or interested in it. Her goal was to become a television producer in Los Angeles.
4:16 The first full-time job as a news reporter and producer.
4:31 She says at this time there were very few women and people of color in the newsroom. Her job was at KPRC-TV, the NBC affiliate, in Houston, Texas
4:47 She says she had “no idea” what she was doing because she hadn’t studied journalism, but she was familiar with video and film.
5:02 The program she worked on was a daily news and feature program. She was a co-producer. She – and her team – were responsible for making a local news feature in the Houston area.
5:27 It’s here she says that she learned about producing features.
5:47 She discovered journalism on the job and it became something she was very interested in.
6:00 Next, Poindexter realized that she didn’t like the particular line of work, particularly because she didn’t like being on television; she wanted to remain behind the scenes.
6:20 Additionally, she grew apart form the field because she was restricted to mainly feature type work, which didn’t seem as important. From here she decided to go to graduate school.
6:30 She was at KPRC-TV for almost 3 years.
6:35 She then left for graduate school in Syracuse.
6:41 She decided she wanted to become a magazine journalist. Syracuse, she said, was a pipeline to New York City and magazine work there. However, while there she was introduced to research.
6:58 Poindexter had a research assistantship in the communication research center and had an opportunity to work under Doctor Maxwell McCombs, a renowned international scholar.
7:17 Their research work involved public opinion surveys of various communities around the Northeast.
7:22 They were interested in understanding and learning why people were interested in the news.
7:32 That was the first time that she had been exposed to learning about things from the news-consumers perspective.
7:38 After she finished her Master’s, Poindexter decided to stay and get her Ph.D.
7:46 While there she had both research and job opportunities
7:53 She moved to the University of Georgia where she taught for a year
7:58 Athens, according to Poindexter, was pretty isolated and she didn’t enjoy working there.
8:06 She had an opportunity to work at the LA Times. She met the publisher, Tom Johnson, and went to work for the LA Times.
8:30 At the LA Times she was on the business side as opposed to the newsroom.
8:34 Poindexter enjoyed this because she had an opportunity – having already worked in a newsroom – to see journalism from both sides.
8:49 Until relatively recently, Poindexter says, the business side has been kept separated from the newsroom.
9:18 Learning the business side of journalism was a great experience for Poindexter
10:20 Poindexter says there’s a particular moment in which she became aware of diversity in the newsroom.
10:25 However, she does say that she’s aware of the need for diversity because of the state of Texas’ longstanding history of segregation, because it was a slave state, and because UT Austin still employs very little African Americans
11:00 She says that consciously, she didn’t necessarily translate this into the field of journalism but when she did work for the TV news in Houston, she did make a point of seeking out diversity in terms of the stories they covered.
11:35 “You can’t help – certainly in the time that I grew up and also in the state of Texas – it’s just a part of you.”
11:48 Poindexter recalls some of the stories that she covered.
12:03 She had come up with this idea that she wanted to do a documentary on Blacks in Houston. It was called “On the Other Side”
12:16 The news director approved it. It was an hour-long documentary that aired, which is unheard of, Poindexter said.
12:23 She made an effort to really explore Houston and specifically African-Americans from a cultural point of view.
12:39 Poindexter says it was more of a feature documentary, but she did want to bring that awareness to people.
12:51 Poindexter also had the opportunity to do several features on the Houston Museum of Art, which had become an art fixture both nationally and internationally.
13:32 Poindexter says that she made a conscious effort to make sure that African-Americans were included, too.
13:57 Poindexter would also work behind the camera, shooting and editing. It was important, she recalled, for her to learn how to do all of that.
14:09 It was a time that she learned about the production – researching, writing, reporting, shooting and editing it
15:29 When Poindexter began working in TV, women were just starting to get into the newsroom and blacks as well.
15:41 TV was probably doing a better job hiring minorities, Poindexter says, only because the FCC required it.
15:51 Stations had to keep records of their diversity in the newsroom, in the TV stations.
16:01 Poindexter says that TV stations are licensed, so if there’s no effort at diversity at all, someone could challenge their licensing
16:15 TV stations were very concerned about having diversity in their newsroom for this reason
16:28 It made news directors more aware, Poindexter said, but at the same time “there was only so much that was going to be done.”
16:40 Poindexter said when she was younger she really didn’t think about diversity in the newsroom, but that later she “developed a consciousness about this.”
17:51 Poindexter has spent more time in the academy than in the profession
18:00 “We do need to keep in mind that today there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done.”
18:10 Poindexter says it’s better than in years past, but there’s still a lot of ground to be made.
18:14 This includes, hiring more people of color in newsrooms, but also retaining people of color in newsrooms and making sure they have opportunities for leadership.
18:32 Poindexter believes this is a huge part of the problem.
18:36 Poindexter believes that the admirable goals of the ASNE – to have parity in the newsroom – will never be achieved. The group had to scale their goal back
19:18 They were never even able to come close to it, Poindexter says.
19:22 If you look at census data today, you can see that it would be extremely ambitious to reach that goal, Poindexter say.
19:30 Poindexter says that they have to keep in mind that not every person of color wants to enter in this field.
19:41 The truth is everything is open now. “You can be a rocket scientist, you can be a physician, you can be an attorney, a teacher, a nurse – it’s completely open and at one time it wasn’t.”
20:20 It’s unrealistic, Poindexter says, to expect that we’re going to have parity in the newsroom. There needs to be a back-up plan.
20:27 She believes that the back-up plan should be that everyone in newsroom – despite his or her color – has a responsibility to understand why diversity is important. Everyone in the newsroom needs to be knowledgeable so that they can include and accurately report.
21:11 The priority the, Poindexter says, is to ensure that the way the news is covered is inclusive and not filled with stereotypes.
22:39 TV station requirements for diversity changed things
22:44 That focus was just on employment not on content, meaning that the stories that you cover were not a focus.
23:05 Because there was an expectation to have diversity in the newsroom, news directors began hiring a small number of people of color. Poindexter says she was one of them, she knows she got her first job because she was African-American.
23:30 Today you must have a lot of experience to join a network.
24:01 Poindexter says that there were advocacy organizations that were challenging licenses of TV stations.
24:15 Newspapers, however, weren’t doing a lot.
24:25 But that changed for ASNE after the Kerner commission in 1968
24:37 It was extremely critical, Poindexter said, of news organizations, saying they were not doing a good job of diversity and of telling the story of race relations in the United States.
25:01 The effort to diversify newsrooms has been going on for a while. And that’s when the goal for parity, Poindexter says, came from.
26:01 Poindexter doesn’t recall discussions of diversity in graduate school.
26:03 Those discussions really took place in AEJMC.
26:11 She attended her first AEJMC meeting in graduate school. That’s where she began experiencing these issues of diversity in a more systematic way.
26:42 Specifically, it’s within the MAC (minorities and communication) division of AEJMC that she experienced this.
26:47 There are many niche divisions within AEJMC
27:13 The founder of MAC, Dr. Lionel Barrow, according to Poindexter, singlehandedly made an effort to push for the development of diversity.
27:52 He was the one who “raised the consciousness of AEJMC”
27:59 One of the things, Poindexter says, that we have to keep in mind is that there is at least one person who is getting the conversation started, but it boils down to being persuasive and explaining its importance
28:38 A lot of Barrow’s work started with him and came out of the MAC division.
28:47 Poindexter says he did it singlehandedly in the sense that it was his idea. AEJMC has a responsibility since they’re training the next newsroom generations.
29:22 That’s how AEJMC became a leading force in the changes taking place in journalism education, Poindexter said.
(mic fix)
30:30 Journalism education is lacking people of color, Poindexter says. There aren’t many Hispanics in this field.
31:15 The vast majority of AEJMC members are from universities, but there are professionals that are engaged with these issues.
31:40 The organization allows people to come together from all backgrounds and discuss these issues.
32:16 Dr. Barrow was from Howard University – a predominantly black university.
32:36 It’s not a surprise that Dr. Barrow pushed for the MAC division. Considering the time, his background and experience it made sense.
33:09 Poindexter says that we take it for granted or we forget that the news industry is founded on the first amendment of the constitution. That means it’s unique – there’s a special responsibility that journalists have that you might not have in other fields.
33:48 Addressing diversity is a natural fit, Poindexter says because of the sense that this field is different, combined with the social responsibility aspect of the job, and what you expect of Universities.
34:34 Often there are very few minorities on staff
35:00 These discussions have influenced Poindexter’s studies
35:16 Poindexter says she was probably amazed when she went to her first AEJMC conference and noticed that these conversations were taking place.
35:31 It influenced her research areas: 1) The audience for news 2) Diversity in news coverage 3) research methods and ethics
36:12 Poindexter says that her research area the diversity in news coverage directly grew out of attending her first AEJMC conference.
36:24 After that conference Poindexter added her second research area,
36:36 She also created a course that’s called African-Americans in the media.
36:49 That particular course is even more important today than when she first created it, Poindexter said.
36:56 The bottom line, Poindexter said, is that AEJMC, more than anything else, has had an impact on her research, teaching and her worldview.
37:38 AEJMC is organized around three areas: research, teaching, and PF and R (Professional freedom and responsibility).
37:58 Poindexter further explains each area
37:58 People do research and submit conference papers. If the paper is accepted then it’s presented at the August conference.
38:21 There are several initiatives and teaching components at the conference.
38:47 The course Poindexter teaches is focused on African-Americans on the media. But there are other courses at UT that center on gender.
39:13 Teaching is very important to AEJMC. Every year at the conference there are many panels about being more effective teachers
39:33 And from time to time these panels are about diversity.
39:39 Poindexter says diversity remains one of the most important panel topics and needs to be covered more.
40:38 Poindexter says there’s an urgency that’s not felt by many.
41:04 If you want to be in an accredited university there are certain things you have to do.
41:12 One of these requirements is that you have to have a diversity plan. That plan means what it is what you’re trying to do to increase diversity in your faculty, what you’re doing to increase diversity in your curriculum.
41:33 If you want to be an accredited university that’s one of the things you have to do
41:40 The are other things you have to do – that’s just one of the standards that’s required every six years you go up for re-accreditation.
42:00 Many universities around the country are struggling with diversity. They’re certainly trying to diversify their faculty.
42:12 But as Poindexter pointed out earlier, diversifying faculty – like diversifying the newsroom – can be difficulty. Not every minority is getting their doctorate in journalism – there are other fields they’re pursuing.
42:32 By that same token, Poindexter adds, some might choose to work in the newsroom instead of in academia
42:32 There are a lot of hurdles and challenges, Poindexter says.
42:55 Even the universities that are challenged with filling this diversity requirement are making an impact where they can.
43:13 “You can still have an impact on the curriculum. You can have a very diverse curriculum, you can make sure you’re integrating diversity throughout the curriculum – which is the ideal.”
43:33 To do that, Poindexter says, it does require engagement with faculty. Poindexter says workshops could help bring people up to speed.
43:45 The bottom line is that there several steps you must take to be apart of an accredited university.
43:59 Some things are hard, Poindexter says. Diversifying your curriculum is easier than some of the other things
44:05 You may not have success in your hiring, but there are things you can do. You can look as widely as possible to try and diversify the search process as much as you can while hiring.
44:22 We can certainly do a better job at UT Austin.
44:32 It boils down to, Poindexter says, down to commitment. “Every university is not committed. Every university does not see the benefit, the value.”
44:46 “For a long time when some news organizations, and certainly the ASNE, were trying to diversify…they would say ‘this is good business.’”
44:58 Poindexter believes otherwise. “This is a social responsibility.”
45:03 This goes back to an earlier point that Poindexter made about the press being in the first amendment.
45:13 There is a reason, Poindexter says, for that.
45:21 “I think if universities recognized that social responsibility then they may get it, why this is important.”
45:33 Universities are also training future journalists, so there’s a pressure on them to properly inculcate their students.
45:49 It gets harder to teach these generations as time goes on, Poindexter says.
45:51 For example, the generation after millennial is the post-millennial generation and they will be farther and farther away from the Civil Rights movement and the experiences that inspired people like Dr. Lee Barrow.
46:11 “This generation is so far away from that they have no idea.”
46:18 Poindexter says that this generation doesn’t realize that things weren’t always this way.
46:24 “The bottom line is that we have a lot of work to do and AEJMC needs to continue to help people, help universities, help individual faculty members, continue to support.”
46:42 Poindexter says that AEJMC is one of the most supportive organizations around when it comes to diversity.
(talking, question asked)
48:53 Poindexter says that it’s no question that there’s less emphasis on diversity in newsrooms now than in the past.
48:57 She says it’s understandable, however, in the sense that newsrooms have been trying to survive.
49:06 Newspapers in particular, Poindexter says, were extremely profitable. For a long time, these groups were slow to change.
49:39 Instead of getting ahead of the issue, newspapers were behind and they got caught.
50:14 The newspaper industry in particular, Poindexter says, was in bad shape. It’s a business, she said, if you want to be successful you have to be successful with your news but you also have to be successful with the business side.
50:48 If you’re spending all of your time trying to figure out not to go under, then it’s hard not to think about all these other things, e.g. diversity.
51:02 Poindexter believes this has a lot to do with it
51:12 Journalists are now having to do a whole lot more than before. You’re doing more with less.
51:36 The past few years, Poindexter says, it’s the first time that every other news article isn’t about the news industry dying. “The bleeding has stopped”
51:55 In the mean time it hasn’t changed the fact that diversity needs to be a priority.
52:02 Poindexter says that she understands why diversity hasn’t been a priority recently, but it’s time to change that.
52:26 She says the same is true of journalism and communication schools.
52:32 Because of the fact that many of these schools work closely with news organizations, when their students aren’t being hired because they can’t hire anybody.
53:04 Poindexter says we need to go back to having a diverse as possible newsroom and that we need to improve coverage, being more inclusive and not stereotyping.
AEJMC
54:18 Poindexter first became a member of AEJMC when she was in graduate school.
54:21 She says it’s an expectation. If you’re in a Ph.D program, it is the case that you’ll become a member.
54:49 That’s what distinguishes a graduate program that’s oriented towards research, Poindexter said.
55:10 When she started her Ph.D. program she received a doctoral diversity scholarship. It was a part of Dr. Barrow’s efforts to increase minority representation in journalism and communication.
56:03 Poindexter says that the scholarship, which was created by donations from AEJMC members, reveals that they were serious about increasing minority faculty.
56:12 To get a minority faculty you need to establish a pipeline where there are more minorities going to graduate school and a Ph.D program.
56:39 Poindexter says that if you were to look across the country at the various racial and ethnic groups who are now teaching at various universities, you’ll see that many of them were probably recipients of this scholarship.
57:06 She presented research papers at these conferences and even won an award for it.
57:16 When she became inspired about doing research that dealt with race and ethnicity, a colleague and her did a review of the literature.
57:27 They looked at the studies that had been published about blacks and the media.
57:50 It was a literature review, a meta-analysis. From that they published an article in Journal Broadcasting.
57:59 Her involvement with AEJMC was multifaceted. She was a recipient of the scholarship, she was active in the MAC division, she did research, and she ran for office early on.
58:31 AEJMC really supported Poindexter in her academic endeavors.
58:35 She stayed active with AEJMC until she went to work for the LA Times.
58:53 When she returned to teaching at UT Austin she got involved with AEJMC again.
59:10 Her involvement since then has only grown.
59:13 There are many divisions, Poindexter says. “There are 30 or 40 divisions, interest groups and commissions.”
59:21 You are not only a member of AEJMC but you are a member of any division, interest group or commission you select.
59:39 Through the MAC division, Poindexter was eventually elected “first vice-head, then head” of the group.
59:54 From there she was elected, across the whole membership, to the standing committee on research. There’s several of these committees. She has served 2 3-year terms.
1:00:21 That committee has responsibility for the awards that are given across the division.
1:00:31 When she chaired that committee she had the chance to start a new award. This is the seventh or eighth year that the award is given now.
1:00:50 When you chair that committee you also serve on the board of the directors.
1:01:19 Poindexter finished her terms. Shortly after which she was nominated for a new award – also named after Dr. Barrow. It’s for recognizing one’s contributions for research, teaching and leadership.
1:01:58 This was an important award for Poindexter because it recognized her in the areas that were most important for Dr. Barrow.
1:02:09 A few years later she received a call from nominations and elections committee chair, saying they wanted Poindexter to run for Vice President of AEJMC.
1:02:36 Poindexter, who was finishing up a book at the time, didn’t think she would have time. But she ended up running and winning.
1:02:45 Poindexter has been in a leadership role for AEJMC
1:02:53 This year, 2013-2014, is Poindexter’s year as president. She will preside over the conference in Montreal. As president of AEJMC, she has several initiatives.
1:03:27 Every president writes a column for the AEJMC newsletter and the column that Poindexter is going to write is about diversity.
1:03:40 It’s to remind people that it’s important, it still matters, and there’s still work to be done.
1:03:47 The president of AEJMC, Poindexter says, has the opportunity to make difference in many ways.
1:04:04 AEJMC celebrated their centennial anniversary 2 years ago. One goal for that year was to reach a pledge of $300,000.
1:04:21 A portion of the money they raised specifically went towards diversity programing.
1:04:31 Poindexter was on the board that got to decide how they would spend that money.
1:04:45 “You can have an impact and I believe I’ve had an opportunity to have a positive impact on diversity.”
1:04:49 Poindexter isn’t the first African-American president of AEJMC. There have been 3 before her.
1:05:09 What this says, according to Poindexter, is that AEJMC “walks the talk.” They don’t just say that diversity is important.
1:06:14 Poindexter recently attended the Unity Diversity Caucus in D.C. representing AEJMC
1:06:24 Unity was originally composed of all of the minority journalism associations, but two have dropped out.
1:06:44 At this particular caucus they asked each representative how the organization they were there for had had an impact on diversity.
1:07:13 In her initial comments Poindexter said that diversity is in its DNA – it is who they are.
1:07:24 “When you say AEJMC you are talking about diversity.”
1:07:32 If you look at the bylaws, it’s in the bylaws.
1:07:36 There is a concerted effort to make sure there is diversity in every single way in AEJMC
1:07:56 The group doesn’t always succeed as much as they would like to.
1:08:02 These different divisions sometimes can’t as diverse as they’d like to because (again) the population for it isn’t there. “You can’t make people appear if they’re not in the pipeline to appear.”
1:08:24 The bottom line, Poindexter says, is that AEJMC is at good place in the area of diversity.
1:08:47 There’s an award that was started to recognize a university’s progress at diversity, areas like hiring, curriculum, teaching, etc.
1:09:16 When Poindexter joined AEJMC they primarily had the MAC division, so there weren’t these other ways to acknowledge the importance of diversity and award those efforts.
1:09:39 The real question, Poindexter says, is where do we go from here?
1:09:43 The incoming president will restart a mentorship initiative to get more diverse administrators.
1:09:58 So those on faculties who are interested in being deans or department heads could get that training/mentoring
1:10:09 AEJMC originally funded that program for seven or eight years, but then because it was no longer able to receive foundation support, it wasn’t able to continue and placed on hiatus.
1:10:24 But as a result of the centennial program that Poindexter mentioned, they’re now able to restart it.
1:10:38 AEJMC is still working to do as much as it can to stay ahead, Poindexter says.
1:12:09 The foundation stopped supporting it – Poindexter is unsure why, but now they’re able to support it again.
Members: Log in to Your Community
AEJMC Online Job Ads-
