Minorities and Communication Division 2010 Abstracts

Faculty
The Stranger in Our Midst: Foreign versus American identity in newspaper coverage of the Binghamton shooting • Angie Chuang, American University School of Communication • News coverage of the April 3, 2009, mass shooting at an immigrant-services center in Binghamton, New York, focused on Jiverly Wong, who was most commonly identified as a Vietnamese immigrant, though he was a naturalized U.S. citizen. This study found that the coverage resembled that of Seung-Hui Cho and the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings, which was criticized for an overemphasis on Cho’s immigration status as a South Korean national with U.S. residency. A textual analysis of newspaper coverage of Wong reveals that, despite the fact that he was legally an American, the patterns of identification of his foreign characteristics remained similar to those that marked coverage of Cho. Furthermore, in constructing a posthumous profile of Wong, characteristics that highlighted his foreignness were emphasized, and those that did not, such as the loss of his job, were often cast in a way that underscored immigrant identity, such as the lost American Dream.

When Science and Politics Collide in the Framing over Indigeneity • cynthia coleman, aejmc • The concept of identity has captured the interest of humanists and social scientists alike for centuries. Constructionists, for example, have examined identity from the perspective of an ideographic self formulation as well as a socially created self. Scientific and pseudo-scientific methods have been deployed to measure identity from such vantage points, resulting in a post-modern view of identity as a sort of mash-up of intrapersonal and extrapersonal confluences exerting authority over biological determinism. The current paper examines how discourse reveals identity politics arising from the discovery of the Kennewick Man skeleton

The Essence of ‘What Matters’: An Ownership Convergence Case of Black News Going Mainstream • George Daniels, University of Alabama • This study looks at one manifestation of ownership convergence as 40-year-old Essence Magazine teamed up with CNN to co-produce a cross-platform segment of African American news stories entitled What Matters. Of the 56 reports airing between May 2009 and February 2010, most spotlighted health disparities and attitudes about race or racial inequality. This thematic analysis revealed what the author(s) call the Essence Effect when one combines two strong brands and cross-promotes them across platforms.

eFluence: The Impact of Source Race, Racial Relevance of a Service, and WOM Valence • Troy Elias, University of Florida • This study examines the impact of a source’s race, the racial relevance of a service, and the valence of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on Black and White consumer attitudes. The results of the study indicate that Blacks will generally display attitudes that mirror the evaluations of their racial ingroup members on online discussion forums given that their race is clearly visible. The results also suggest that the racial relevance of a service can moderate the impact of ingroup consumer feedback for Blacks. Blacks still demonstrated favorable consumer attitudes toward a Black-relevant service even in the presence of negative Black consumer feedback. For Whites, the valence of eWOM is significantly more powerful in terms of their consumer attitudes, as opposed to the race of a source on a discussion forum or the racial relevance of a service. The results demonstrate that for Whites, the eWOM effect is larger for negative WOM than for positive WOM or for the race of a source on a discussion forum or the racial relevance of a service. Implications for Social Identity Theory are discussed.

Oversexualized Jezebels?: A Content Analysis Comparing Race and Genre in the Sexualization and Objectification of Female Artists in Music Videos • Cynthia Frisby, University of Missouri; Jennifer Stevens Aubrey, University of Missouri • The present study examines the use of sexual objectification and sexualization by popular female music artists in their music videos. Our primary purposes were to examine (1) differences by race (in particular, differences between white and African American artists) and (2) by genre (i.e., pop, R&B/hip hop, and country). Results suggested that surprisingly, there were no differences in the use of sexualization or skin exposure between black and white artists. However, the results yielded consistent genre differences in which country artists were much less likely to engage in sexualization and objectification, probably due to the socially conservative nature of the genre. However, in the main, there were few differences in sexualization and objectification between pop and R&B/hip artists. Findings are discussed in relation to objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1998) and the general framework of post-feminism (e.g., Gill, 2007; McRobbie, 2004).

Cultural Determinants of Political Participation: Predicting Chinese American Constituents’ Voting Attitudes and Decisions in Response to Online Electoral Public Service Announcements • Gennadi Gevorgyan, Xavier University • This paper investigates the attitudinal effects of cultural appeals in online public service announcements (PSAs). With our general question Does Culture Matter? we examine the cultural variables behind electoral decisions and political attitudes of Chinese American constituents. In doing so, we identify the mechanisms of making online political information engaging and appealing to ethnically diverse citizens and, therefore, bridging the existing cultural gap in political participation. A between-subjects experiment and a survey revealed that culture plays a significant role in forming political attitudes and decisions. In particular, culturally oriented or congruent electoral PSAs triggered more favorable attitudes and a greater willingness to vote than culturally incongruent PSAs. This finding was particularly salient among constituents with strong ethnic identities.

Through the Lens of Race: Constructing Narratives About Jayson Blair and Janet Cooke by Professional Journalists • Mary Hillwagner, AEJMC • This paper looks at the cautionary tales of Jayson Blair and Janet Cooke and how these narratives are perceived by a dozen newspaper journalists. Blair and Cooke, of the New York Times and the Washington Post, respectively, left the news business in disgrace after it was revealed that the reporters had fabricated information in their news copy. Blair and Cooke are African Americans. This paper undertakes in-depth interviews with a dozen reporters, five White and seven Black to discern how the Cooke and Blair matters have been internalized. To this end, this study employs narrative analysis and argues that there were nuances that race mattered to black journalists. Meanwhile, Whites in the study do not mention the race of Cooke or Blair when discussing the incidents.

Smoking Isn’t Kool: Exploring the Impact of Black Ethnic Identity and Cultural Cues in Pro-Smoking and Anti-Smoking Promotional Messages • Osei Appiah, The Ohio State University; Catherine Goodall, Kent State University; Gregory Hoplamazian, Ohio State • Innovative tobacco marketing strategies have raised significant concerns about the ease with which such messages may appeal to certain disproportionately targeted audiences like Blacks. Study 1 examined whether Kool’s cigarette packaging featuring hip-hop cultural images are as effective as more traditional cigarette packages in influencing smoking-related attitudes. Blacks were exposed to either a traditional Kool cigarette package or a non-traditional hip-hop cigarette package featuring a Black or a White character. Blacks with strong ethnic identity had more negative attitudes toward smoking, were less likely to intend to smoke, and were less likely to have smoked in the past vis-a-vis Blacks with weak ethnic identities. Study 2 examined the effectiveness of hip-hop imagery and text in changing smoking-related attitudes among Black participants. Findings indicate that after exposure to an anti-smoking PSA, strong ethnic identity Blacks reported more negative feelings towards smoking, a lower intention to smoke, and more negative attitudes toward the cigarette industry relative to Blacks with weak ethnic identity. Implications for health communication researchers regarding the use of cultural cues in PSAs, and ethnic identity as a protective factor against pro-smoking messages are discussed.

Viability of Online Outlets for Ethnic Newspapers • Ralph Izard, Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University; Masudul Biswas, Louisiana State University • This study identifies the strategies, challenges, and opportunities of adopting online outlets for ethnic newspapers representing African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos/Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans by conducting a web survey among ethnic newspaper editors and publishers. Survey results showed different strategies for newspapers that have both print and online editions and online-only newspapers. Overall, survey respondents identified finance, nature of operation, traditional audience, technological complexity, and limited access to the Internet as areas of challenges. Likewise, areas of opportunity for ethnic newspapers that adopt online outlets are reaching more audience, attracting online advertisers, and newer avenues of revenue generation.

You Talkin’ to Me?: Analysis of Weight Watchers and the 50 Million Pound Challenge Websites Christal Johnson, University of Oklahoma; Meta Carstarphen, University of Oklahoma Guided by situational theory of publics, this study analyzed messages on Weight Watchers and 50 Million Pound Challenge weight-loss Web sites to determine how the sites are enabling Black women to remove constraints and promote information seeking in their weight-loss efforts. A content and rhetorical analysis revealed that Jenny Craig lacks culturally-sensitive factors that motivate Black Women to attune to its messages. Implications, limitations, and future research possibilities are discussed.

Althea Gibson and Wilma Rudolph: An Analysis of Mainstream and Black Press Coverage on Their Pioneering Victories • Pamela Laucella, IU School of Journalism • Althea Gibson and Wilma Rudolph made history as pioneering women athletes during one of the most important times in America’s history. Gibson won the French Championships (now the French Open) in 1956, and the ensuing two years she won both the U.S. Nationals (now the U.S. Open) and Wimbledon. Rudolph won three gold medals in track and field at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games and became the first American female athlete to win three gold medals at one Olympics. The purpose of this research is to elucidate journalists’ perceptions of Gibson, Rudolph, their athletic accomplishments, the transcending significance of their victories, and the articles’ potential significance on information and perspectives regarding race, gender, and culture. The research provides a comparative look at race and gender and how journalists at the mainstream and Black press covered two prominent, pioneering athletes, whose efforts broke barriers for athletes and individuals alike.

Whose Second Life is This?: How Avatar-Based Racial Cues Shape Ethno-Racial Minorities’ Perception of Virtual Environments • Jong-Eun Roselyn Lee, Hope College; Sung Gwan Park, Seoul National University • Popular virtual worlds, such as Second Life, are often criticized for their White-dominance or White-avatar-favoritism. In two experiments, the present research investigated how avatar-based racial cues shape ethno-racial minorities’ sense of belonging to the world and perceived usability of the interface for avatar customization. White and non-White student participants were recruited for the experiments. In Experiment 1 (N= 59), participants were randomly exposed either to White-dominant avatar profiles of Second Life residents or to racially-diverse avatar profiles. After the exposure to the Second Life residents, participants were given an opportunity to customize their own avatars on the Second Life interface. The findings of Experiment 1 revealed that the non-White participants exposed to the White-dominant avatar profiles, when compared to those exposed to the racially-diverse profiles, reported significantly lower sense of belonging to Second Life and lower levels of intention to participate in Second Life. The findings of Experiment 2 (N = 64), which used the same experimental procedure as used in Experiment 1, demonstrated that the non-White participants exposed to the White-dominant avatar profiles gave significantly higher estimation of White user population within Second Life. In addition, these participants were more likely to report that they felt limited when customizing the skin feature of their avatars. Theoretical and practical implications regarding diversity in virtual worlds are discussed.

The Cultural Consternation of Brand O(prah): Oprah and Gayle’s Big Adventure • Felicia McGhee-Hilt, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Dwight Brooks, Middle Tennessee State University; Cheryl Ann Lambert, Boston University; Megan Fields, University of Tennessee-Knoxville • This analysis examines the Oprah brand of Live Your Best Life as constructed in Oprah & Gayle’s Big Adventure, a five-episode series of Oprah featuring the host and her best friend driving across America. The textual analysis uncovers tensions between Oprah as personification of Live Your Best Life and its principles of diet, exercise, personal relationships, philanthropy, and spirituality. These tensions suggest limitations of the Oprah brand as a mediated self-improvement philosophy.

Crisis knowledge and preparedness four years after Hurricane Katrina: Comparing Gulf Coast populations according to race • Andrea Miller, Louisiana State University; David Brown, Louisiana State University; Stephanie Grey, LSU; Renee Edwards, LSU • The study’s purpose was to gauge the hurricane knowledge and preparedness of Gulf Coast resident four years after Hurricane Katrina, with particular interest in racial differences. 519 residents were surveyed in fall 2009. Findings showed African-Americans have less hurricane knowledge, and that mistrust of government and the media may be obstacles to information. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between residents’ awareness of a state-wide preparedness campaign and having a storm plan in place.

Refracting media characters through the prism of ethnic identity formation • David Oh, Denison University • Ethnic identity formation plays a role in second-generation Korean Americans’ identification practices towards media characters and celebrities in transnational media from Korea. Specifically, the findings of this study are that there are intragroup differences in identification practices that cluster around stages of ethnic identity formation and that identification practices are not independent of social power as Korean American fans of Korean celebrities and media characters construct taste hierarchies that also define ethnic authenticity.

How Ya Durrin’?–Love, Drag, Racism and Shirley Q. Liquor • Peter Parisi, Hunter College This paper assesses Shirley Q. Liquor, a controversial blackface, drag character performed by Charles Knipp, a gay, white male. A welfare recipient with 19 children of unknown paternity, the character certainly displays racial stereotyping, yet Knipp insists that he intends a loving, complex portrayal. A rhetorical-cultural analysis suggests that his claim has substance. At a time of increasing cultural self-consciousness surrounding racial representation, the Shirley Q. controversy clarifies the relationship of negative stereotyping, counter-stereotyping and positive portrayal.

The BIA Occupation: The Media Frames A Native American Struggle to Gain Control • Mavis Richardson, Minnesota State University, Mankato This paper discusses framing used by mainstream and Native American newspapers of the BIA building takeover in Washington, D.C., in 1972. It was assumed that the native press might contain, at least to some extent, constructions seen in white mainstream newspapers. However, coverage in the native newspapers clearly reflected Indian culture while the mainstream newspapers reflected white culture. These differences may be attributable to cultural differences between native and white cultures.

Minorities on Internet Web Pages: A Content Analysis of Their Portrayal • Aymara Jimenez, BYU; Tom Robinson, Brigham Young University • The Internet has become a communication source that shapes and cultivates peoples’ perceptions of consumer products, companies, ideas, issues, and people. To make a website attractive, character images are used to ensure the recall and recognition of the site. Since images stay in individuals’ minds longer, the portrayal of those images becomes is important when dealing with minorities. A content analysis of the top 200 websites looked at how minority characters are represented and portrayed. Overall the portrayal of minorities was good but minorities are under-represented and Hispanic characters appear the least and are almost nonexistent.

How Mexican-American women define health: Cultural beliefs and practices in a non-native environment • Emma Wertz, Kennesaw State University • Culture impacts the ways people evaluate and respond to health and illness. Mexican-American culture plays a part in how women take care of their heath and react toward the threat of breast cancer. Using previously identified dominant cultural factors that may influence the health of Mexican-American women as a foundation, this qualitative study describes how the women define and maintain health, particularly breast health. As a result, health communicators can more carefully and appropriately tailor messages for this group. This study is important because it adds to the current body of knowledge by investigating the cultural beliefs of Mexican-American women. While several researchers have studied the cultural beliefs of Hispanics, it is imperative that scholars begin to further investigate the cultural beliefs of the sub-groups within the larger Hispanic ethnic category. In addition, previous studies have primarily been conducted in states that border Mexico, thus providing an opportunity for this study to contribute to the current body of literature by giving a voice to Mexican-American women in the southeast. In-depth interviews were conducted with Mexican-American women in the southeast. The main theme that emerged from the data was: The Maintenance of Health through Traditional Practices in a Non-native Environment. Two thematic constructs that participants engage in helped to describe how the women in the study maintain health in a traditional manner when they live in a non-native environment: (1) the belief that health is a combination of the body and mind and (2) the belief that health care is a Mexican woman’s responsibility.

Student Paper Competition

Erin Ash, Penn State, Growing and Selling (Stereotypes): Depictions of Race and the Drug Business in Showtime’s Weeds • The television program Weeds follows the life of Nancy Botwin, a White upper middle-class drug dealer. Although this depiction is seemingly counter-hegemonic, much of the humor of the show is derived through the use of distinct constructions of Whiteness and Blackness and representations of criminality as a naturally Black activity, and not a good fit for Nancy. This textual analysis of the show finds support for the continued use of enduring stereotypes about African Americans.

Bryan McLaughlin, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Reaffirming Racism: Racial Discourse During Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign • The 2008 Presidential election will always be remembered as a historical moment, primarily because Barack Obama became the first black president in the United States. In many ways this is a testament to the strides America has made in racial relations over the last century. In reality, however, Barack Obama’s presidential campaign may have hurt racial progress by reaffirming a post-racial discourse that presents race as nothing more than a distraction. This study rests on a vast array of research that has shown racism continues to be pervasive in American society, but exists most powerfully below the surface. A frame analysis of The New York Times, Newsweek, NBC Evening news, Barack Obama campaign speeches and Rush Limbaugh radio segments during the Democratic primary revealed a consistent use of a post-racial discourse that undermines attempts to have a forthright public discussion of race. The results show that there is little discussion of why race is still such an important topic and what this election says about the state of race in the United States; it is discussed primarily because it is an important political and newsworthy topic. While these various sources frequently discuss race, it is mostly a result of race being an unavoidable topic in the presidential election. The findings show that people are willing to talk about race, but not as a topic that warrants serious evaluation, but as a distraction that has political effects.

Cristina Mislan, Penn State, The Chicago Defender: Is it a political institution?
ABSTRACT: This paper examines how the Chicago Defender framed Reverend Jesse Jackson’s 1988 and President Barack Obama’s 2008 Democratic presidential campaigns. The study utilized framing theory and employed textual analysis to reveal how the Defender provided meaning for about two black presidential candidates and attempted to support Reverend Jackson but showed skepticism about his ability to win the nomination. On the contrary, the newspaper overwhelmingly supported President Obama, using his candidacy to elevate the black community.

Husain Murad, Arkansas State University, Creative directing: In the eyes of Arab American Hollywood directors • The purpose of this study is find out about the characteristics which makes a director creative in the movie making field and the challenges along the way to reaching this goal. This study asks four research questions what are the challenges that face minority directors in Hollywood? And why they faced those challenges? Do they see creativity different than Hollywood directors? How does the film industry rate a creative director in general? How does the industry specifically rate a minority director?
The researcher conducted semi-structured in depth interviews instrumentation with three Arab/ Arab American directors. The findings show that Arab/ Arab American directors in Hollywood are rare within Hollywood tough business industry. Like any minority Arab faces a lot of misrepresentation, stereotypes, language barrier and prejudice. The way to overcome these obstacles is to try work hard and make a noise so the big studios would recognize that minority director. Other findings show that the key to get through Hollywood is to be creative on Hollywood standards and to have group connections inside Hollywood mainstream society.

Sharon Santus, Caryn Winters, Christopher Toula, George Christo-Baker, and Dorian Randall, Penn State, The ‘Obama is a Muslim’ Myth: Analyzing the implications of right wing abuse of religion and culture during the 2008 presidential race • The Obama is a Muslim myth speaks to the broader relationship between Islam and West in the 21st century. The signifier Muslim being used in a smear campaign against the President during his campaign seems to indicate that in our post 9/11 socio-political climate, many Americans view Islam and Muslims in totalizing terms which others them and their identity. This article will attempt to unravel the complex relationship between Muslim-Americans and the Obama is a Muslim myth with the intention of understanding both the candidate and the dominant discourses surrounding perceptions of Muslim-American and Arab-American populations. This analysis is necessarily multifaceted. Accusations of Obama being a Muslim not only reflect the politicization of religion and culture, but also the racialization of religion, the salience of Islamophobia, and the covert use of new racist ideology.

Jennifer Schwartz, University of Oregon, Framing Power: A comparison of Latino and White Candidate Photographs and Headlines at Fourteen U.S. Newspapers • Despite political representation remaining far below Latinos’ share of the population, little research has compared news coverage between Latino candidates and white candidates. This is the first study to content analyze 815 newspaper photographs and 608 photograph-associated headlines of Latino candidates and white candidates in 14 newspapers during the last two months of four statewide elections that occurred between 2003 and 2008 in the U.S. Southwest. Results show overall by state newspapers provided slightly more positive newspaper treatment of Latino candidates compared to white candidates.

Nangyal Tsering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Welcome to America: The Star Tribune’s coverage of Tibetan Americans in Minnesota • The paper looks at the coverage of the Tibetan Community in Minnesota by the Star Tribune from Jan 1991 to Oct 2009. While most previous research shows that the press largely portrays the immigrant communities in a negative light, the results of this study finds that Tibetan case is an exception. This positive portrayal of the Tibetan community can be attributed to a complex mix of factors, including the mainstream media’s perpetuation of the Western stereotype of Tibet as a peaceful Shangrila.

Larissa Williams, University of Texas at Austin, The Case for Race: Factors affecting the credibility perceptions in the blogosphere • This study uses an experimental method to test the effect of the race of a blogger on audience perceptions of credibility. No significant differences in perceived credibility were found between Black and White bloggers, though including information on the blogger (picture and biography) increased perceived credibility. Issue salience (how entertaining, important, relevant, etc.) was also associated with higher perceived credibility.

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Internship and Careers Interest Group 2010 Abstracts

Practical and Ethical Aspects of Advertising Internships: The Good, the Bad and the Awkward • alice kendrick, Southern Methodist University; Jami Fullerton, Oklahoma State University • In a nationwide survey of 1,045 advertising students, slightly more than half (53.4%; n=530) reported that they had held an internship outside of their academic studies. Females and seniors were more likely than other students to report having completed an internship, and internship students were more likely to have higher self-reported GPAs. Graduating seniors who had held an internship were significantly more likely to have received a job offer by the month of June, though their salary expectations and actual salary offers did not differ significantly from students who did not have internships. About 11 percent of internship students agreed that the company with which they interned engaged in some type of perceived unethical behavior, and 6.4% offered examples. Open-ended comments revealed that student concerns were likely to focus on what were perceived to be questionable business practices, personal misbehavior by company staff and intern exploitation. Implications for advertising educators and internship employers are discussed.

Internship Supervisors’ Evaluation of Communications Majors’ Internship Performance • Vicki Todd, Quinnipiac University; Grace Levine, AEJMC — Law and Policy Division • On-site internship supervisors evaluated communications majors regarding their internship work performance. Supervisors placed more emphasis on students’ personality traits than on job skills students performed during their internships. Supervisors evaluated public relations students more positively regarding the personal characteristics of time management; willingness to take on new tasks; and the ability to think critically, creatively, and independently. PR majors also ranked more positively based on the job skills of preparation of tasks/assignments and research skills.

Entering the Game at Half-time: Engaging Transfer Students in Internships and Co-Curricular Activities in Mass Communication Programs • Lauren Vicker, St. John Fisher College
With enrollment soaring at community colleges across the country, the number of transfer students is also increasing at many four-year mass communication programs. This study begins a look at this often-neglected population in terms of their engagement in activities that will help to build their professional resumes and portfolios. The research examines transfer students’ motivation to participate in internships and co-curricular activities through a survey of students and interviews with several transfer students. Results indicate that transfer students are participating in internships and co-curricular activities in numbers significantly lower than native students who come to college as freshmen. Transfer students’ main concern is fitting these activities in along with required courses and work time. Mass communication faculty need to pay more attention to ways of engaging transfer students in the full life of their academic programs.

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Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Interest Group 2010 Abstracts

Conflicting desires: An analysis of All My Children’s negotiation of lesbian representation in the early 2000s • Tara Kachgal, University of Wisconsin Superior • This paper analyzes the interplay between soap opera insiders and outsiders over the representation of Bianca Montgomery, U.S. daytime television’s first major lesbian character. Focusing on the three-year period following Bianca’s 2000-2001 coming out, the author charts a series of moves by program makers that initially excited but gradually frustrated and angered lesbian fans. A connection is subsequently drawn between the storyline’s seeming failure and the broader U.S. sociopolitical climate of the mid-2000s.

You Do Not Know Me: Sexual Identity, Consumption, and the Sign of The L-Word • Rebecca Kern, Manhattan College • This paper examines The L-Word as a media product logo and as a cultural sign with important significance. Through CBS’ and Showtime’s commodification of The L-Word, viewers of the show could express their membership as a fan. The cultural sign of The L-Word; however, is more than a logo for a show, the pink ‘L’ represents female sexual identity: lesbian and bisexual, making it possible for anyone to express inclusion in a marginalized sexual identity. It is within this that the lines of insider/outsider fan ‘ness’ and female sexual identity are blurred. These types of products serve a greater purpose of marking social acceptance and cultural shifts in sexual identity expression.

Breeding Masculinities: Bareback Pornography and the Fluid Phallus • Byron Lee, Temple University • Gay bareback pornography (films featuring men engaging in unprotected anal intercourse) has come under attack from multiple communities. This analysis instead examines the discourses of masculinity that are presented in Treasure Island Media films. I argue that bareback pornography presents queer forms of masculinity, rendering them visible and therefore desirable. In bareback pornography, the focus on ejaculate changes the nature of the cum shot, and positions the ejaculate, and not the penis, as the phallus.

Body Image and Race on Queerty.com • Joseph Schwartz, Northeastern University; Josh Grimm, Texas Tech University • In this study, we conducted a content analysis of 214 images of male models published on the gay-oriented blog Queerty.com from May, 2007 to March, 2010. Results showed that most models were White, in their twenties, and had low levels of body hair. Almost uniformly, models had low levels of body fat and high levels of muscularity. Additionally, models’ body types varied significantly by race. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Learning Lesbianism: Media’s Role in Shaping Adolescent Lesbian Identity • Valarie Schweisberger, Syracuse University • Lesbian media representation is scant at best, and for young gay women who come to terms with their sexuality during adolescence, media may have an influence on the formation of their sexual identity. This cross-sectional study of adolescent lesbians explores the role of traditional entertainment media in shaping the development of sexual identity. I conducted in-depth interviews with a convenience/purposive sample of 17 adolescent lesbians in Central New York, and inquired about their perceptions of entertainment media’s influence on their experiences of lesbianism. Results indicate that media have a largely educational influence on adolescent lesbian identity construction.

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Advertising 2010 Abstracts

Research
Changing shades of green • Lee Ahern, Penn State; Denise Bortree, Penn State University; Alexandra Smith, Penn State University, College of Communications • The growth, and changing nature, of strategic green communications has become a key issue for environmental advocates and for communications researchers. This study, the first extensive longitudinal content analysis of green advertising of its kind, reveals layers of information relative to message types, message sponsors, frames and appeal levels. It also provides for the examination of these relationships over time. Implications for strategic environmental communications are discussed.

Brands Among Friends: An Examination of Brand Friending and Engagement on Facebook • Kelli Burns, USF • When Facebook allowed companies to create profiles in November 2007, about 100,000 corporate users created a free page during the first 24 hours (Zukowski 2008). This study surveyed 112 Facebook members to understand the variables related to friending and engaging with brands. Facebook brand fans differ significantly from non-Facebook fans on several key variables. Also, Facebook fans who exhibit more engagement behaviors with a Facebook brand can be differentiated from those with fewer engagement behaviors.

U.S. Advertising Agency Operating Efficiency • Yunjae Cheong, The University of Alabama; Kihan Kim, Seoul National University; Justin Combs, University of Alabama • This study uses Data Envelopment Analysis to evaluate the financial efficiency of a sample of 41 U.S. advertising agencies, based on their profits and expenditures in six key areas (i.e., payroll to employees, other payroll-related expenses, administrative expenses, space and facilities expenses, corporate expenses, and professional fees). The analyses reveals that, on average, 5% of an agency’s budget is wasted, incurring the greatest amount of waste in the administrative area. The tobit regression also indicates that professional fees contributed the most agency inefficiency overall.

Health and Nutrition- Related (HNR) Claims in Magazine Food Advertising: A Comparison of Benefit-Seeking and Risk-Avoidance Claims • Hojoon Choi, The University of Georgia; Kyunga Yoo, The University of Georgia; Wendy Macias, The University of Georgia; Nah Ray Han, The University of Georgia • This study employed content analysis to examine benefit-seeking or risk-avoiding use of health- and nutrition-related (HNR) claims in food advertisements of high circulation magazines published between 2007 and 2009. Overall, food marketers made substantial use of risk-avoidance claims in their ads, mainly employing nutrient content claim among three claim types of HNR claims. Moreover, risk-avoidance claims were especially found in the product categories which are perceived as relatively innutritious and less healthy. Our findings provide implications and suggestions with regards to food advertising and public health policy.

Celebrity Endorsers in Advertising: Effects of Negative Information Levels and Timing of Exposure to Negative News • Hojoon Choi, The University of Georgia; Leonard Reid, University of Georgia; Mariko Morimoto, University of Georgia • Using the frameworks of consumer contamination theory and associative learning theory, this experiment examined the moderating effects of level of negative celebrity information (major vs. minor criminal offense) and timing of exposure to negative information (recent vs. past news story about crime associated with endorser) on evaluations of (a) endorser, (b) ad, (c) brand, and (d) purchase intention in celebrity endorser advertising. Two hypotheses and one research question were addressed. The results supported H1: major criminal offense associated with the celebrity endorser had significantly more negative impact on perceived endorser expertise, attractiveness, and trustworthiness, and on attitudes toward advertising and brand, and purchase intension than minor offense. The results partially supported H2: time of exposure to news about endorser criminal offense (recent and past) only significantly impacted perceived trustworthiness. Mediation analysis found that endorser trustworthiness fully or partially mediated the relationship between the independent variables and dependent variables.

The Role of Affective Responses on Advertising Evaluations in a Sport Media Context • Michael Clayton, Christopher Newport University • This research contributes to the theoretical knowledge within the field of PIA (program-induced affect) and has practical implications for sports marketers and advertisers. An experiment was conducted to explore the ability of sports to create bipolar affect responses among highly identified fans of competing teams. The experiment supported previous research in sports marketing regarding the power of sports to create strong affective responses. The research failed to find support for the mood congruency theory which would suppose that positive affective responses created by sport media would lead to more positive advertising evaluations, while negative affective responses would lead to more negative advertising evaluations.

The Impact of Control Mechanism and Game Customization on Videogame Advertising Effects • Frank Dardis, Pennsylvania State University; Mike Schmierbach, Penn State University • Videogame research indicates that a player’s game customization and the control mechanism used can influence various cognitive, affective, and physiological aspects of the gaming experience. However, little research has tested these two factors in relation to advertising effects. Therefore, the current experimental investigation examined the impact of control mechanism and game customization on the effectiveness of in-game advertising. Interaction effects indicated that players using a traditional, hand-held controller remembered more ads in an auto-racing game than did those who used a steering wheel and foot pedals, but only when customization was not allowed. Additionally, controller type and customization led to differing attitudes toward in-game advertising in general. Marketing implications regarding technological videogame advancements are discussed.

Consumer Articulations as Electronic Word-of-Mouth: A Social Identity Perspective • Troy Elias, University of Florida; Osei Appiah, The Ohio State University • This study examines key factors that may play a critical role in determining consumer attitudes toward products and services based on online consumer feedback. The results indicate that positive online consumer feedback leads to significantly more desirable consumer attitudes than sites with no consumer feedback, or sites with overly negative consumer word-of-mouth (NWOM). The results also indicate Blacks tend to respond more favorably to services that are linked to their own racial ingroup, especially when those services have substantial positive consumer evaluations. Also, for a less familiar, less relevant service, word-of-mouth reviews played a more significant role for Blacks in their overall consumer attitudes. For Whites, the results demonstrate that the e-WOM (electronic word-of-mouth) effect is larger for negative WOM than for positive WOM. Implications for Social Identity Theory and the Distinctiveness Principle are discussed.

Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and the Study of Advertising, 2004-2009 • Gregory Hoplamazian, Ohio State; R. Lance Holbert, Ohio State • This study is an assessment of all works employing some aspect of SEM in three advertising ournals (Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, and International Journal of Advertising) between 2004-2009 (N=62). Focus is given to both measurement and structural models. Each model is assessed in terms of specification, estimation, and evaluation strategies. Summary judgments are offered concerning what the field does well and poorly in relation to its use of SEM.

Social Self-Esteem Responses to Race Representation in Advertising: Downward Social Comparison and White Guilt • Gregory Hoplamazian, Ohio State; Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, Ohio State • In this study advertising characters’ race (Black, White) and social status (high, low) are manipulated to investigate sociocognitive responses to race representations in advertising.
Results support the proposed social identity framework for Black participants with ethnic identity serving as a significant moderator. Conversely, Whites’ responses are in stark contrast to this framework, and warrant further investigation of attitudes toward specific racial groups. Impact of advertising character portrayal on viewers’ social identity and self-esteem are discussed.

Stereotyping Westerners: An Analysis of Gender and Occupational Roles of Western Models • Ying Huang, Southern Illinois University Carbondale; Dennis Lowry, Southern Illinois University • A content analysis of 638 advertisements and 246 individual Western models in 22 Chinese magazines was performed to examine the use of Western models regarding frequency, race, gender, product category and occupational status. Their occupational status was also compared with 240 models in U.S. magazine advertisements. Results showed Western models are dominantly female, white and in non-working roles, which suggests their roles are more limited compared with their roles in U.S. advertising.

Finding the Right Spot: The Effect of the Length of Preceding and Succeeding Ads on Television Advertising Effectiveness • Yongick Jeong, Louisiana State University; Yeuseung Kim, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • This study investigated the impact of the length of the immediately surrounding commercials on the effectiveness of a given ad with the consideration of sequential order relations between two consecutive ads. The results showed that advertising is more effective when a commercial is longer than immediately surrounding ads and that the impact of length of an immediately preceding commercial is stronger than that of a succeeding ad. Practical implication is discussed.

Influences of Culture, Country Origin and Product Category on the International Advertising Strategies of Multinational Corporations in North America, Europe and Asia • JING JIANG, Renmin University of China; Ran Wei, University of South Carolina • This study tests the standardization typology (e.g., global, glocal, local, and single case; Wei & Jiang, 2005) by examining Multinational Corporations’ (MNCs’) international advertising targeting culturally different markets. In doing so, the influences of product origin by region, product category, and cultural values were examined. Results of a content analysis of 210 selected ads before and during the 2008 Beijing Olympics show that MNCs are more likely to adopt the glocal strategy than any other strategies by standardizing the creative strategy but localizing the execution. Furthermore, results reveal that EU-based MNCs tend to pursue a highly standardized advertising approach (global strategy), whereas the North America-based MNCs seem to favor the glocal strategy and Asia-based MNCs tend to standardize their ads the least (local strategy). Finally, Western and non-Western cultural values are found to converge, indicating a trend of increasing similarity in international advertising. Product category was found to have an impact only on the level of standardization in execution in a cross-cultural context. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed.

Factors Influencing Consumer Acceptance of Mobile Advertising • Jong-Hyuok Jung, Syracuse University; Wei-Na Lee, The University of Texas at Austin; Yongjun Sung, The University of Texas at Austin • The primary objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of consumers’ acceptance of mobile advertising. Specifically, this research explored how the persuasive communication process works via mobile advertising. In order to accomplish this research objective, the relationships among various factors identified from earlier studies were tested. Based on previous literature regarding consumer attitudes, media use, and innovation adoption, a conceptual framework was developed to understand consumer acceptance of mobile advertising. For this reason, the current study employed an online survey with 514 online participants. The results suggest that consumers’ attitudes toward mobile advertising are closely related with all three factors used in this study (e.g., mobile device, message, consumer factors). Furthermore, consumers’ attitudes toward mobile advertising are strongly influenced by message factors (e.g. entertainment, credibility, irritation, message interactivity) and consumer factors (e.g. social influence, compatibility). Thus, careful considerations in message strategy and thoughtful consumer research are needed to increase the effectiveness of mobile advertising. Additionally, the sizable and significant impact of consumer attitude on behavioral intention further supports findings from previous research.

Framing Tactic, Framing Domain, and Source Credibility in DTC Hormone Replacement Therapy Advertising: An Integration of Prospect Theory and Language Expectancy Theory • Kenneth Eun Han Kim, Oklahoma state university • The present study attempts to explore the interactive effects among the gain-loss framing domain, the attribute-goal framing tactic, and message source credibility on the persuasive outcomes associated with DTC Hormone Replacement Therapy advertising. An experiment was designed with a 2 (framing tactic: attribute framing versus goal framing) _ 2 (framing domain: gain framing versus loss framing) _ 2 (source credibility: high versus low) between-subjects design, exploring the interactive effects of framing tactic and framing domain on the consumer’s attitude toward hormone replacement therapy and DTC ad-promoted behavior intentions. Women, aged 45-65 were recruited for the study samples. The data obtained indicate that loss framing is affected by the level of source credibility such that the loss framing impact decreases with a low credible source, while the gain framing impact is not affected as much as loss framing by source credibility. However, this study failed to find any significant interaction between gain-loss framing domain and attribute-goal framing tactic.

I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV: The effects of context and endorser credibility on advertising effectiveness • K. Maja Krakowiak, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs; Kelly Poniatowski, Elizabethtown College • As actors and actresses become increasingly comfortable with ad appearances, ads featuring celebrities have started to be shown during entertainment content starring them. This study examines how placing endorser ads in the context of content that also features the endorser affects responses to the ads. The findings of an experiment (N = 161) reveal that one-time viewing of entertainment content featuring an endorser does not affect responses to an ad featuring that endorser; however, frequent viewing of such content results in more favorable perceptions of the endorser’s credibility, which, in turn, leads to more favorable responses to the endorser ad. Implications of the findings for priming theories and advertising research are discussed.

The Effects of Spokes-Characters’ Personalities of Food Products on Source Credibility • Hobin Kyung, Korea Telecom; Ohyoon Kwon, The University of Texas at Austin; Yongjun Sung, The University of Texas at Austin • Personified spokes-characters can be created and controlled in ways in which advertisers want to establish and maintain the images and personalities of the food products. This research explores the relationships between spokes-characters’ personality dimensions and source credibility dimensions, including expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness. The overall findings suggest that different spokes-character personality dimensions influence the source credibility dimensions differently and that both sincerity and competence are the two most significant spokes-character personality dimensions to increase the levels of source expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness.

Brand Interactivity and Its Effects on the Outcomes of Advergame Play • Joonghwa Lee, University of Missouri; Hyojung Park, University of Missouri, School of Journalism; Kevin Wise, University of Missouri, School of Journalism • This study developed the concept of brand interactivity based on the characteristics and definitions of interactivity and applied it to advergames. A 2 (brand interactivity: present/absent) _ 2 (game: Mahjong/Bejeweled) within-subjects experiment was conducted to examine the effect of brand interactivity on attitude toward the advergame, attitude toward the brand, and purchase intention. Brand interactivity appeared to have a positive effect on brand attitude and purchase intention.

Product Placement in Mobile Phone Games: The Impact on Persuasion • Hui-Fei Lin, National Chiao Tung University • Various past researches have studied product placement, such as in television shows (Law & Braun, 2000). Some studies have begun to examine brand placement in computer or on-line games (Nelson, 2002; Nelson, Yaros, & Keum, 2006; Lee & Faber, 2007; Yang & Wang, 2008). However, the effectiveness of brand placement in other entertainment media, especially mobile phone games, from psychological aspects has received little attention. Furthermore, due to the increase of product placement in mobile phone games, it would be valuable to gain insights into the game players’ perceptions of the impact of product placement in mobile game on game players’ memory, attitudes towards product placements in games and their purchase intention. The purpose of this current research is to explore the effect of product placement on mobile phone games on persuasion. A 2 (Type of games: high level of attention x low level of attention) x 2 (Location of placement: focal vs. peripheral) x 2 (Type of brand: high familiarity brand vs. low familiarity brand) between-subjects design was conducted (N=324). As hypothesized, results showed that 1) gamers have a greater memory of brands when brands were embedded in the focal area of the game than when they were placed in the peripheral area of the game; 2) gamers have a better memory when high familiarity brands were embedded within the games than when low familiarity brands were placed; 3) Gamers who have more positive attitudes towards product placements are more likely to exhibit stronger purchase intentions.

From Eisenhower to Obama: Lexical Characteristics of Winning vs. Losing Presidential Campaign Commercials • Dennis Lowry, Southern Illinois University; Md. Naser, Southern Illinois University Carbondale • This is the first longitudinal study of 15 presidential campaigns using lexical analysis to isolate differences been winning and losing commercials. The corpus, which consisted of 1,227 commercials from Campaigns ’52 through ’08, was analyzed with Diction 5.0 lexical analysis software. Results indicated that there were striking lexical differences between the commercials of presidential winners versus losers. Winners were significantly higher on positive terms and other-directed references to groups, while losers were higher on self-related I/me/my words.

Individual Differences in the Perception of Product Placements: Field Dependence-Independence, Brand Recall, and Brand Liking • Jörg Matthes, University of Zurich; Christian Schemer, University of Zurich; Werner Wirth, University of Zurich • We argue that the cognitive style field dependence-independence predicts people’s ability to detect audiovisual product placements. In an experiment working with an authentic audiovisual stimulus, we varied the appearance of placements and tested the field dependence of our participants. Results demonstrate that field independent individuals show a higher placement recall but lower brand liking compared to field dependent individuals. The results speak to the importance of individual difference variables for product placement research.

A cross-national study of young consumers’ intentions to redeem mobile coupons • Alexander Muk, Texas State-San Marcos • The mobile phone is considered as an ideal advertising vehicle because of the growing number of mobile phone subscribers worldwide. Mobile coupons, in SMS format with discount codes, are sent directly via the cell phones to customers who have signed up for receiving them. While redeeming mobile coupons by cell phone users is increasing in Asian countries like Japan and Korea, American cell phone users are slow in adopting this new couponing tool. To gain a better understanding of the effectiveness of mobile couponing, a cross-national approach may help identify important factors that influence consumer perceptions of mobile coupons. The United States, Korea and Taiwan were selected for this study because of their different cultural characteristics as well as their tendencies in adopting wireless technologies. Congruent with research involving cross-cultural consumer behavior, this study found differences across countries in terms of cultural influences on consumers’ intentions to redeem mobile coupons. The findings showed that cultural values are important factors affecting consumer acceptance mobile coupons.

Are Responsible Drinking Campaigns Done Responsibly?: The Effectiveness of Alcohol Industry-Sponsored Advertising Campaigns • Sun-Young Park, University of Florida; Yeonsoo Kim, University of Florida; Cynthia Morton, University of Florida • The purpose of the present study is to provide a summary of the theoretical foundation associated with how industry-sponsored responsible drinking advertising campaigns work, providing a conceptual model that assesses the effectiveness of the campaigns. Based on the path-analysis, the study investigated consumers’ attributions of corporate altruistic motives, perceptions of corporate credibility, attitudes toward corporations, and attitudes toward responsible drinking ad campaigns sponsored by corporations, along with the pro-social effects (i.e., the intention to drink alcohol responsibly), and pro-corporate effects (i.e., the intention to drink alcohol) of the campaigns. In particular, the findings of the study support the idea that industry-sponsored messages externally discourage misuse or promote individual responsibility, but the messages are blended with favorable portrayals of product consumption. The findings revealed that the intention to drink alcohol is enhanced by responsible drinking ad campaigns sponsored by alcohol companies through creating positive company attitudes. Implications, limitations, and future research are suggested.

Does Planning Make Perfect in India? How Advertising Practitioners Perceive Account Planning • Padmini Patwardhan, Winthrop University; Hemant Patwardhan, Winthrop University; Falguni Vasavada-Oza, Mudra Institute of Communication • This study examined acceptance of account planning among advertising practitioners in India, an emerging global advertising hotspot. Three research questions were proposed to investigate planning’s growth across agencies, individual perceptions about planning, as well as coercive, mimetic and normative pressures in its development. A cross sectional survey of practitioners from all key agency areas was conducted for a 30% (n = 154) response rate. Results indicate that (1) planning practice is growing in India with a majority of respondents indicating that their agencies use it at least in a basic way (2) planning perceptions are highly positive and (3) environmental (external) pressures are believed to impact planning development through not all are seen as equally important. Future research directions are proposed.

What Makes A Super Bowl Ad Super?: Five-Act Dramatic Form Impacts Super Bowl Ad Ratings. • Keith Quesenberry, Temple University; Michael Coolsen, Shippensburg University • A content analysis for dramatic form was performed on 62 Super Bowl XLIV commercials. Results demonstrated strong support for the hypothesis that average consumer favorability ratings for Super Bowl commercials is significantly higher for commercials that follow a full five-act dramatic form compared to commercials that do not. Additionally, significant cumulative effects on consumer favorability ratings were demonstrated with increasing numbers of acts and development of those acts. This could have significant implications for marketers.

Affect, Motivational Orientation and the Effectiveness of Positively vs. Negatively Framed Health Advertisements: The Mediated Moderation Effect of Mood Sela Sar, Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication; George Anghelcev, Penn State University • This study examined the impact of mood on motivational orientation and its interaction with positive and negative frame. The results showed that ad message framed to be congruent with mood led participants to have more positive attitudes and stronger intentions to perform the health behaviors. Discussion focused on the integration of mood, motivational orientation strategy and framing into models of health persuasion.

The Influence of Sexy and Humorous Content on Motivated Cognitive Processing of Televsion Advertisements • Curtis B. Matthews, Texas Tech University; Johnny Sparks, Texas Tech University; Scott Parrott, The University of Alabama • The goal of this within-subjects experiment was to examine how sexy and humorous content during 24 television advertisements influenced motivated cognitive processing of incidental and brand information. Self-reported arousal, used to indicate appetitive activation, increased with sexy content. Audio recognition sensitivity, used to indicate thoroughness of encoding, was greater for humor than nonhumorous and for sexy than nonsexy advertisements. Cued recall, used to indicate thoroughness of storage, was found to be higher for sexy than nonsexy advertisements. Cued recall was greater for incidental information in humorous advertisements. However, brand information processing suffered in humorous ads. Sexy content improved brand recall.

Exploring Social Game Play With Advertising: Brand Attitudes in an Online Community • Sara Steffes Hansen, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh • This study explores attitudes related to brands experienced in social games. Exploratory regression analysis of survey data considered player attitudes of all brands and well-liked brands in game interactions. All brands negatively related to knowledge of advertiser tactics and telepresence departure, and positively connected to brand consciousness and exciting game personality. Well-liked brands connected negatively to telepresence departure and positively to arrival. Play frequency and ads aiding realism positively related to both brand categories.

Perceived Diversity in Advertising Agencies and the 4 Ps of Creativity • Jorge Villegas, University of Illinois at Springfield; Thomas Vogel, Emerson College • Diversity in advertising agencies has been a highly discussed issue, yet the impact of diversity on an ad agency’s creativity has not been addressed. This paper explores the relationships between the 4P framework – person, place, process and product – of creativity and diversity in advertising agencies. The results show that perceptions of diversity have a positive effect on creativity and interact with the process and product elements of the 4p framework.

A Comparative Study of American and Chinese Young Consumers’ Acceptance of Mobile Advertising: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach • Hongwei Yang, Appalachian State University; Liuning Zhou, Center for the Digital Future, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California; Hui Liu, Department of Communication, Beijing International Studies University • A web survey of American college students was conducted in April 2009 and a paper survey was administered to college students of four Chinese public universities in May and June, 2009 to test a model of mobile advertising developed by Finnish Scholars, Merisavo and associates, in 2007 in which five factors (utility, context, control, sacrifice and trust) predict consumer acceptance of mobile advertising. A structural equation modeling was employed to fit the model to two sets of survey data. Generally, the model has achieved an acceptable fit in the United States with significant standardized regression coefficients on context, sacrifice and trust. However, utility and perceived control are not important predictors of US college students’ acceptance of mobile advertising. Overall, the model performed reasonably well in China with significant standardized regression coefficients on utility, control, sacrifice and trust. Context seems not to be an important factor while control is a negative predictor. Accordingly, the model cannot be directly transplanted to the United States and China and future research is needed to develop a comprehensive model of American and Chinese consumers’ acceptance of mobile advertising. Implications for global, American and Chinese marketers are discussed.

More Effective Message Styles for Communicating with Young Adults • Hyunjae (Jay) Yu, School of Communication, Sogang University; Hoyoung (Anthony) Ahn, University of Tennessee; Yongick Jeong, Louisiana State University • Young adults, between the ages of about 18 and 24, are the group of people who are most often exposed to situations involving diverse health risk behaviors. They are able to drink and use drugs under far less parental supervision than earlier age groups. Reports have shown that frequent involvements to several types of health risk behaviors (e.g., drunk driving, bar fighting, smoking, substance use) can seriously damage young adults physically and psychologically. However, despite the high rate of health risk behaviors among young adults, there have not been enough discussions about how we can produce more effective anti-health risk behavior messages that target young adults. This exploratory study provides some useful insights into this issue by testing the possible effects of three frameworks: gain/loss framing, different information sources, and negative/positive mood. The results reveal that the young adults in this study find more appeal in anti-health risk behavior messages conveyed by a traditional Public Service Announcement (PSA) rather than by a report in a television news program. The results also reveal that people pay more attention to messages that use negative moods (e.g., Öthere are many people losing a lot of precious things because of their health risk behaviorsÖ) instead of positive moods (e.g., Öthere are many people gaining a lot of precious things by avoiding health risk behaviors Ö). An interaction effect between information sources and mood was also detected.

Teaching
Accuracy of Self-Perceived Creativity: Are We as Creative as We Think We Are? • Jody Mattern, Minnesota State University Moorhead; Jeffrey Child, Kent State University, School of Communication Studies; Shannon Vanhorn, Valley City State University; Katherine Gronewald, North Dakota State University • This study examined the accuracy of self-perceptions of creativity. College students (n = 849) took online tests that first examined their self-perceptions of creativity, and then measured actual creative output. The Gough Personality Scale was used to measure self-perceptions of creativity, then two measure of creativity—one of convergent thinking (Mednick’s Remote Associates Test) and one of divergent thinking (Guilford’s Alternative Uses Task)—were used to compute creative output. Results of the tests (n = 519) support a significant and positive correlation between the self-assessment and the overall creativity task score, r = .203, p < .001. Thus, participants with a higher self -perceived creativity personality assessment were also ultimately more creative, leading to a discussion about the role of advertising education in creative output.

Preparing young creatives for an interactive world: How possible is it? • Brett Robbs, School of Journalism, University of Colorado, Boulder • Has the growing importance of interactive affected the skills full-service advertising agencies seek in young creatives? If so, what impact should that have on the curriculum? This study uses depth interviews with working professionals to explore such questions. Findings indicate that while agencies want students to have some knowledge of interactive, they continue to emphasize skills creative courses are already designed to develop. Adding interactive to that mix, while not without challenges, should be possible.

Informal Learning Using New Technologies • Adam Wagler, University of Nebraska-Lincoln • Informal education has been well researched for many decades with learning moments occurring at a variety of times. This paper looks at applications of informal teaching methods used in a college classroom. Experiences during the Omaha Science Media Project, a grant project developing high school curriculum using media tools to learn about science, are also analyzed and applied to extend learning outside of the classroom. The paper looks at a new media design course’s use of video blogs and other forms of social media. This encourages students to become the experts by exploring additional topics related to the course. The result was active participation in class as well as the use of new technologies like Google Wave, Delicious and more to promote collaboration and informal learning.

PF & R
Making the connection: Creative women talk about empathy, creativity and gender • Sheri Broyles, University of North Texas; Jean Grow, Marquette University • Senior creative women were asked what three words come to mind when they think of creative men/women, what men do that women can learn from and vice versa as well as what part empathy plays in the creative process. Thematic categories identified male traits of bonding, competitive, humor and strong while empathetic and insightful were female traits. Smart and talented were balanced for men/women. The role of empathy and its relation to creativity is discussed.

Content Analysis of Male Domesticity and Fatherhood in American Television Commercials • Wanhsiu Tsai, University of Miami • This study examines how American commercials represent men as spouses and parents in the family context. A content analysis of prime-time commercials across different networks and cable channels was conducted. Findings indicate that men are rarely shown in domestic settings and are much less likely than women to be shown performing domestic chores and childcare activities. Specifically, in advertising’s portrayal of domestic settings, men are frequently depicted only in background and marginal roles. When men are shown as nurturant fathers, their involvement with children is limited to playing with children.

Having Your Beer and Drinking It Too: Strategic Ambiguity and Self-Regulatory Compliance in Beer Commercials • Lara Zwarun, University of Missouri St Louis • This study explores audience responses to beer commercials that use strategic ambiguity to creatively circumvent self-regulatory advertising guidelines in order to communicate about drinking. A quasi-experiment reveals that some viewers of these ads report seeing the behaviors that are discouraged by the guidelines, and in many cases, believe such behavior is being promoted. The more likely participants were to believe they had seen people combining drinking with potentially dangerous activities, the greater their agreement that the ads were promoting the alcohol expectancies that predict drinking. However, when faced with imagery of drunkenness, people were unclear if drinking was being glamorized or presented responsibly, and were less likely to believe positive alcohol expectancies were being promoted. Findings suggest that strategic ambiguity can allow beer advertisers to appear responsible while diminishing the threat of risky drinking in some ads. However, in the case of commercials with less glamorous portrayals of alcohol consumption, strategic ambiguity may compromise marketing objectives.

Special Topics
Sex (and Semiotics) sells: Decoding Gender, Power and Persuasion in Text-less magazine ads • Yelisabel Scott, University of Oklahoma, Meta Carstarphen, University of Oklahoma; • This study looks at advertising imagery through a visual rhetorical lens in the way suggested by Scott (1994); in other words, advertising imagery is looked at as a sophisticated form of visual rhetoric with invention, arrangement, and delivery characteristics capable of communicating a complex argument even with the absence of linguistics, but also with style and memory characteristics as well. In the visual rhetoric context, Scott (1994) positions certain characteristics of advertising visuals within the first canons mentioned above, but seems to ignore the other two. Even though the goal was to select a total of ten (10) ads (five from the magazines targeted toward men and five from the magazines targeted toward women) with the intention of making it a fair and even split, an interesting pattern emerged. When considering gender, there were far more text-less qualifying ads for women than for men, raising questions about advertising text-less argument construction and audience assumptions.

Bringing Clarity and Direction to Advertising ROI: A New Conceptual Model for Practical Application • Don Dickinson, Portland State University • The first premise of this paper is that the return on investment for advertising should not evaluated solely or even primarily on the basis of sales. Rather, as a communications tool, advertising should be evaluated on its ability to move people through a series of intermediate steps on a continuum that ranges from ignorance of a product category on one end to brand advocacy on the other. In so doing, such an approach reflects fundamental changes in knowledge, attitude and behavior. The second premise is advertising ROI should be easier.The model begins with a taxonomy that organizes AROI into four broad areas which encompass 14 different categories of outcomes. This taxonomy is the first of three breakthroughs in this paper. The 14 outcome categories encompass 40+ specific metrics, any small number of which could be chosen for an on-going marcom program or specific campaign. The taxonomy is followed by a comprehensive table that answers the above four questions for each outcome and metric. This comprehensive table is the second breakthrough. The third breakthrough is an example of how this new AROI analysis would be presented in an annual AROI Report.

Viral Advertising: A Conceptualization • Petya Eckler, U of Iowa; Shelly Rodgers, University of Missouri School of Journalism • Much confusion exists over what viral advertising is and how it differs from viral marketing, electronic word-of-mouth, and user-generated content, to name a few. A comprehensive definition of viral advertising is provided to develop a deeper understanding and to advance research in the viral arena. We discuss features that are unique to viral advertising and their importance to our conceptualization. We then present a timeline on the history of viral advertising, discussing key changes and developments. After briefly summarizing existing scholarship on viral advertising, we offer suggestions for future work in the field.

A Comparison of Online Streaming Video and Television in Terms of Advertising Perceptions and Attitudes • Kelty Logan, University of Colorado at Boulder • While it is readily apparent to advertisers that online access of episodic television is becoming increasingly popular, there is little information regarding how use of the new medium differs from traditional television viewership. The research employed online interviews among young adult viewers of online streaming television and traditional television to determine if young adult consumers (aged 18-34) regard advertising viewed within online streaming television programming differently than they regard advertising viewed within traditional, non-recorded television programming. Results indicate that viewers are less tolerant of advertising viewed in the context of online streaming video content than traditional television advertising.

Perceptions of Internet Advertising: A Q Sort Analysis • Ashley Stevens, BYU; David Mecham, BYU; Lincoln Hubbard, BYU; Tom Robinson, Brigham Young University; Mark Popovich, Ball State University • Differences in attitudes toward four types of Internet advertising were measured to aid in further understanding of the effectiveness of Internet advertising, as well as the perceived effectiveness of specific types of Internet advertising. Social judgment theory provides a theoretical framework to aid in understanding how different types of Internet advertisements are perceived. Q-Methodology sorts of 48 statements concerning Internet advertising were used to probe viewpoints toward four types of Internet advertising: interstitial (pop-up), banner, sponsored-search, and video advertisements. Results indicate that interstitial advertisements and banner advertisements were perceived as intrusive and annoying, while video advertisements were tolerated to facilitate online television viewing.

An Exploratory Study on Factors Affecting American Young Consumers’ Mobile Viral Behavior • Hongwei Yang, Appalachian State University; Liuning Zhou, Center for the Digital Future, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California • A web survey of 407 American college students was conducted in April 2009 to examine to what extent young consumers’ demographic, psychographic and behavioral characteristics influence their frequency of forwarding mobile viral content. We found that age, opinion leadership, belief in mobile advertising utility, belief in the usefulness of contextual mobile advertising, acceptance of mobile advertising, cell phone calling, and text messaging were positively related to American young consumers’ frequency of forwarding mobile messages. A backward multiple regression was employed to extract the following significant predictors: age, opinion leadership, belief in the usefulness of contextual mobile advertising, cell phone calling and text messaging. Implications for mobile marketers are discussed.

Online Media Tracking and Evaluation: A Conceptual/Instructional Model • Aimei Yang, University of Oklahoma; Fred K. Beard, University of Oklahoma • Given the current trend of growth in online advertising and public relations, it is imperative to prepare students for the opportunities and challenges presented by the Web 2.0 environment. However, an extensive review of the literature revealed no established framework around which students can readily comprehend the various uses of online media and the increasingly varied and sophisticated means for evaluating them. This paper addresses this gap in the pedagogical literature by presenting a conceptual and instructional model of online media use and evaluation. This model first matches four Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) disciplines and goals with the most effective online media tools, and further models the appropriate evaluation measures that fit with the communication goals and types of online media.

Predicting Attitudes toward Email and Postal Direct Advertising by Consumers’ Innovativeness • Kenneth C. C. Yang, The University Of Texas At El Paso; Caroline Staub Garland Garland, The University Of Texas At El Paso • This study employed a self-administered survey method to collect empirical data. This study employed a random sampling method to select a sample of 400 from a database of 1806 supporters of a National Public Radio station housed at a large public university in the Southwest. A total of 106 responses were received within the 21-day period. Several linear regression models were run and showed that consumers’ innovativeness variables significantly predicted their attitudes toward email direct mail advertising in the regression model (F=5.86, p<0.01). &#946; coefficients further demonstrated that the more technologies and online activities consumers adopt, the more positive their attitudes toward email advertising will be. Results also showed that consumers’ innovativeness (measured by their online activities) negatively predict their attitudes toward postal direct mail advertising. &#946; coefficient demonstrated that the more online activities consumers undertook, the less favorable their attitudes toward postal direct mail advertising were. Similar results were found for consumers’ preference of postal direct mail advertising (F=3.76, p<0.05). Online activities also negatively predicted consumers’ preference of direct mail postal advertising as shown by &#946; coefficient in the regression model. Furthermore, hierarchical regression model further demonstrated that consumers’ innovativeness (as measured by their online activities) continued to be a statistically significant predictor, rather than their demographics (such as gender, income, education, etc). Implications for diffusion of innovation theory and advertising effectiveness research were discussed.

How Much Do People Remember the Disclaimers in TV Ads? • Hyunjae (Jay) Yu, School of Communication, Sogang University • TV advertising disclaimers contain important information for consumers so they are not misled about advertising content and the characteristics of the products advertised. Therefore, disclaimers are very important not only for consumers, but also for preventing advertisers from running into potential legal problems regarding the content of their ads. However, despite disclaimers’ significance, the research on advertising disclaimers is not extensive. This exploratory study investigates how much young adult consumers (18-25 year old college students) recognize and recall disclaimers in advertisements for two different products (beer and car commercials). In addition, this study also examines if there is any relationship between the participants’ personal consumer characteristics (i.e., the level of impulsiveness in buying behavior and materialistic orientation level) and their recognition/recall of advertising disclaimers. The results show that many participants in this study barely recognized/recalled the disclaimers from either advertisement; the level of recognition (recall) did not seem to be significantly influenced by the people’s personal consumer characteristics.

What personal characteristics impact the attitude toward TV advertising? -The case of baby-boomer consumers- • Hyunjae (Jay) Yu, School of Communication, Sogang University; Hoyoung (Anthony) Ahn, University of Tennessee • The research investigating the relationships between people’s personal characteristics and their attitude toward advertising could produce important implications for developing more persuasive advertising to target audience. Even though related studies have been conducted by many researchers, the research dealing with older consumers and their attitude toward advertising has been very limited, mainly because it has been generally believed that most sales are relied upon younger consumers. However, the importance of older consumers in companies’ marketing has increased recently because of their improved health and financial ability, prompting new research interest. This study investigates the possible relationships between the baby boomers’ attitude toward advertising and three personal characteristics (i.e., age perceptions, social comparison orientation, and materialistic tendency) that have been considered for a long time factors influencing people’s perceptions about advertising. The results show that many boomers strongly believe they are younger than their actual ages and have high social comparison orientations. And those personal characteristics significantly influenced their attitudes toward the TV advertisements they were exposed to.

Student
The Impact of Economic Crisis on Financial Services Advertising Appeals • Hongmin Ahn, University of Texas at Austin; Young-A Song, University of Texas at Austin • While many scholars and researchers have contributed to the sizeable literature on the interaction between advertising and a society, few have examined economic circumstance as a meaningful force shaping advertising. This study provides the empirical evidence that changes in economic status, the recession in particular, serve as substantial moments wherein advertising appeals have been significantly transformed. The data of 1,488 ads placed in two popular magazines show that the patterns of appeals have turned to direct assertive styles in the wake of the economic crisis of 2008-2009. At the same time, however, ads during this recession period have used a far wider variety of strategic and tactical appeals than those in pre-recession era.

The Politics of Memory: Strategic Recollections of the Past as Oppositional Pitfalls for Election 2008 • Michelle Amazeen, Temple University • This paper explores the use of cultural memory in the political advertising campaigns of the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Both candidates effectively used seemingly positive memory themes to portray his opponent negatively. Despite Obama’s attempts to avoid racial issues, McCain’s Convention Night ad put him in the framework of the Civil Rights movement anyway. The mainstream media’s uncritical consideration of the ad, which invoked Martin Luther King Jr.’s memory in representing Obama’s achievements, suggests not only an uncontested version of racial achievements in America, but also the power granted to political ads in narrating a naturalized version of public memory.

Promoting the Promoters Online: How Ad Agencies Use Corporate Websites to Promote Their Services • Barbara Chambers, Texas Tech University; Curtis B. Matthews, Texas Tech University • Smaller advertising agencies have not typically been the focus of academic research, but they often face obstacles to promoting their own services. The Web provides an interactive environment for promoting expertise. This study used content analysis to examine 79 mid-sized agency websites to determine the prevalence of features such as text, feedback, multi-media, navigation, new media, and brand loyalty. Agencies with more resources had more interactive websites and used more social media for agency promotion.

Targeting Kids Online: Content Analysis of Viral Advertising Featured in Food and Beverage Brands’ Web Sites • Yoon Cho, University of Oregon • As the number of children accessing Internet continues to grow, food and beverage advertisers targeting children are focusing their marketing efforts online. Among these online marketing efforts, viral advertising featured in their Web sites become major interactive advertising tools. Viral advertising relies on entertaining content and interactive features to grab consumers’ attention and uses the Internet to influence consumers to pass along the content to others (Porter and Golan 2006). Through content analysis, this study investigates the types of viral advertising featured in food and beverage brands’ Web sites, examines the level of interactivity of viral advertising, and what types of food and beverage products are featured in viral advertising and sees which product categories have the highest and lowest level of interactivity. The findings will lay the groundwork for empirical studies exploring the effect of viral advertising on children’s attitudes, and possibly, consumption habit of food and beverage products.

Content Analysis of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising for Stigmatized Illnesses: Does It Provide Fair and Balanced Information? • Hannah Kang, University of Florida • This study evaluated the content of DTC print ads for stigmatized illnesses from 1998 to 2008 by using the FDA’s fair- balance disclosure provision and methods of the previous studies. DTC ads for eight stigmatized illnesses in Time magazine were analyzed. Results showed 13.5 percent of the ads offered the same amount of benefit and risk information and met the fair balance requirements of FDA in terms of the amount of benefit and risk information.

To Click or Not To Click?: The Factors Influencing Clicking of Ads on Facebook • Yoojung Kim, The University of Texas at Austin; Mihyun Kang, The University of Texas at Austin; Dong Hoo Kim, The University of Texas at Austin; William Reeves, University of Texas at Austin; Jang Ho Moon, The University of Texas at Austin • This paper explores various factors influencing the clicking of ads in Facebook: the perceived informativeness, entertainment, and irritation, Facebook usage intensity, the number of joined Facebook Pages. The results of logistic regression showed that people are more likely to click ads on Facebook if they perceive ads as more informative and less irritating. In addition, there was a positive relationship between Facebook usage intensity and number of Facebook Pages and clicking of ads on Facebook.

Consequences of Agenda-Setting: The Impact of Agenda-Setting Effects of Political Advertising on Candidate Favorability, Voting Intention, and Voter Turnout • Yonghwan Kim, University of Texas at Austin • This study examines the consequences of agenda-setting effects of political advertising for attitudinal and behavioral outcomes—candidate preference, voting intention for candidates and voter turnout. The current study, beyond the main focus of agenda-setting research on news media such as newspaper and television news, attempts to contribute to the growing research on consequences of agenda-setting by investigating how salience in individuals’ minds shaped by exposure to political ads influences their attitude toward candidates, vote choice, and voter turnout through use of an experimental design. The direct impacts of perceived salience of candidates’ personal attributes were found to predict individuals’ candidate preference and voting choice. In addition, the results showed interaction effects of the political ads tone and the perceived issue salience on the likelihood of voter turnout.

The Effects of Advertorials on Consumers’ Perceptions of Their Relationship with the Corporation: The Roles of Media Credibility and Advertorial Types • Daewook Kim, University of Florida; Jun Heo, University of Florida • This study aims to examine how corporate social responsibility advertorials influence consumers’ perceived relationship with corporations. Two independent variables were used for the study: level of media credibility (high/low) and types of advertorial (labeled/unlabeled). The research findings suggest that media credibility has significantly positive impacts on perceived relationship with corporations, whereas types of advertorial show an insignificant influence. Theoretical background and practical implications are provided.

The Effects of Divided Attention on Implicit and Explicit Memory for Radio Advertisements • Kelli Lyons, Texas Tech University • Studies have established a dissociation between implicit or subconscious memory and explicit or conscious memory. Most often the dissociation is observed when time between study and testing phases in increased or when a secondary task is completed during the study phase. Many studies have suggested that explicit memory is highly influenced by divided attention, while implicit memory is not affected to the same degree. These studies do not suggest that implicit memory does not require attention. In fact, they found that more frequent responses to a secondary task do have a negative effect on implicit memory. However, these studies have most often used simple stimuli such as individual words. The current study tests memory for words from radio advertisements in divided and full conditions. The results did show an affect of attention on explicit memory, but they were not consistent with previous literature for implicit memory, with the current study finding evidence to suggest that implicit memory was affected by attention. However, more importantly, this study revealed that secondary tasks interact in a different way with mediated messages than they do simple stimuli.

The Effects of Message Framing and Behavioral Norms in Responsible Drinking PSAs: The Role of Deviance-Regulation Theory • Sun-Young Park, University of Florida; Jaejin Lee, University of Florida; Hyunsang Son, University of Florida; Eun Go, University of Florida • Given the potential importance of message strategies in binge drinking interventions among college students, the current research investigates the effects of message framing and behavioral norms (i.e., rules about appropriate behavior) and their interaction effects on attitudinal and behavioral responses to responsible drinking. For this study, a 2 x 2 (message frames: gain or loss; behavioral norm: healthy or unhealthy) between-subjects randomized experimental study was conducted to examine the effects on message persuasiveness, ad attitudes and responsible drinking intentions. The results revealed that messages stressing the benefits of performing the requested behavior (i.e., gain-framed) and positive behavioral norms (i.e., healthy norms) yielded more favorable outcomes. More importantly, significant interaction effects suggest that the condition of the loss-framed messages and the unhealthy norm was least effective among four conditions in the experimental design. This study lays the theoretical groundwork for the role of message framing and behavioral norms in enhancing the effects of responsible-drinking campaigns. Also, the study provides useful insights into the potential utilizations of health messages about responsible alcohol use in PSAs. Implications, limitations, and future research are suggested.

An Analysis of NARB Panel Decisions Before 1994 • Jessica Powviriya, University of Arkansas Journalism Department • This study examined 71 of the 139 (or 51 percent) of the NARB cases which were decided through 1994. The study analyzed case decisions for whether ads were substantiated, the medium used and comparison advertising. Results suggest that the household products and services group was the most frequent category of concern in the NARB casework, accounting for most of the cases involving substantiation and comparative advertising.

Celebrity-Associated Promotions: Celebrity Endorsed Advertising vs. Celebrity Product Placement
William Reeves, University of Texas at Austin • This study investigates celebrity product placement, an exciting new advertising technique. In particular, this study examines the effects of celebrity product placements effect on celebrity credibility, attitude towards the brand, and purchase intent, and specifically in comparison to celebrity endorsement. Results of the experimental study reported in this paper show that celebrity product placement has amore positive effect on celebrity credibility, attitude towards the brand and purchase intent than the traditional celebrity-associated practice, celebrity endorsement.

Self-Concept Portrayed in Advertising and Consumer Perceptions on Luxury Fashion Brands • Mark Yi-Cheon Yim, The University of Texas at Austin • The objective of this study is to reveal the current direction of advertising for luxury fashion brands (LFB) by comparing the consistency between self-concept portrayed in magazine advertisements and consumer perceptions on LFB. To achieve the goal, a content analysis and a survey (n = 730) were conducted. Additionally, how other consumer characteristics (i.e., brand consciousness and culture) operate in forming attitudes toward LFB was investigated. The results suggest that females are overrepresented in advertisements for LFB, considering the readership’s gender composition. Although females are generally more favorable to LFB, both genders high in brand consciousness are favorable to LFB.

<< 2010 Abstracts

Graduate Education Interest Group 2010 Abstracts

Making the Case for Critical Media Literacy: Goals and functions in undergraduate education • Seth Ashley, University of Missouri-Columbia • Media literacy is the province of a vast array of educational goals and a diverse field of study. This theoretical paper examines and seeks consensus among existing understandings of media literacy and aims to advance the definition, establish clear goals for media literacy and justify its inclusion in general liberal arts education. The paper emphasizes the role of critical media literacy education in preserving quality journalism and democratic self-governance.

The Success of Opting Out? Political Information in the Changing Media Environment • Leticia Bode, University of Wisconsin – Madison • As technology develops, the sources from which people may obtain political information continue to increase. This paper represents a first step in understanding the implications of the increasing prevalence and use of alternative information flows online. By examining the systematic differences between purposive information seeking (Google News) and possible sources of incidental exposure to political information (Twitter). We address important differences between the two, but verify the ability to be incidentally exposed to political information.

Wait, Who Said That? The Role of Source Cue Placement in Argument Evaluation • D. Jasun Carr, UW-Madison; Emily Vraga, University of Wisconsin-Madison • The 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act mandates that campaign advertisements identify their origin. This requirement provides an opportunity to examine a real-world impact of source cue placement on the persuasive process. Utilizing a 2 x 2 (cue placement by consonant vs. dissonant ad exposure) experiment to explore the effects of cue placement on the persuasive impact of an advertisement, we find that cue placement matters more when individuals are not motivated to process the ad.

I Want to Help Others: Empathy and Distance effects on Compassion, Attitudes, and Behavioral Intentions • Sheetal Chhotu-Patel, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • An experimental study examined the self’s compassion, attitude, and prosocial behavioral intentions in response to a news story about a suffering other. The results showed that the interplay between empathy in relation to a suffering other in a news story and the geographical distance of the other were inconsistent to a certain degree with previous theoretical findings. Theoretical and applied implications and recommendations for future research on emotion and social cause messaging are discussed.

A New Area of Video Game Research? The Pro-Social Effects of Playing Violent Video Games Cooperatively • J.J. De Simone, University of Wisconsin – Madison • Given their prevalence in American culture, violent video games’ negative effects are a heavily studied phenomenon in the social scientific literature. However, many studies analyze the issue on the individual level, hence ignoring the potential pro-social effects of playing violent games cooperatively with another person. This research review discusses the relevant literature, analyzes problems with the current state of the research, and posits future directions for study of the pro-social effects of collaborative play of violent video games.

Directing the Dialogue: The Relationship Between YouTube Videos and the Comments They spur • Stephanie Edgerly, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Emily Vraga, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Timothy Fung, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Kajsa Dalrymple, University of Wisconsin – Madison; Timothy Macafee, University of Wisconsin-Madison • This study performs a content analysis of YouTube videos and comments about the Proposition 8 campaign in California. Specifically, we examine how a video’s focus and tone are related to comment features. We find consistent support for the flow of information from topics mentioned in the video to topics addressed in commentary, as well as uptake of an uncivil tone from the video to the comments. Implications are discussed for promoting quality online information exchanges.

The Writing on the Wall: A Content Analysis of College Students’ Facebook Groups for the 2008 Presidential Election • Kevin W. Bowers, University of Florida; Juliana Fernandes, University of Florida; Magda Giurcanu, University of Florida; Jeffrey C. Neely, University of Florida • This study looks at student Facebook groups supporting one of the 2008 presidential candidates from largest land-grant universities in seven battleground states. The findings reveal that students are using Facebook to facilitate political involvement. Pro-Obama groups demonstrated higher site activity than pro-McCain groups. Discussions related to the political civic process, policy issues, campaign information, and praise for the supporting candidate overpass topics related to social interactions across all groups during both Primary and General Election seasons.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together – Homophily in Online Social Networking Sites such as Facebook • Mia Fischer, College of Charleston • Facebook recently registered its 400 millionth user. Positioning itself as a leader of interactive, participant-based online Web 2.0 media, Facebook promises to change how we communicate even more fundamentally, in part by digitally mapping and linking peripatetic people across space and time. As socio-demographic boundaries are torn down, it may seem as if Facebook runs counter to 50 years of sociological research regarding what is known as homophily, the tendency of individuals to associate only with like-minded people of similar age and ethnicity. This study investigated how the concept of homophily, taken out of its traditional interpersonal context, is evident in relationships on Facebook. Quantitative methods in form of an online survey among a purposive sample of 447 Facebook users were employed. Participants clearly depicted signs of inbreeding homophily regarding age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, educational level, occupation and income; all factors typically segmenting our society. Despite participants’ strong belief in Facebook’s ability to globally connect people with different socio-demographic backgrounds, exclusively pre-existing offline relationships were fostered. Aware of their account privacy settings, users rigorously restricted profile access to outsiders, such as professors, strangers and parents. This can be seen as an attempt to maintain Facebook’s original college niche community status, further rising issues of identity construction in online environments. If Web 2.0’s interactive media disseminating user generated content really provides potential for social and political change, an analysis of homophilious factors on Facebook is a first indicator to infer about the factual possibilities of such desired changes.

A Theory of Planned Behavior Study of the HPV Vaccine: a comparative analysis of college students’ intention to get the vaccine in the United States and South Korea • Eun Go, University of Florida • This study explored factors that can affect the behavioral intention to get the HPV vaccine of American and Korean female college students using the TPB. Results indicated that both American and Korean female college students’ attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control regarding the HPV vaccine were significantly associated with the intention to be vaccinated. Involvement was also positively related to both attitude and behavioral intention to get the HPV vaccine for both sets of respondents. Furthermore, subjective knowledge could predict behavioral intention with greater accuracy than perceived behavioral control could.

News Framing of Swine Flu in Time of Global Economic Recession: A Comparison of Newspaper Coverage in the United States and China • Miao Guo, University of Florida; Fangfang Gao, University of Florida • This study examined the news coverage of swine flu (H1N1) by newspapers in the United States and China in terms of prominence, news source selection, and frames. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the volume of front-page coverage of swine flu between the U.S. and Chinese newspapers, indicating that the number of cases of swine flu in these two countries had little to do with the volume of news coverage. However, the patterns of source selection and the presence of economic consequences, health severity, human interest, international action, and conflict news frames varied depending on the newspaper’s country of origin and newspaper type. Social context, culture, media structure, and different focuses of media outlets were utilized as the influential factors that contribute to the differences.

Three Decades of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs • Wan Jung, Univ. of Florida; Jihye Kim, Univ. of Florida; Eun Soo Rhee, Univ. of Florida • The current study content-analyzes topics, trends, authorships, and patterns found in studies on Direct-To-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising (DTCA) published in 97 U.S. journals between 1981 and 2009. Two hundred thirty nine papers were analyzed in this study. The results demonstrate a definite pattern of increase in DTCA research, the existence of a wide variety of individual and organizational contributors, and a need for better methodological rigorousness in DTCA research.

A convergence journalism course design grounded by education-psychological research of knowledge types and transfer • Adam Kuban, University of Utah • Current convergence journalism research rarely offers transparent examples of what faculty should consider in their attempts to become more convergence-focused. Three instructors at a public university in the Intermountain West applied education-psychological theories related to knowledge transfer and how people learn to the content created for a new convergence journalism course. The resultant course design—grounded in theory—could serve as a template for journalism educators who wish to develop their own course.

Understanding Web Identity: Approaches to the Study of Identity and Self-Expression in Cyberspace • Mark Lashley, University of Georgia • This paper examines the body of literature on social media and online social networking as they relate to expression of individual identity. The paper argues that, while many theoretical approaches have been taken to the study of identity in online spaces, the work of Goffman and the theory of Impression Management provide the most useful and versatile framework for ongoing inquiry in this area.

Canonical Correlation Analysis of Online Video Advertising Viewing Motivations and Access Characteristics • Joonghwa Lee, University of Missouri; Hyunmin Lee, University of Missouri-Columbia • This study investigates consumers’ motivations for watching online video advertising, and the relationship between the motivations and access characteristics of viewers. Findings revealed five different motivations for viewing online video advertising—social interaction, relaxation, information, escapism-pass time, and entertainment. Canonical correlation analysis revealed that the desire to fulfill viewing motivations are positively correlated with frequencies to actively access Web sites, and frequencies to visit different types of Web sites. Implications and future research are discussed.

Star Wars Revisited: An Analysis of Ronald Reagan’s Rhetoric On The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) • Ji Hoon Lee, University of Florida • This study analyzes President Ronald Reagan’s discourse advocating the Strategic Defense Initiative by focusing on the use of language, motivational appeals and speaker’s character and addresses how he rhetorically justified the apparent change in American foreign policy. The study also illustrates how he was able to deal with such sensitive issue as nuclear weapon and come out with highly persuasive speeches for the public during the times of the Cold War.

Internet Service Providers and Defamation: The United States and the United Kingdom Compared • Ahran Park, university of Oregon • This paper compares ISP liability for online defamation in the United States and the United Kingdom. Because American and English defamation laws have the same root, ISP liability for defamation in England would deserve attention from U.S. lawyers and scholars. In addition, English libel law has more reason to compare for online research in that the CDA of the United States and the Defamation Act of the United Kingdom were the first attempts anywhere in the world to legislate ISP liability at the same year in 1996. Thus, this comparative research will be helpful to online speakers and ISPs who have similar common law background but eventually fall under different online defamation laws.

Celebrity Endorsements and Nonprofit Charitable Organizations: The Role of Celebrity Altruistic Motive and Identification • Sun-Young Park, University of Florida; Moonhee Cho, University of Florida • The not-for-profit charitable organizations are undergoing a significant burst of enthusiasm over the potential uses of celebrity endorsers. The current study aims to investigate the effects of attributions of a celebrity’s motive and identification with a celebrity who supports a charity on publics’ attitudinal and behavioral responses. Specifically, the findings of this study attest to source effects on consequential responses, including the perceptions of and attitudes toward the celebrity’s credibility, the celebrity’s endorsement, the nonprofit organization, and intentions to donate money and volunteer time to the charitable organization. This study lays the theoretical groundwork about the factors that influence the effects of celebrity endorsement and provides nonprofit charitable organizations with useful managerial implications of using a celebrity to endorse a socially worthy cause. Overall, the findings suggest that to maximize celebrity endorsement effectiveness, nonprofit practitioners should keep in mind the importance of attributions of celebrity motive as well as celebrity identification. Implications, limitations, and future research are suggested.

Does market matter? Proximity, placement, graphics, and topic in News Recommendation Engines on newspaper Websites • Ed Simpson, Ohio University • The Internet inherently has been seen as a worldwide medium, offering equal access across the globe to information to anyone with the proper equipment and connections. Yet, newspapers inherently serve a local general market, based primarily on geography. Key questions arise about whether traditional elements of news definitions and play remain applicable in the digital environment. In other words, when it comes to newspaper Websites, does market matter? In order to begin addressing these questions, which are important for understanding industry trends and theoretical implications involving Internet usage, this study focused on self-selected items in News Recommendation Engines on eight national and regional newspaper Websites. This content analysis examined 1,248 items contained in NREs. The primary entry point into the study, guided by the theory of uses and gratifications, was to seek whether significant differences in self-selection items could be detected across markets. This study found such differences. The most prominent findings included wide variances in the origin of items self-selected as well as the type of item appearing. The findings suggest, overall, that traditional news values, such as proximity, timeliness, and impact, do affect self-selection patterns, and that findings of self-selection patterns on national Web sites such as New York Times and Yahoo! News, do not necessarily reflect what is happening on newspaper Web sites in general.

The impact of technology-enabled learning: A comparison of ideal versus real. • Lakshmi N Tirumala, Texas Tech University; Catherine Team, Texas Tech University • The current study examined the differences between traditional classroom learning versus technology mediated learning (video podcasting). A 3-minute instructional video was delivered through a podcast with the same topic taught in a traditional classroom by the same instructor. This study used a between-subjects design with one independent variable and multiple dependent variables. The sample size consisted of 72 students from a large southwestern university who participated in the study. The study found no significant difference in students’ evaluations of the instructor between the video podcast condition and the conventional classroom condition. On the other hand, the student perceptions toward the classroom condition were found to be significantly positive compared to the student perceptions toward the video podcast condition.

Unusual Pathways to Issue Engagement: How Dispositional Cynicism Conditions Incivility Effects on Television Political Talk Shows • Ming Wang, University of Wisconsin-Madison; porismita borah, University of Wisconsin-Madison; David Wise, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Keith Zukas, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Bryan McLaughlin, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Michael Mirer, University of Wisconsin • In this study, we attempt to explicate the effects of televised political talk shows on viewer issue engagement and how they are conditioned by dispositional cynicism and skepticism. Using an experiment manipulating guest tone and host style on a talk show, this study finds that strong cynics were more likely to engage than weak cynics when both guests were civil. We offer a revisionist account of how talk shows and cynicism impact the public.

<< 2010 Abstracts

Entertainment Studies Interest Group 2010 Abstracts

How (and why) Can Tragic Drama be Enjoyable? Cognitive, Affective, Physiological, and Motivational Accounts • Dohyun Ahn, University of Alabama • The hedonic principle governs human behaviors including media selection. However, the enjoyment of tragic drama poses a challenge to the hedonic principle. Two questions arise from this challenge: (1) why do people, particularly lonely individuals, select tragic content, and (2) why is the intensity of sadness positively associated with the degree of enjoyment of such negatively valenced content? This review suggests that feeling sad for others can be enjoyable, because (1) cognitively, it feels nice to feel bad for others’ pain, instead of being insensitive, (2) affectively, feeling sad for others enables individuals to feel the sense of social connection, (3) physiologically, the vagus nerve regulates the fight-or-flight system so that individuals can care for others, and (4) motivationally, the mu-opioid system rewards individuals for feeling sad for others.

Who lives, who dies, and why? Doctors, diseases, and mortality in TV medical dramas • Julie Andsager, University of Iowa; Rauf Arif, School of Journalism & Mass Comm., University of Iowa; James Carviou, The University of Iowa; Kyle Moody, University of Iowa; Erin O’Gara, University of Iowa • We examined contemporary, primetime TV medical dramas to ascertain implicit messages about the nature of disease, patients, and doctor-patient relationships. Cultivation and social identity theories undergirded the study. Forty randomly selected episodes of ER, Grey’s Anatomy, House, and Private Practice indicated that male doctors outnumbered female doctors. Female patients presented significantly different diseases/conditions than males. White doctors and minority doctors dealt with different types of cases. The diversity suggested in medical dramas is not straightforward.

Deconstructing Dust: Postmodern Superhero Extraordinaire or a Stereotype in Disguise? • Arthur Bamford, University of Denver • In 2002, a young Afghani woman and devout Muslim called ‘Dust’ joined the ranks of one of Marvel Comics’ most popular teams: the X-Men. This paper discusses the findings of a pilot study conducted with two interpretive communities: one comprised of comic book fans, and another of Muslim students, and considers whether or not Dust ought to be considered a vanguard, positive portrayal of an Arab, Muslim young woman in a medium that has historically vilified, marginalized, and/or ignored each of those three distinctions. In addition, this research considers comic books as what Baym (2005) has called discursively integrated texts, and explores how efficacious real-world social and political commentary is when it is interwoven into comic book narratives.

In with the Tweens: Appeal of Disney’s High School Musical Among College Students • Kelly Barrows, Syracuse University • This study examines the appeals of Disney’s High School Musical franchise for non-target audiences. When the original movie was released, current undergraduate students were beyond the targeted tween market. Using the lens of uses and gratifications, focus groups of self-fans explored enjoyment of the movies. The results show that in addition to emotional appeals of an escapist movie, the movies are able to provide viewers with a form of conversational capital to use with friends.

Watch What Happens: How People Watch and Talk About Reality Television • Kelly Barrows, Syracuse University; Simone Becque, Syracuse University • The purpose of this study was to explore how people watch and talk about reality television. Previous research reveals that motivations for watching reality television differ from those for serialized television. In a survey, college students indicated which reality shows they watched and answered follow-up questions regarding the shows. The 274 responses indicate reality television is typically watched in a group setting and that men and women watch different types of reality television.

Who Is the Loser?: A Critical Analysis of Contestant and Trainer Communication about Weight Loss on The Biggest Loser • Kim Bissell, University of Alabama; Lauren Reichart-Smith, Auburn University • This study used textual analysis to examine The Biggest Loser contestant comments during the weigh-in portion of the reality television show to determine how contestants framed their weight loss throughout the season. The overarching themes that emerged from the analysis of 13 episodes were themes of disappointment, expectations, game-play, positivity, and not being able to see the forest for the trees. While the reality-based show does offer viewers a glimpse into the world of morbidly obese individuals trying to make a positive change in their own lives, the commentary from the contestants during the vignettes largely represents weight loss as unachievable and disappointing because regardless of how much effort is exerted, disappointment on the scale will result. These messages communicated to viewers may not serve as motivation to lose weight but rather serve as a roadblock or detriment to even begin trying. Findings are related to entertainment theory and the ways in which reality programming is created to maintain ratings and viewers. These and other findings are discussed.

Prevalence and Portrayal of Sexual Content in Adolescent Novels • Mark Callister, Brigham Young University; Sarah M. Coyne, Brigham Young University; Lesa A. Stern, Westmont College; Malinda Miller, Brigham Young University; Laura Stockdale, Brigham Young University; Brian Wells, Brigham Young University • Most media research on sexual content focuses on TV, film, advertisements, and magazines. The popularity of novels and their potential role in adolescents’ sex education heightens the importance in examining what messages such literature provides young readers. Results show that novels are replete with sex-related material, but impoverished as a source dealing with issues of abstinence, safe sex practices, and potential health risks and consequences. Implications for lack of a rating system are discussed.

Reading the Brandfan: Using Twilight to Explore Brands and Fandom • Barbara Chambers, Texas Tech University • This article examines the crossover appeal of the Twilight brand and fandom in females of different ages through original focus group research. It also provides an overview of the Twilight brand and promotion, history of fandom, vampire texts and romance genres. Parallels are made with Radway’s (1984) Reading the Romance. The paper concludes with future recommendations on brands and fandom through a new concept known as Brandfans .

Shining a Bright Light: An Analysis of Race and Identity in Online Messages • Naeemah Clark, Elon University; Amanda Gallagher, Elon University; Lori Boyer, Texas Tech In February 2010, Joanna Douglas, a writer for Yahoo’s Shine.com website, posted an article critiquing the lack of diversity in Vanity Fair magazine’s 2010 Hollywood issue. In response to Douglas’s story, Shine’s readers contributed more than 18,000 messages to the Shine site. Most of these messages included critiques of the state of race in the magazine industry, Hollywood, and America. This study is a textual analysis of these messages. The results indicate that while some of Shine’s readers think discussions of race and diversity are passé, most agreed that racism exists in the form of the entertainment industry’s marginalization of people of color and in a perceived double standard that permits racial/ethnic minorities to have media content that caters only to them. Furthermore, an analysis of the discourse appearing on Shine reveals that many of those who are posting highlight their own identities to take a stand when it comes to the issue of race. Personal confessions and words such as I, you, and they are used when the writers are positioning themselves in their messages and discussions with other Shine readers.
Keywords: Online messages, race, confessions, and identity

Cartoon Planet: The Cross-cultural Acceptance of Japanese Animation • Anne Cooper-Chen, Ohio U. • Japanese animation, the un-Disney, represents a major challenge to U.S. global entertainment dominance. Through interviews, survey research and content/ratings analysis, this study verifies the validity of cultural proximity (Straubhaar), given the enthusiastic acceptance of anime in Asia. It discovered two facets of between-nation cultural differences (Hofstede): 1) Japan’s domestic (Sazae-san) vs. overseas audiences’ favorite anime and 2) overseas audiences’ differing favorites (Doraemon in Asia, but not in the West). Ironically, overseas exports may save the domestic industry.

Changing Gender Stereotypes in Disney Films: A Content Analysis of Animated and Live-Action Movies • Bruce Finklea, University of Alabama • Disney has long been criticized for its gender portrayals in feature-length animated films. Being one of the most-watched entertainment providers for children, a great deal of research has been conducted into what Disney is actually portraying on the screen. This paper examines gender stereotypes in recent animated and live action Disney films. Results of the content analysis revealed that, while many traditional stereotypes are still being seen, there are some significant shifts in gender portrayals.

Soap Dish: An Exploratory Examination of Daytime Soap Opera Message Boards • Maria Fontenot, Texas Tech University • Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, this exploratory study investigates motives for visiting, reading, and posting on soap opera message boards, and analyzes content from such message boards from the uses and gratifications perspective. Results revealed that entertainment and information seeking as the most popular motives for visiting soap opera websites, and reading and posting on such boards. Results also uncovered that nearly half of the threads analyzed fell into the information seeking category.

Moving out of the spotlight?: An analysis of Playboy Centerfolds’ career goals and ambitions, 1977-2001 • Amanda Gallagher, Elon University; James Gallagher, Triangle Business Journal • This qualitative study analyzes the career goals and aspirations of the iconic Playboy centerfolds from 1977 to 2001. These statements were gathered from the centerfold profile/data sheets provided each month in the centerfold section of the magazine. In total, 268 centerfold section issues were analyzed. Findings indicate that while many centerfolds embraced careers in entertainment and a desire to be serve in domestic roles in the early years of this analysis (1970s), these desires were not as prevalent in later decades (especially the late 1990s and early 2000s). As time progressed, centerfolds appeared to become more independent-minded and career-oriented, focusing less on their traditional, expected careers in entertainment and domestic roles, and, instead, focusing more on professional oriented careers. These changes reflect nationwide trends and call into question the changing role of the centerfold.

Reality Does Bite: Generation X Enters Adulthood • Timothy R Gleason, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh • Generational tensions appear in Singles and Reality Bites, two 1990’s films concerned with the Generation X label and entry into adulthood. Using the perspective of social representation and the context of American Studies, this paper identifies themes. In brief, characters try to pursue their art, or they just try being true to themselves in the face of sad economic realities. Additionally, these films address the problem of parenthood, or more accurately, the lack of parenting.

How the West was Family Friendly: Disney’s Westerns and Generation X in the 1970’s • Timothy R Gleason, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh • Disney’s Westerns The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) and Hot Lead and Cold Feet (1978) are as much slapstick as shoot-out, and they are as much social commentary as popcorn entertainment. Underlying the Disneyesque goofiness of these latter Westerns however, is a focus on establishing families at a time when the family structure was in crisis. These films reinforce Disney’s view that children need two loving parents to properly raise children.

People Watching: Genre Repertoires and Multichannel TV Environments • Chad Harriss, Alfred U.; Maria Fontenot, Texas Tech University • Locating and identifying contemporary television audiences is challenging. This essay builds on scientific and critical/cultural theories in hopes of doing that. The researchers employ a hybrid methodology (Q-methodology) to attempt to accomplish two goals. First, we hope to determine if Carrie Heeter’s concept of channel repertoires can be extended to focus on television genres. Second, we hope that this extension will provide some insight into whether audiences can be defined by their genre repertoires.

Fictional Minds and Symbolic Interaction: How the Act of Communication Facilitates Understanding between Characters • Megan Hill, The Ohio State University • Despite widespread growth in the study of narrative in the past decade, the study of communication within these analyses has largely focused on audience effects. This essay moves beyond the effects tradition by focusing attention on the act of communication between characters in the novel. Alan Palmer’s forthcoming research on social minds in the novel is considered in light of principles of symbolic interactionism. Possibilities for future interaction between narrative and communication are discussed.

Personally, I feel sorry for her A Focus Group Analysis of Journalistic Coverage of Celebrity Health • Amanda Hinnant, U. of Missouri; Elizabeth Hendrickson, University of Tennessee • This study assesses how magazine readers in a focus group setting say they negotiate celebrity health stories cognitively, affectively, and behaviorally. We use both symbolic convergence theory and play theory to examine ways in which celebrity health news might perform a functional role in society. This research illustrates how celebrity health coverage serves to patrol the boundaries of acceptable health behavior through readers’ interpretation of moral codes and their application to personal health.

Times Change, But Trailers Don’t: Violent and Sexual Content in a Decade of Movie Trailers Adrienne Holz Ivory, Virginia Tech; Julie E. Leventhal, Virginia Tech; James D. Ivory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • Movie trailers are viewed widely, and they have been found to influence viewers’ media choices and anticipated experiences. This study expanded prior research on movie trailers by examining violent and sexual content in all available trailers for the top 50 movies from each of the years 1998-2007 (n = 498). Violent and sexual content were present in the majority of the sample’s trailers, but the prevalence of neither type of content varied consistently over time.

Late-Night Talk Shows:Why People Watch and What They Seek to Gain • jin kim, university of iowa; Julie Kocsis, Hope College • This paper will examine the historical importance of the late-night talk show genre in the development of American television culture and why people watch for what purposes. Our main argument is that the popularity of the genre originates in broadcasting strategy (joint of interpersonal and mass mode of communication) and audiences’ imagination (in their para-social relationship with media celebrity). Based on para-social interaction theory and uses and gratification theory, we identified four major reasons for the popularity of late-night talk show: entertainment, education, habitual media use and emotional attachment. Further theoretical implications and future research agenda will be discussed in the conclusion.

The Mediating Role of Identification and Perceived Persuasive Intent in Overcoming the Resistance to Persuasive Narrative Messages • Kitae Kim, SUNY at Buffalo; Shin-Il Moon, The State University of New York at Buffalo; Thomas Feeley, The State University of New York at Buffalo • Theories on narrative message processing, such as Extended Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion (Slater & Rouner, 2002) and Entertainment Overcoming Resistance Model (Moyer-Gusé, 2008), suggest that a narrative message is persuasive because the transportation into the narrative world reduces the resistance to the message such as counterargument and psychological reactance This study proposes and testes the mediating role of identification with a character in a narrative and perceived persuasive intent in the relationship between transportation and two forms of the resistance to the narrative messages (e.g., counterargument and psychological reactance), using a written narrative message regarding bone marrow donation. Results show that identification mediated the relationship while perceived persuasive intent did not. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed.

The Family Osbourne: A Narrative of Domesticity Tames and Enriches the Godfather of Heavy Metal • Jacqueline Lambiase, Texas Christian University • Ozzy Osbourne, sometimes called the godfather of metal, has never been shelved in the where are they now? category because of his family’s willingness to share its straight and true narrative. This rhetorical project analyzes the storytelling acumen of Ozzy and his wife, Sharon, his longest running collaborator. With their children, they have written 10 memoirs in less than a decade, ensuring mainstream success. After decades, Ozzy still occupies a masculinized heavy-metal space, joined now by a matriarchal space of entertainment projects rooted in domesticity and storytelling.

Goffman in The Real World: Processes of Performance and Characterization Across Three Reality Television Series • Mark Lashley, University of Georgia • This paper looks at three reality television series (The Real World, Starting Over and The Osbournes) through the lens of Goffman’s Presentation of Self in Everyday Life and Propp’s Morphology of the Folktale. Techniques of casting and performance of reality television participants are examined. It is argued that reality television comprises a performative sphere of action where archetypes are continually reproduced, through institutionalized casting techniques and participant performance.

Multimedia in the Website: How do the U.S. Professional Sports Team Websites Adopt and Use Media Technologies? • Yang-Hwan Lee, Sungkyunkwan University; Sung-Chul Ihm, Sungkyunkwan University • Internet and new media technologies plays an important role in establishing the relationship between consumers-marketers. This study investigates what kind of media technology the professional sport team Website adopt and how those media technologies are used as a marketing communication tool. The results showed that Website and its technologies can be useful to sell and promote products and to communicate with customers. In the U.S., therefore, many sports teams are interested in the Website as a pipeline of marketing communication, but it seems not to be a matter of primary concern for some professional sports teams.

Power and Violence in Angry Aryan Song lyrics: Exploring the Recruitment Strategies of the White Power Movement • Andrew Selepak, University of Florida; Belio Martinez, University of Florida • This paper uses a qualitative interpretive framework to analyze song lyrics by the skinhead band the Angry Aryans. It also explores the legitimacy of skinheads as a social movement and the role of power in asserting their status as an oppressed group. Social movements are typically viewed as positive constructs advancing the rights of oppressed people. However, racist extremist groups also portray themselves as grassroots social movements. Results indicate the Angry Aryans perceive ethnic minorities and homosexuals as inferior and subhuman and along with non-skinhead whites a threat to white superiority and survival in the United States. The song lyrics are used as a communication strategy to recruit, intimidate and promote violence. The concept of power and notions from social movement theory support the view of skinheads as a legitimate social movement. However, this study does not suggest that skinheads embody noble aspirations, only that they possess similar dynamics to progressive efforts that seek a common good.

Awe and disgust: American Idol press coverage • Amanda McClain, Temple University • This paper contains discourse analyses of the 2002 and 2008 American Idol news coverage. It finds that both analyses focused on economics, power, and contestants; other topics include Simon Cowell and authenticity versus artificiality. However, while the 2002 coverage included themes of awe and derision, these were absent in the 2008 coverage. American Idol is now so ingrained into American culture, that contempt for it may be tantamount to contempt for American ideals.

Alcoholic content: a textual analysis of Rock of Love • Tim Hogarth, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University; Mike McComb, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University; Kareema Pinckney, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University; Sandra Smith, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University • Although there have been studies about reality television, there is a lack of research on the affects of alcohol within competitive dating reality shows. We conducted a textual analysis of Rock of Love with Bret Michaels examining the role alcohol plays within the narrative structure of the program. We determined that alcohol is presented as a positive influence on the participants and a connective thread within the major story arcs of the program.

Quick Measures of Transportation • Daniel G. McDonald, Ohio State University; Jonathan J. Anderegg, Ohio State University; Erin M. Schumaker, Ohio State University; Andrea Quenette, Ohio State University • This study provides an overview of the development of six subscales designed to measure the concept of transportation. The subscales measure multiple dimensions of transportation, but do so in a way that provides a more efficient and more exact measure than is currently available. We examine the reliability of the measures and their validity in several different ways, finding them as powerful as current measures but more sensitive to content variation.

How moviemakers frame the media: An analysis of the portrayal of journalism in popular Vietnam-era cinema • Alexa Milan, Elon University • This research project, guided by framing theory, explores how journalism as a profession and the media were portrayed in film during a time in which journalism was arguably transforming its role in society – the Vietnam War. Rather than studying films focused primarily on journalism, a content analysis of the most popular films was conducted and the presence of the media in everyday life situations coded. The top five highest grossing films from 1968-1977 were included in the sample. These films were in production during the war, and their images reached up to 120 million Americans. The 50 films studied contained 460 representations of media that paint an overall picture of how media was portrayed to audiences in this era. Variables studied included what type of media was present (i.e. newspapers, television), whether it was in the foreground or background of the scene, whether its use moved the action forward, and the reporter’s demographic information. Some key findings include that 53.3% of the media frames were of newspapers, characters responded to the media 32.6% of the time, the media moved the plot forward 45.4% of the time, 30.2% of television portrayals were framed as sensationalistic, and more Black and female journalists appeared in the last four years of the sample. This research is significant because by making the deliberate choice to utilize media in their movies, filmmakers are revealing the media’s importance. Framing theory argues that unconsciously, these portrayals drive public opinion about the media and its role in everyday life.

How to Make a Bully: Examining the Impact of Violent Entertainment on Adolescents • Patrice Oppliger, Boston University; Denis Wu, Boston University • This study explores the connection between different genres of violent media and adolescents’ attitudes toward fighting and bullying behavior. We tested the impact of masculinity on bullying using Bem’s Sex Role Inventory (BSRI). Parental attitude toward violence is also incorporated in the regression models. Results showed that scoring high on the BSRI dominance factor predicted adolescent attitudes and bullying behavior. Individual genres of violent media were predictive of attitudes bullying depending on the gender of the participant.

Uses and Gratifications Structural Model of Videogame Play • Emil Bakke, Ohio University; L. Meghan Peirce, Ohio University • This study deductively tests the structure of a uses and gratifications model where audience background characteristics, viewing motivations, exposure and attitudinal factors are considered in how one constructs their reality. Specifically, it examines how users’ locus of control predicts entertainment, companionship and pass time motivations. It then looks at how these motivations predict users’ perceived reality. Results suggest a significant negative relationship between users’ locus of control and the motivations of entertainment, companionship and pass time. Users who hold an external locus of control proved more motivated to play video games. Videogame play as a source of entertainment is a negative predictor of casual gaming. Individuals who were motivated by companionship were significantly likely to be classified as hardcore and casual gamers; and no significant relationships were found by individuals motivated by pass time. The more exposure a user held with the media, the more likely they were to construct their own world based on video game content. By understanding this relationship as a complete structural model, a deeper understanding will be gained of how users construct their reality based on video game play.

Girl power: A content analysis of gender portrayals on popular children’s cable networks • Jack Powers, Ithaca College • A two-week sample of after-school television programs (3-6 p.m.) for The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network was constructed to represent popular after-school cable programming for children. In a systematic content analysis, the frequencies and character attributes of the male and female characters were documented with particular attention paid to how females were presented. This study’s findings update the current state of gender depictions on cable television programs geared toward children, depictions that may influence child viewers. The results suggest that girls are presented more favorably than boys across several variables, but that boy characters still far outnumber girl characters.

Bollywood and the Indian Premier League (IPL): The Political Economy of Bollywood’s New Blockbuster • Azmat Rasul, Florida State University; Jennifer Proffitt, Florida State University New forms of cricket have been introduced for the last four decades to maintain the interest of the audience in the game and, in recent years, to make the game more media-friendly. In India, an innovatively formatted tournament, the Indian Premier League (IPL), was started in 2008. The IPL magnetized cricket fans and corporate sponsors when Bollywood superstars not only promoted but also purchased teams in the league. The interlocking of industry and showbiz carries heuristic value and stipulates the need to examine this phenomenon from a political economic perspective. As such, we argue that the IPL-Bollywood alliance is a new synergistic mechanism that is attracting the attention of global entertainment corporations.

More of the Same from Television Doctors: A Content Analysis of Their Portrayal, Interactions, and Ethical Behavior • Tom Robinson, Brigham Young University; Jessica Danowski, Brigham Young University; Kenny Trent, BYU • The medical drama has been part of television programming since its infancy. Each week on early television medical dramas, doctors were asked, under unbeatable odds to perform a miracle and more often than not – they did. With an almost uncanny ability to dominate and control the lives, these doctors exceeded the abilities of a natural man to a point where they seem almost omnipotent. Then in the 1994-95 television season, ER was introduced to the television audience and although many of ER’s doctors often performed under unbeatable odds, and showed skills well beyond normal doctors, these doctors contained character flaws that presented them as fallible, human-like beings. Views are now seeing doctors who made mistakes, make bad decisions, and who have patients who died. The purpose of this research is to look at the evolution of the medical show and the TV doctor, and determine their role in influencing mass audiences today. Through a content analysis of 10 medical dramas, 55 doctors were coded and the results show that most are male, Caucasian, middle-aged, and attractive. These doctors do make mistakes and many have personality flaws, but most are shown beating medical odds, breaking restrictive rules, dealing with patients’ families, fighting hospital administrators, and still having time to cure their patients.

The Man Without Fear at a Time of Great Fear: A review of Countercultural Themes in the First 100 Issues of the Comic Book, Daredevil. • Bill Schulte, Ohio University • This study reviewed the first 100 issues of Marvel Comic’s Daredevil: The Man Without Fear for countercultural themes prevalent the 1960s and 1970s. This comic book was examined for three countercultural themes: youth interacting with establishment and moving away from 1950s style and values, racial issues and civil rights in the face of a world becoming more integrated, and commentary on the Vietnam War. The study follows the book from its wholesome 1950s style roots, through the free but often pessimistic years between 1964 and 1973. The Marvel comic book, Daredevil, was a previously unexplored medium for creating meaning and engaging countercultural social issues.

No Future No Longer: Pop-Punk and the Second-Wave Legacy • Alexandra Smith, Penn State University, College of Communications • To date, there has been very little academic research focused on the political potential of today&#8223;s pop-punk musical genre. This paper seeks to address that lack by analyzing the music of the pop-punk band NOFX. Drawing on past scholarship examining the political nature of first-wave punk music, an intertextual lyrical analysis of several NOFX songs, the members&#8223; activist tendencies, and the band itself reveals that the music does contain activist messages and uses intertextual methods to effectively create its own model listener.

Critic-Adored, Award-Ignored: Roots and Consequences of Emmy Gone Wire-less • Todd Sodano, St. John Fisher College • The Emmy Award is an overused yet undervalued piece in countless conversations about television. Fans, viewers, and critics lament the broken system that rewards the same talent year after year but ignores cutting-edge, diverse television. This article examines paid journalistic TV critics’ commentaries about the Emmy and why HBO’s The Wire, a critic-adored, award-ignored series, was overlooked by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, a group whose mission includes the promotion of diversity. Furthermore, this essay looks at what the consequences are of this oversight in today’s era of niche market programming.

Motivated Cognitive Processing of Risky and Sexy Video Game Content • Sarah Miesse, The University of Alabama; Johnny Sparks, Texas Tech University; Harsha Gangadharbatla, University of Oregon; Curtis B. Matthews, Texas Tech University • The current study examined the influence of risky and sexy content on motivated cognitive processing of video game content. Participants viewed video clips from the games Fable II and Grand Theft Auto. Negative emotional experiences increased with risky and sexy content. Positive emotional experiences were associated with nonrisky and nonsexy clips. The guiding theoretical perspective predicted that resources allocated to encoding would be greater for positive (nonsexy and nonrisky) than negative (sexy and risky) content because both elicited a low level of arousal. As predicted, recognition sensitivity was greater for nonrisky and nonsexy video game content. Although the findings supported the theoretical predictions, the results do not necessarily correspond with conventional expectations.

The Lady Is (Still) a Tramp: Prime-Time Portrayals of Women Who Love Sex • Jan Whitt, University of Colorado • Expressing their sexuality while being ridiculed by others unites several controversial television characters, including Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) of The Golden Girls, Jackie Harris (Laurie Metcalf) of Roseanne, Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) of Sex and the City, and Paige Matheson and Edie Britt (both played by Nicollette Sheridan) of Knot’s Landing and Desperate Housewives, respectively. Because this study does not focus upon lesbians or women of color, it underscores the manner with which straight white women are caricatured when they disrupt suburbia (Knot’s Landing The Golden Girls, Roseanne, and Desperate Housewives) or an urban community (Sex and the City). The Lady Is (Still) a Tramp suggests that women who subvert unwritten heterosexual codes of conduct must be punished; in fact, their conniving and sometimes narcissistic behavior is the object of humor at the same time that it allows other characters (and viewers of the television program) to bask in moral superiority. It also argues that women who love sex are often the ones who are most unruly by society’s standards; furthermore, although they may be objects of ridicule, they often use wit to retaliate against those who judge them.

An examination of college sports fans’ perceptions of scandal coverage in the media • Molly Yanity, Ohio University; Ashley Furrow, Ohio Universtiy • This study examines which factors motivate how and where college football and men’s basketball fans get their news on scandals, or negative off-field incidents that involve misconduct by coaches and/or players. The main factors examined in this study are trust, bias and characteristics of coverage as distinguished between local and national coverage. This research is important because it could ultimately help to determine how those motivating factors influence what local media outlets cover, and how they cover – or do not cover – controversial topics and scandals in the sports arena.

Using Sense of Control and Sense of others to Explicate User Experiences and Impact of Online Games • Gunwoo Yoon, Graduate School of culture Technology, KAIST; Seoungho Ryu, Department of Visual Culture, Kangwon National University, Korea • This study examines how the sense of control and sense of others influence idiosyncratic experiences and the impact of violent online games. All participants were assigned to one of the four game conditions according to involvement (watching vs. playing) and social interaction (alone vs. together). The participants’ feelings of presence and aggression were measured after the experiment. Results indicated that networked game playing conditions and social interaction entail users to feel more presence and aggression.

<< 2010 Abstracts

Commission on the Status of Women 2010 Abstracts

A Comparison of Gender Portrayals in News Content across Platforms and Coverage Areas • Cory Armstrong, University of Florida; Fangfang Gao, University of Florida • With the continuing disparity between male and female mentions in news content, this study seeks to compare how news organizations employ men and women in Twitter feeds and how that connects to portrayals in news stories. In particular, researchers examine how mentions in tweets of men and women may influence mentions in news stories that were linked from tweets. The study employed a content analysis of national, regional and local newspaper and television tweets, along with their accompanying news stories to compare media platforms and coverage areas. Results indicated a positive relationship between male and female portrayals in tweets and portrayals in news content. Further, male mentions were more likely to appear in national news stories than other regions and more frequently than female mentions in print media than in television. Implications were discussed.

More of the same old story?: Women, war and news in Time magazine • Dustin Harp, University of Texas at Austin; Jaime Loke, University of Texas at Austin; Ingrid Bachmann, University of Texas at Austin • Feminist media scholarship has long examined the role of women in journalism and criticized the gendered nature of news in general and war coverage in particular. This content analysis of 406 stories from Time magazine explores the intersection of war reporting and gender in the coverage of the war in Iraq. The results show than in war news, women are still scarce. Female reporters accounted for a fifth of the bylines, but tended to cite more diverse sources, including more women. Female sources were mostly private individuals without affiliation, and represented less than a tenth of the subjects cited. These findings indicate that when it comes to war, women are still symbolically annihilated through omission.

Mammy Revisited: How Media Portrayals Of Overweight Black Women Affect How Black Women Feel About Themselves • Gina Chen, Syracuse University; Sherri Williams, Syracuse University; Nicole Hendrickson, Syracuse University; Li Chen, Syracuse University • In-depth interviews with 36 black women, ages 18 to 59, reveal that exaggeratedly overweight depictions of black women in television and film had a strong effect on their identity. The women reported portrayals, such as Rasputia in Eddie Murphy’s Norbit, were mammy-like and made them feel conflicted over their own identity because of the disconnect between the dominant white ideal of thinness and media portrayals of black women. Social comparison theory is used for interpretation.

Plugging old-media values into ‘new media’: Social identity and the attitudes of sports bloggers toward issues of gender in sport • Marie Hardin, John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, Penn State University; Bu Zhong, Pennsylvania State University; Thomas Corrigan, College of Communications, Penn State University • This research suggests that individual-level, social identity factors in gatekeeping by sports bloggers present a critical dilemma for the exposure and promotion of women’s sports. Using a survey of independent bloggers linking their social identities to their attitudes toward women’s sports and Title IX, this research suggests that the sports blogosphere will not become an egalitarian space for sports commentary without more participation from female bloggers who cover female athletes and advocate for women’s sports.

Silent No More: Regan Hofmann and POZ Magazine • Robin Donovan, Ohio University • During the emergence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, AIDS was largely seen as a problem faced by gay men and intravenous drug users. POZ magazine was founded to educate people with HIV and AIDS and provide a way to live positively despite these illnesses. With the addition of Regan Hofmann as editor-in-chief in 2006, that mission was well on its way. Hofmann was such an unlikely face of HIV in the 1990s that she hid her identity from all but her family and closest friends for a decade. This study examines the anonymous columns she wrote for the magazine from 2002 to 2006. In each column, she shared her status with someone, documenting both the reactions she received and the process of becoming more comfortable with disclosure. The columns exemplify her personal and professional transformation from hiding her HIV status with shame to publicly announcing her identity on POZ’s cover in April 2006.

Gender violence in the Twilight phenomenon: A feminist analysis of blood, lust and love • Meenakshi Durham, University of Iowa • This paper seeks to interrogate the tensions in the construction of masculinity in the Twilight books and films, vis-à-vis issues of implicit and overt gender violence. The analysis addresses the overarching research question, How is gender implicated in the vampire mythology of Twilight? A combination of feminist rhetorical analysis and semiology are used to examine the verbal and visual texts at work in the Twilight books and films. The analysis identifies four dominant themes in these texts: (1) the representation of violence as an inherent and presumptive characteristic of masculinity; (2) the portrayal of male violence as an acceptable and justifiable by-product of male-female relationships; (3) the continual imperilment of girls in situations from which they were rescued by boys; and (4) the definition of masculinity in terms of a dualism wherein good boys recognized and repudiated their own instinctive predilection for violence and bad boys allowed it to go unchecked. I conclude that Twilight works rhetorically and visually to coax audiences to expect boys to be violent and girls to be compliant in regard to that violence.

Framing Gender Amid Crisis: A Woman University President Faces the Press • Frank Durham, CCS • Women in positions of leadership are more likely than men to be framed according to dominant, gendered themes, in ways, which limit their access to power. This text analysis of the role of gender in the framing process that is evident in coverage by the Iowa City Press-Citizen takes the case of University of Iowa President Sally Mason as she faced two crises in 2007-08. In the first, she was confronted with an alleged rape by two football players of a woman athlete in the Hillcrest dormitory on campus. In the second, she was called to respond to the floods, which inundated the University campus, as well as much of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. As it finds that Mason was framed differently in each case, the study theoretically interrogates how dominant gender ideology played a role in the framing process.

Agency, Activism or Both? Feminism and Mothering in the Pubic Sphere • Katherine Eaves, University of Oklahoma • Until fairly recently mothers and issues relating to motherhood have been relegated to the private. In the late 1960s, however, the personal became political, giving women and mothers the freedom to talk about elements of their lives that were previously deemed inappropriate for public discourse. This new found freedom, coupled with the proliferation of electronic media, particularly niche media geared toward women and mothers, has led to a considerable amount of public political discourse about motherhood issues. This paper specifically examines the concepts of agency and activism as they relate to mothering in feminist public spheres, and examines the ways in which feminist Web sites about motherhood promote agency and activism.

Mother as Mother and Mother as Citizen: Mothers of Combat Soldiers on National Network News • Karen Slattery, Marquette University; Ana Garner, Marquette University • This study examines national television news images of mothers of U. S. combat soldiers during the first seven years of the Iraq War. News stories presented mothers as archetypal good mothers engaged in maternal work long after their childrens’ deployment. Mothers were depicted as vocal vis a vis their position on the Iraq war, a contrast to the historical depiction of archetypal patriotic mother who is stoic and silent. The resulting image is more complex suggesting the archetype may be shifting.

Building bias: Media portrayals of postpartum disorders and mental illness stereotypes • Lynette Holman, UNC-Chapel Hill • Postpartum depression (PPD) is a disorder that affects one in 10 new mothers. Symptoms include fatigue, anxiety, and excessive concerns about the baby or alternatively, feeling detached from the baby. Only about one in 1,000 new mothers develops postpartum psychosis. Only 4% of these women commit infanticide; however, they make the news. Through a content analysis of 11 years of print media coverage of postpartum disorders, this study illuminates the media’s misrepresentation of these disorders.

From Social Control to Post-Feminism: A Longitudinal Analysis of Reporting on Title IX by Journalist Gender • Kent Kaiser, Northwestern College, University of Minnesota Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport • This longitudinal study uses quantitative content analysis of frames to investigate differences in newspaper coverage, by journalist gender, on Title IX as it relates to women in sports. The investigation seeks to discern whether female journalists, when given an explicit opportunity to advocate for women’s rights and advancement in a traditionally male domain, a) succumb to social control and therefore conform to the male hegemonic dynamics of newsrooms, b) embrace a feminist predisposition to advocate for women and promote equality or c) distance themselves from the feminist view in post-feminist fashion. The study’s findings suggest that female journalists may have succumbed to social control in the earliest years of Title IX, as their use of frames was similar to that of their male colleagues. Later, female journalists asserted more advocacy frames than their male colleagues, consistent with a feminist style. Yet in the most recent years analyzed, female journalists returned to using frames more like their male colleagues. The findings suggest that, rather than the lack of a critical mass of female journalists, a transformation from social control, to a feminist style, to a post-feminist style is operative in the assertion of Title IX advocacy and opposition frames over time.

Sex & Glamour in the Hillbilly Field: The Objectification of Women in Country Music Videos • Ann McClane-Bunn, Middle Tennessee State University • Despite its rich history as an authentic American art form, country music remains a largely untapped area of scholarly research, especially where women in music videos are concerned. This has been particularly true since 2000, when Viacom, Inc., the parent company of MTV Networks, purchased Country Music Television (CMT). Applying framing theory, objectification theory and the male gaze theory, this thesis employs textual analysis to examine country music videos’ portrayal of women before and since the Viacom purchase. The findings indicate three prevalent frames: Focus on Women’s Bodies, Women’s Gratuitous Presence and Scantily Clad Women. This research identifies parallels between women in country music videos and women in advertisements, suggesting that a musical genre once called the heart of America has become an industry that uses women as sexual objects. Furthermore, this study briefly discusses the implications that such reckless and needless use of women may have on society.

Gender Framing in the 2008 Presidential Election • Erin O’Gara, University of Iowa • This study examines newspaper coverage of the Democratic and Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2008 U.S. election through the lens of framing theory. The study especially focused on the ways in which gender was framed in newspaper coverage of the election. A total of 225 newspaper articles randomly collected from The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune and USA Today were content and textually analyzed. The results show that the media continued to cover male and female candidates in very different ways. The discussion of gender and the one female candidate was stereotypical and used harsher and more negative language than that used for the male candidates. This suggests that contrary to what some believed were improving conditions for female political candidates, the media still put a much greater emphasis on their gender. In doing so, the media are sending a message to potential voters that they are somehow less qualified than their male counterpart: women first, politicians second.

Examining Effects of Romance Consumption on Feminism and Social Media Use • Kristin Russell, Kansas State University; Ruochen Qiu, Kansas State University • Previous research has analyzed feminist themes in romance media mainly through content analysis. The present study attempts to examine the association among romance consumption, feminism and social media use through a cross-sectional survey method. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the more females consumed romance, the less feminist ideas they maintained and that the more females consumed romance, the more they participated in romance-based social media. However, no relationship between romance-oriented social media and feminist ideas was found.

Newspaper Coverage of Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama during the Presidential Election • Tiffany Shoop, Shenandoah University • This research project examined a sample of three prominent newspapers’ coverage of Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama during the 2008 presidential election. One of the major findings of this research project was the common reference made in the newspaper articles to controversies related to McCain and Obama, raising the question of if increased coverage of controversies is one of the prices paid for having it all, both personally and professionally, as a presidential candidates’ spouse.

Navigating the Invisible Nets: Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Traditionally Male-Dominated South Asian Newsrooms • Elanie Steyn, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma; Kathryn Jenson White, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma • Invisible nets, labyrinths, glass ceilings and other obstacles create obstructions along women’s paths toward leadership positions, including those in media settings. Expanding on exploratory research, this paper investigates newsroom management expectations and experiences related to communication and teamwork as managerial competencies among a sample of female journalists in Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Using a quantitative research design, the researchers outline opportunities and challenges for women in navigating these obstacles in traditionally male-dominated South Asian newsrooms.

Gender Framing on the Covers of Media Guides • Lacey Duffy, Ackerman McQueen; Natalie Tindall, Georgia State University • Past research on women, sports, and the media has produced two consistent themes: Female athletes are not given equal media attention compared to men, and when portrayed, women are more often framed in traditionally feminine and passive roles compared to men. This exploratory study explored gender framing of 2006-2007 Big 12 Conference intercollegiate athletic media guides through a content analysis of 97 athletic media guide covers from sports having both male and female versions. Overall, the majority of male and female athletes on all of the guides examined were portrayed on court, in uniforms, in action, and with sporting equipment. Male and female athletes were not portrayed in sexually suggestive poses. The majority of these athletes were also pictured from eye level and from close or medium range.

Examining New-technology-related Content in Women’s and Men’s Magazines: 2007- 2009 • Wei-Chun Wang, Ohio University • Women are often marginalized in discussions of new technology as portrayed in the media. To examine whether traditional gender biases exist in magazines, this study explored new-technology-related content in popular magazines intended for three groups: men, women and general interest readership. Different from previous research which analyzes the image and advertisements in magazines, this research analyzed the content of magazines, and thus, can be seen as an exploratory study in the field. Through the content analysis approach, this study examined a total of 216 issues of popular magazines from 2007 to 2009. Results indicate that from the 2,967 women’s magazines’ articles sampled, only one article (0.034%) was found that related to technology. Also, among all magazines, news magazines whose readership includes more men than women provided more content oriented to new technology. Results reveal that traditional social roles are reinforced, with males being considered to have more knowledge of IT and new technological subjects.

What is Sexy? How Young Women Ages 19-26 Define Sexiness in the Media and in Real Life • Meng Zhang, University of Florida • Women ages 19-26 participated in a qualitative research on the topic of what is sexy. The study revealed that these women defined sexy broadly as attractive for both men and women, yet their personal ideals of sexiness tended to diverge from what they believe represented in the media. The women in general considered sexy a compliment although there were mix feelings about being sexy. Media were both direct and indirect sources of their feelings and thoughts about sexiness.

<< 2010 Abstracts

Communicating Science, Health, Environment, and Risk Interest Group 2010 Abstracts

The Differences That Matter: Identifying Predictors of Attitudes toward Binge Drinking and Anti-Binge Drinking Public Service Announcements among College Students • Hoyoung (Anthony) Ahn, University of Tennessee; Lei Wu, University of Tennessee; Stephanie Kelly, University of Tennessee • Bing drinking is a prevalent problem on college campuses which has been shown to affect students’ health, social life, and academic performance. Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are government funded social marketing campaigns whose purpose is to present specific audiences with unbiased information in hopes of inducing beneficial behavioral change. Despite almost three decades of initiative, PSAs targeting the college drinking issue have been largely ineffective at inducing behavioral change. This study sought to better understand the college drinking phenomenon by investigating how norms of drinking acceptability and perspectives of PSAs differ between sexes. A number of sex differences were identified. Findings and implications are discussed for both researchers and PSA practitioners.

Models: The Missing Piece in Climate Change Coverage • Karen Akerlof, George Mason University • As the sole tool for projecting future climate trends under conditions of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, climate models form the basis for global warming risk assessments and are inextricably linked to policy formation. In an analysis of media coverage across four U.S. national newspapers from 1998-2007 and 20 media sources frequented by high-knowledge U.S. audiences for the year 2007, there was little mention of climate models overall though comparatively high levels in political commentary outlets.

The shifting agenda: A scientific event and its print and online coverage • Ashley Anderson, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dominique Brossard, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin • While much is known about how science is covered in traditional media, including sources journalists tend to use (e.g. Tanner, 2004) and what news values inform how an issue is covered (e.g. Galtung & Ruge, 1965), scholars are still exploring how scientific issues end up in online media. Here, we analyze as a case study media coverage of a scientific study examining the deaths of Chinese factory workers due to lung damage from their repeated exposure to nanoparticles. We argue that the scientific study results embody the news values that would make them a prime candidate for news coverage. Nevertheless, mentions of the event in traditional print media were nearly non-existent. Online media, on the other hand, covered it widely. We offer an explanation for why the agenda for print and online media were different in this particular context and discuss why this case exemplifies the importance of the online media environment for science communication scholars.

Public Information Officers’ Perceived Control in Setting Local Public Health Agendas and the Impact of Community Size • Elizabeth Avery, University of Tennessee • Using an agenda-setting perspective, this research analyzes data collected from 281 local public health information officers (PIOs) serving various community sizes, from rural to urban, across the country to reveal how size of their communities as well as state and federal agencies affect public health promotion. Findings reveal low levels of perceived control in setting the local public health agenda among urban PIOs while rural practitioners reported surprisingly high levels of control.

Talking Green: Green Quad, Communication Behavior and Environmental Norms • Daphney Barr, University of South Carolina; Caroline Foster, University of South Carolina • The current study explores the role of Green Quad living on student residents’ attitudes and tendency to action, including talking, information seeking and conserving/recycling resources, on environmental issues. While residents are talking about the environment, their conversations are frequently inhibited by lack of knowledge, lack of interest within social groups and lack of prompts to talk about these issues. When they seek environmental information, they first turn to the internet and then to resources provided by the Green Quad Residence Hall. Residents indicated concern for reliability and credibility of environmental information. Residents note a lack of internalization of environmental actions and a lack of interest in environmental topics among peer groups. This research related residents’ lack of internalization of environmental actions to the lack of environment as a normal part of daily life.

Measuring Perceptions of Emerging Technologies: Errors in Survey Self-Reports and Their Potential Impact on Communication of Public Opinion Toward Science • Andrew Binder, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Michael Cacciatore, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin; Bret Shaw, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Elizabeth Corley, Arizona State University • This study present an extensive comparison of two alternative measures of citizens’ perceptions of risks and benefits of emerging technologies. By focusing on two specific issues (nanotechnology and biofuels), we derive several important insights for the measurement of public views of science. Most importantly, our analyses reveals that relying on global, single-item measures may lead to invalid inferences regarding exogenous influences on public perceptions, particularly those related to cognitive schema and media use. Beyond these methodological implications, this analysis suggests several reasons why researchers in the area of public attitudes toward science must revisit notions of measurement in order to accurately inform the general public, policymakers, scientists, and journalists of trends in public opinion toward emerging technologies.

The low-down on low-fat and sugar free: Using media to improve children’s health literacy, knowledge of nutrition, and attitudes toward eating and exercise • Kim Bissell, University of Alabama; Scott Parrott, The University of Alabama • While a variety of factors may be related to a child’s likelihood to be overweight or obese, relatively little is known about the factors most relevant in the prevention of the disease. The overarching objective for this study was two-fold in that it provided broader understanding of children’s general level of knowledge, attitudes, and behavior as it relates to health, and it implemented an intervention program designed to increase children’s overall health literacy. The health literacy program developed and implemented here integrated critical thinking skills along with project-based and activity-based learning so that participants received more than a one-time lecture on health and physical activity. Results suggest that gains in health literacy are possible. Using experimental data to test the effectiveness of a health literacy program, post-test measures of cognition, attitudes, and behavior related to health, nutrition, and exercise demonstrated significant gains across demographic groups in all three areas. More importantly, the greater gains in all three key areas of health literacy were found in children at the greatest risk of becoming overweight or obese–younger children and non-White children. The present study summarizes the health literacy intervention program and presents results from a pre-test/post-test within-subjects experiment conducted during the fall of 2009. These and other findings are discussed.

Emergency Risk Communication in the University Community: Exploring Factors Affecting Use for SMS Emergency-Alert service • Jee Young Chung, University of Alabama; Doohwang Lee, University of Alabama • The present study aims to investigate determinants of college students’ use of emergency-alert service provided by their educational institution, especially the use of a Short Message Service (SMS), which has become one of effective communication tools among college students. The results suggested that social norm and individuals’ perceived intrusiveness toward the service were primary determinants of being SMS emergency-alert service subscriber.

Empowering the Patient to Maximize the HealthCare Exam Andrea Ciletti, Hawaii Pacific University; Penny Pence Smith, Hawaii Pacific University • Previous research has focused on improving health communication, mostly targeting healthcare providers or systems. Recent thinking suggests that patient’s health literacy and preparedness may be an important key to a successful outcome. This study considers more patient participation in doctor patient communication, exploring the PACE guide, to assist patients in exam preparation. A patient sample was willing to use the guide, but healthcare providers interviewed about the guide were less confident about its contribution.

Amplifying Risk to Activate Protection Motivation: Merck’s Gardasil Campaign • Susan Grantham, University of Hartford; Lee Ahern, Penn State; Colleen Connolly-Ahern, Penn State University • In 2006 Merck introduced Gardasil in the United States through its One Less campaign. The campaign highlighted how the three-shot series of vaccines protected against the transmission of HPV and minimized the risk of cervical cancer. The occurrence of cervical cancer has dropped dramatically in recent decades through the use of annual pap smears and no longer ranks in the top 10 of health issues affecting women today. The One Less campaign effectively used social amplification to heighten the perceived health risk associated with HPV. The issue was framed to create the impression that one could either forego the vaccine series, thereby increasing their risk of catching HPV, or undergo the vaccine series and minimize their risk The purpose of this study was to determine how young women (current age 18-25) learned about Gardasil, how the campaign dealt with various dimensions of risk from HPV and cervical cancer and how much of an impact the One Less campaign had on the patient’s decision to receive or decline the Gardasil vaccines. Overwhelming, the participants learned about Gardasil from television advertising. Additionally, the participants felt that the campaign addressed the control and empowerment dimensions of the risk associated with HPV and cervical cancer. While the campaign effectively raised awareness about these issues, participants reported that physicians remained the primary sources of influence when the young women chose to receive or decline the vaccine series.

Unrealistic optimism: A systematic review of perceptions of health risks. • Sherine El-Toukhy, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • This paper is a systematic review of the literature on optimistic bias in perceptions of health risks. Out of 518 studies, the study included a total of 55 studies that met the inclusion criteria, from 2000 to 2008, to (a) examine the level of support for the optimistic bias phenomenon, (b) identify the most significant predictors or correlates with optimism, and finally (c) examine whether optimistic bias influences health behavior, and if so, in what way. The study found immense support for optimism in perceptions of health risks. People do underestimate their perceptions of health risks. This holds true even in the presence of objective risk factors that require a person to take proactive behaviors. However, other variables exercise an influence on optimistic bias, thus enhancing or diminishing it. These variables fall under one of three categories: individual-specific, target-specific, or situation-specific factors. For individual-specific factors, prior experience/ history with a disease, self-esteem, sense of uniqueness, perceived control and ability to protect oneself were consistently found to be associated with optimistic bias. Similarly, size of the target group and similarity with the target were two target-specific variables that have been found to correlate with optimism. Finally, for situation-specific factors, frequency or commonness of a health risk has been found to correlate with lower levels of optimism. Finally, the relationship between optimism and health behavior was found to be inconsistent. Implications for health communication theory and practice are discussed.

Employing Strategic Ambiguity in a Multimedia Message: The Case of Hurricane Charley • Gina Eosco, University of Kentucky; Shari Veil, University of Oklahoma; Kevin Kloesel, OU College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences/National Weather Center • This study examines how uncertainty is communicated during hurricane forecasts, specifically focusing on Hurricane Charley in 2004. In the case of Hurricane Charley, the audience’s interpretation of the visual representation of a hurricane track projection, called the cone of uncertainty, was that the situation was certain, causing some to forgo preparations that could have limited damage in the wake of the storm. This study explores the verbal and visual message objectives of hurricane forecasters to determine whether strategic ambiguity is employed in presenting the cone of uncertainty. Nineteen interviews with hurricane forecasters are analyzed to determine the objectives of the verbal and visual messages in hurricane forecasts. The study found that forecasters unconsciously use strategic ambiguity for their verbal messages and explores two explanations for why there was still public confusion: inconsistent multi-organizational use of strategic ambiguity, or the power of the visual to unravel the ambiguity

A Content Analysis of Prosocial Behavior on Sid the Science Kid • Caitlin Evans, Western Michigan University; Jocelyn Steinke, Western Michigan University • Sid the Science Kid is a science-based educational program aired on PBS. Using Social Cognitive Theory, this study focuses on the potential prosocial behavior displayed in Sid the Science Kid. In the 25 episodes analyzed, the most prevalent prosocial behavior was appreciation/appraisal behavior/giving a compliment followed by cooperation/sharing and close behind was rule adherence/compliance. The current study also found preschool-aged characters displayed more prosocial behavior than adult characters.
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The Role of Perceived Risk and Self-efficacy in Health Information Seeking, Preventive Behaviors and Choice of Media Channels • Eun Go, University of Florida • This study examined the ways in which the interaction of perceived risk and efficacy on information seeking and, preventive behavior. In addition, it explored how risk perception and self-efficacy guide people’s selection of health information channels in the context of cancer prevention. By identifying the media usage patterns of individuals with regard to their level of perceived risk and self-efficacy, this study aims to provide useful insights into the factors that the effectiveness of health-related messages.

Across the Great Divide: Boundaries and Boundary Objects in Art and Science • Megan Halpern, Cornell University • This paper explores collaboration between artists and scientists through participant observation. Four artist/scientist pairs worked together to create ten-minute performances for a festival held in January, 2009 in Ithaca, New York. Each pair created their piece over the course of three two-hour meetings, the first of which employed a cultural probe to open a discourse between the artist and scientist and to facilitate collaboration. My role as a participant observer allowed me to closely observe collaborative processes in which pairs engaged in boundary work and made use of boundary objects. The boundary work helped the pairs establish authority and autonomy within their respective subfields, while at the same time provoking discussions that led to the creation of their projects. The pairs used three types of boundary objects: existing, created, and appropriated. These established a common language by which they could create and present their performances to an audience.

Framing Health Disparity News: Effects on Journalists’ Perceptions of Newsworthiness • Amanda Hinnant, U. of Missouri; HyunJee Oh, University of Missouri; Charlene Caburnay, Washington University in St. Louis; Matthew Kreuter, Washington University in St. Louis • This study examines health journalist feedback on framing effects of disparity health news. It extends the research of Nicholson et al. (2008), which found that African Americans reacted more positively to colon cancer stories that emphasize the progress African Americans have made against the disease. More specifically, African Americans had positive affective responses and indicated a greater desire for CRC screening when exposed to the progress frame. Participants exposed to the disparity frame reported opposite reactions (negative emotional response/less desire for CRC screening). This study builds on these findings by exposing how health journalists react to disparity and progress frames in cancer communication stories. This double-blind randomized experiment (N = 179) gauged reactions to the progress and disparity frames on news value measures. This study also included a condition in which half of the participants were exposed to the findings from the Nicholson research. Results show that journalists respond more positively to the disparity-frame story than to the progress-frame story in variables across all news value categories. The journalists who saw the Nicholson findings still evaluated the disparity-frame story more positively, but it was across fewer variables. After seeing the Nicholson findings, they did respond more positively to the progress-frame story. Informing journalists of the benefits of using a progress frame could influence story framing on health disparity news.

The Cognitive Mediation Model: Factors Influencing Public Knowledge of the H1N1 Pandemic and Precautionary Behavior • Xianghong Peh, Nanyang Technological University; Veronica Soh, Nanyang Technological University; Shirley Ho, Nanyang Technological University • This study uses the Cognitive Mediation Model as the theoretical framework to examine the influence of motivations, communication, and elaborative processing on public knowledge of the H1N1 pandemic and behavioural intentions in Singapore. Generally, we found that knowledge levels among the public were high. However, the public were willing to engage in basic protective measures rather than H1N1-specific behaviours. Notably, motivations significantly influenced behavioural intentions, as partially mediated by communication, elaboration, and knowledge.

Swine Flu Shift: Effects of risk and concern on health information sources during a pandemic • Avery Holton, University of Texas at Austin • A multi-regional survey of United States respondents suggests that the public seeks health information largely from news and health websites, health professionals and newspapers. As a pandemic – the H1N1 virus – elevated risk levels, health concern increased, but health information sources remained relatively unchanged. Those at high risk during the H1N1 outbreak may ultimately have sought health information from two traditional health information sources – the newspaper and health professionals.

Testing The Effects of The Social Norms Approach to Correct Misperceptions Related to Sexual Consent • Zijing Li, Washington State University; Stacey Hust, Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University • Norm corrective messages may encourage individuals already practicing healthy behaviors to adopt unhealthy behaviors in an attempt to conform to the norm. Yet, exposure to both descriptive and injunctive norms may alleviate this boomerang effect. An experiment with 394 college students tests the effectiveness of social norms related to sexual consent seeking. Results indicate use of both types of norms has a stronger effect on perceptions and intentions than the use of only descriptive norms.

It’s Easy Being Green: The Effects of Argument and Imagery on Consumer Responses to Green Product Packaging • Virginia E. Board, Virginia Tech; Lindsay M. Crighton, Virginia Tech; Phillip K. Kostka, Virginia Tech; Justine A. Spack, Virginia Tech; James D. Ivory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • Although green product advertising is increasingly widespread, the quality and format of green product claims vary substantially. To assess how some elements of green advertising claims influence consumer responses, this study examines the effects of argument strength and imagery used in green product packaging on consumers’ perceptions of product packaging credibility, perceptions of product greenness, attitudes toward product, behavioral purchasing intent, and general attitudes toward green product advertising. A 3 (argument: strong, weak, or none) X 2 (image: present or absent) factorial experiment was conducting using different versions of green product packaging on a bottle of laundry detergent. Results indicated that while argument strength influenced perceptions of credibility, product greenness, and attitude, a weak argument was as effective as a strong argument in eliciting purchasing intent. Similarly, the presence of a green seal image influenced purchasing intent regardless of argument strength. These results suggest that though consumers are able to evaluate the quality of green arguments, the mere presence of any green argument or image serves as a cue that affects purchasing intent similarly regardless of format, modality, or quality.

Individual Differences, Awareness/Knowledge, and Acceptance Attitude of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) as a Health Risk on Willingness to Self-discipline Internet Use • Qiaolei JIANG, The Chinese University of Hong Kong • This exploratory study proposed that Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is a health risk and examined the effects of individual differences (such as flexibility/rigidity, stigma tolerance, and face-loss concern), awareness/knowledge, and acceptance of IAD as a new mental illness among urban Chinese Internet users on willingness to self-discipline the maladaptive Internet habit. Data were gathered from an online survey of 497 Internet users in urban China in 2009. Based on Young’s (1998) classic definition of Internet addiction and Tao’s (2010) Chinese diagnostic criteria, results showed that 12.3% can be classified into the high-risk group. The high risk group tended to be significantly more rigid in personality, more concerned with face-loss, and more aware of IAD as a mental illness. As expected, being flexible, tolerant to stigma, concerned about face-loss, and in the low risk group were found to be more willing to self-discipline their problematic Internet use. Being female, non-student, and with low income tended to be more determined to seek self-help to recover from IAD on their own as addiction clinic in China is still scarce and expensive. Practical health policy implications were discussed.

A Content Analysis of Health- and Nutrition-Related Claims in Food Advertisements in Popular Women’s and Men’s Magazines • Xiaoli Nan, University of Maryland, College Park; Rowena Briones, University of Maryland, College Park; Hongmei Shen, San Diego State University; Hua Jiang, Towson University; Ai Zhang, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey • This article reports a content analysis of health- and nutrition-related (HNR) claims used in food advertisements in popular women’s and men’s magazines published in the year 2008. A total of 734 food ads were analyzed. Our research shows that the nutrition content claim is the most predominantly used claim and that the health claim is the least used. The use of HNR claims also differ for different types of food and magazines.

Stressful university life: The relationship among academic self-efficacy, academic performance, goal characteristics, and psychological well-being of university students in Singapore Hannah Wen Ya Tay, Nanyang Technological University; Zhu Ian Juanita Toh, Nanyang Technological University; Suu Yue Lim, Nanyang Technological University; Elena Owyong, Nanyang Technological University; Younbo Jung, Nanyang Technological University • This study examines how academic concerns influence the well-being of university students by investigating the relationship among academic self-efficacy, academic performance, goal characteristics (i.e., ideal GPA, goal importance, goal motivation, and GPA difference), and psychological well-being (i.e., depression and satisfaction with life). Based on the two-stage stratified sampling method, a self-administered paper-and-pencil survey was conducted with 603 final-year undergraduate students from the two public autonomous universities in Singapore. The results showed that academic self-efficacy negatively predicted students’ levels of depressive symptoms and positively predicted their satisfaction with life. The relationship between students’ academic self-efficacy and their level of depressive symptoms as well as satisfaction with life was found to be mediated by goal importance and goal motivation. In addition, academic self-efficacy was a significant predictor of academic performance, ideal GPA, goal importance, goal motivation, and GPA difference. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.

The Priming Effects of Entertainment-Education on Viewers’ Responses to PSAs: An Application to Binge Drinking among College Students • Kyongseok Kim, The University of Georgia; MINA LEE, University of Georgia • The purpose of this study was to examine the priming effects of an Entertainment-Education message on viewers’ responses to a PSA. An online experiment was conducted with 232 participants using a 2 (E-E: present vs. absence) _ 2 (issue involvement: high vs. low) between-subjects design. The results provided evidence of the priming effects of a health message (related to binge drinking) embedded in a primetime drama. The effects were also moderated by issue involvement.

Perceived or Real Knowledge? Comparing operationalizations of science knowledge. • Peter Ladwig, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Kajsa Dalrymple, University of Wisconsin – Madison; Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin; Dominique Brossard, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Elizabeth Corley, Arizona State University • This study compares two frequently used operationalizations of science knowledge: factual knowledge of an emerging technology, measured using true-false options, is the same as self-reported nanotechnology knowledge (perceived familiarity). We argue that these measurements – which have been used interchangeably in past research – are conceptually distinct and should be treated as such. Using hierarchal linear OLS regression, we provide evidence that these two measurements do in fact capture different concepts and should be treated differently in the future.

Defining obesity: Second-level Agenda Setting in Black Newspapers and General Audience Newspapers • Hyunmin Lee, University of Missouri-Columbia; Maria Len-Rios, U. of Missouri This paper examines how obesity is defined in Black newspapers and general audience newspapers applying the framework of second-level agenda setting theory. A content analysis (N = 391) of a national sample of Black newspapers and general audience newspapers showed that while both Black newspapers and general audience newspapers generally ascribed individual reasons for causing, Black newspapers were more likely than general audience newspapers to suggest both individual and societal solution methods to treat obesity. Additionally, regardless of the audience of the newspaper, negative stories of obesity appeared on front pages. Implications for theory and health communication research are discussed.

Influencing Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation Intentions in Singapore based on the Protection Motivation Theory • Shallyn Leow, Nanyang Technological University; May O. Lwin, Nanyang Technological University; Kaiyan Lin, National Chengchi University; Chrong Meng Ng, Nanyang Technological University; Kenneth Mu Mao Chia, Nanyang Technological University Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is crucial for survival during sudden cardiac arrest (Hopstock, 2007). Statistics have shown that the typically low survival rate of cardiac arrest victims can increase manifold when the public is CPR-trained. To date, only 20% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Singapore receive bystander CPR (Lateef & Anantharaman, 2001). This research aims to help develop CPR promotion campaigns by examining the CPR-learning intentions amongst youths in Singapore, utilizing the Protection Motivation Theory.

Comprehensive resource to enhance consumer health informatics evaluation research: A description of a pilot project • Glenn Leshner, University of Missouri; Rob Logan, National Library of Medicine; Glen Cameron, University of Missouri – Columbia • The purpose of this paper is to report on a pilot project that will prepare a master resource of outcome variables and suggested measures to guide comprehensive consumer health informatics evaluation. This pilot project is being conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) Office of Communications and Public Liaison as well as NLM’s consumer health informatics working group. The resource is envisioned as an online tool kit NLM can use and also will be available as a professional development tool to other consumer health informatics researchers. The resource will be comprised of at least 25 outcome variables, with a specific suggested measure for each variable, and a citation of the source. The variables presented here, which represent a small sample, are health literacy, health orientation, spiritual health locus of control, and self-efficacy.

Analyzing Health Organizations’ Use of Twitter for Promoting Health Literacy • Hyojung Park, University of Missouri, School of Journalism; Shelly Rodgers, University of Missouri School of Journalism; Jon Stemmle, Health Communication Research Center, Missouri School of Journalism This study explored health-related organizations’ use of Twitter in delivering health literacy messages while promoting their images and brands. Content analysis of 571 tweets from health-related organizations revealed that the organizations’ tweets were often quoted or republished by other Twitter users. There were some differences among the various types of organizations in regard to addressing health literacy topics in tweets, although in general, most tweets focused on the use of short sentences and simple language.

A comparative analysis of Chinese and American newspapers’ coverage of the milk scandal in China • Lulu Rodriguez, Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, Iowa State University; Jiajun Yao, Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, Iowa State University Anger and panic spread across China in the wake of country’s latest food scare—melamine-tainted milk that sickened nearly 300,000 children and caused the death of at least six infants in 2008. This study analyzed the content of news, feature and editorial reports from the Economic Daily (China) and the Wall Street Journal (U.S.) to determine the risk information items present in the coverage. A discourse analysis was also conducted. The two papers differed in five information areas: the government’s plans of action; the definition, description and explanation of the cause of disorders and deaths; the extent of assurances made; the number of people harmed; and assignment of blame. The Daily referred to the issue as an event or incident while the Journal called it a disaster and a tragedy. Stories from the Daily contained fewer details about what led to the crisis and emphasized the revitalization of the dairy industry while the Journal expressed concern about the enforcement of food safety laws. The Chinese paper consistently showed a positive attitude toward its government while the Journal took a strong negative position toward Chinese authorities.

What Science Communication Scholars Think about Training Scientists to Communicate • Andrea Tanner, University of South Carolina; John Besley, University of South Carolina • This study assesses the volume and scope of the training taking place in the science communication field and explores the views about the skills of several different types of science communicators. Nearly 46% of scholars publishing in academic journals across the sub-fields of science, health, environment and risk communication report conducting formal training for bench scientists and engineers, science regulators, medical personnel or journalists. For most groups, the main focus of training was in the area of basic communication theories and models. There is near unanimity in the field that the science community would benefit from additional science communication training and that deficit model thinking remains prevalent.

Effect of ecological, proximal, and psychometric risk perception on reported self-protective behavior for West Nile virus. • Craig Trumbo, Colorado State University; Raquel Harper, Colorado State University; Emily Zielinski-Gutiérrez, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Cindy Kronauge, Weld County Department of Health and Environment.; Sara Evans, Weld County Department of Health and Environment • Little is known about the manner in which individuals perceive risk for West Nile virus and how risk perception may affect protective behavior against exposure. To investigate these questions data were collected using a mail survey. The questionnaire included measures of cognitive-affective risk perception, combined with ecological and proximity risk perception constructs, and the Health Belief Model. Results show that all three of the newer risk perception models provide some power to explain protective behavior.

The effect of proximity to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on subsequent optimistic bias and the perception of hurricane risk. • Craig Trumbo, Colorado State University; Michelle Lueck, Colorado State University; Holly Marlatt, Colorado State University; Lori Peek, Colorado State University • In this study we evaluated how individuals living in Gulf Coast counties perceived hurricane risk in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The analysis examined optimistic bias and perception of hurricane risk in January 2006, evaluating these concepts as functions of distance from the area of the Katrina-Rita impact. Data were collected by mail survey (n = 824). Results show hurricane risk perception has a number of significant associations, while optimistic bias does not.

News media and the social amplification of risk for seasonal influenza. • Craig Trumbo, Colorado State University • The effect news media may have had on patients visiting physicians for influenza was examined for 2002-2008. The basis for this investigation rests on theories of media effects applied to the Social Amplification of Risk. It was hypothesized that controlling for the rate of influenza, a positive relationship exists in which increases and decreases of news media attention to influenza precede increases and decreases in the percentage of patients visiting physicians for flu symptoms. The percentage of visits and the percentage of positive flu tests are taken from the Centers for Disease Control’s flu report. Media attention was located through the Lexis/Nexis database as words per week in stories having flu in the headline in 32 newspapers. Time series analysis shows that controlling for autoregressive and seasonal effects, and the actual rate of disease present, news attention in the previous week accounts for a statistically significant portion of the increase and decrease in the number of individuals who go to their physician reporting influenza-like symptoms. Reverse causality was examined and it was shown that controlling for autoregressive and seasonal effects, patient visits did not predict news coverage, while the actual rate of the flu in the previous three weeks did.

News Framing of Autism: Media Advocacy, Health Policy & the Combating Autism Act • Brooke Weberling, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • Considering agenda setting, framing, and the concepts of media advocacy and mobilizing information, this study presents a content analysis of U.S. news coverage of autism from 1996 to 2006, the year the Combating Autism Act was passed. Findings revealed that science frames decreased over time, while policy frames increased. Medical and government sources were most common in news coverage. Solutions were more frequent than causes; however, mobilizing information was limited. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Exploring the role of online discussion in improving obesity-related health literacy: A content analysis of health literacy domains and eWOM of The Biggest Loser League • Ye Wang, University of Missouri School of Journalism; Erin Willis, University of Missouri School of Journalism; Shelly Rodgers, University of Missouri School of Journalism • The present study evaluated to what extent and at what levels online discussions about weight-management can improve health literacy, and whether and to what extent health-related eWOM in online discussions can counter-balance misleading information in food advertisements. This study found evidence of health literacy domains in discussions of weight-management, and identified self-efficacy as being influential in users’ performance of weight-loss behaviors. Evidence of eWOM provides a context for health communication to educate and promote healthy living.

Tracking Explanations In Health News. More Attention Is Not Always Needed For Understanding. • Ronald Yaros, University of Maryland • This study investigates the relationship of how readers view health news on a web page and whether certain viewing patterns are associated with different levels of comprehension. Does selective attention always mean comprehension and do explanatory graphics in health news aid comprehension? Participants (N = 20) in an eye-tracking experiment are exposed to two text structures of four health stories with or without explanatory graphics. Recorded eye movements were then associated with robust measures of situational understanding. Based on theory of text comprehension, this study predicted that longer viewing time can indicate little or no explanation in the news more than it indicates interest. Results suggest that longer eye fixations -presumed to indicate more attention in eye-tracking studies – do not always mean a better understanding of complex news.

Willing but Unwilling: Attitudinal Barriers to Adoption of Home-Based Health-Information Technologies Among Older Adults • Rachel Young, University of Missouri, Columbia; Erin Willis, University of Missouri School of Journalism; Mugur Geana, University of Kansas; Glen Cameron, University of Missouri – Columbia • The health needs of aging baby boomers will stress the medical system and family caregivers. Proposals for improving health outcomes include technological solutions, but user attitudes toward these solutions are unknown. This study used in-depth interviews to explore barriers to adoption of a home-based system for communicating with physicians, searching for health information, and receiving tailored messages. A thematic analysis revealed technological discomfort, privacy concerns, and perceived distance from the user representation imagined by participants.

WHAT PARENTAL FACTOR(S) INFLUENCES CHILDREN’S OBESITY? -Investigating the Possible Relationships between Children’s Body Mass Index and • Hyunjae (Jay) Yu, School of Communication, Sogang University; Tae Hyun Baek, University of Georgia • In addition to genetics and nutrition, the notion exists that environmental influences may also indirectly govern childhood obesity. Because children’s eating habits and lifestyles are largely determined by parental upbringing, it is worthwhile to examine and discuss the specific weight-determining variables connected to parenting style and the nature of child rearing. This exploratory study tests for connecting relationships between children’s obesity level (measured by Body Mass Index) and the parents’ television viewing behavior/attitudes. Some of the viewing aspects examined in this study include the parents’ average amount time spent watching TV per day, their attitude toward advertisements targeting children, and their opinions about the parents’ role in regards to their children’s viewing behaviors. Additionally, the researcher examined the parents’ BMI to test for a connection between their weight and their children’s obesity level. Results showed that, in addition to BMI, the parents’ opinions regarding responsibilities for children’s TV viewing behaviors significantly influenced the obesity levels of their offspring.

Communicating a health epidemic: A risk assessment of the swine flu coverage in U.S. newspapers Nan Yu, North Dakota State University; Dennis Frohlich, North Dakota State University; Jared Fougner, North Dakota State University; Lezhao Ren, North Dakota State University • Media can contribute to the public assessment of a health risk and provide general knowledge of basic preventive methods (Allen, 2002; Dudo, Dhlstrom, & Brossard, 2007). The current study content analyzed the coverage of the 2009 swine flu in major U.S. newspapers to uncover: the general pattern of swine flu coverage in 2009, the presentation of health risk, and the depictions of self-efficacy-related information. The results of this study revealed that the risk of swine flu was frequently depicted with qualitative risk and thematic frames. About one third of the stories compared swine flu to a previous known health risk. Swine flu was less frequently portrayed as a deadly disease or a global risk compared to the previous coverage of avian flu. Social disorders more often appeared as consequences beyond health than economic losses and political disturbances. The depictions of the symptoms of swine flu and general preventive efforts appeared less frequently than the mentions of the H1N1 vaccination. However, newspapers expressed uncertainty about the effectiveness of the vaccination.

The Psychophysiology of Viewing HIV/AIDS PSAs: The Effects of Fear Appeals and Sexual Appeals Jueman Zhang, New York Institute of Technology; Makana Chock, Syracuse University • This study investigated the effects of fear and sexual appeals on psychophysiological responses to online HIV/AIDS PSAs. An experiment with a 2 (low vs. high fear appeals) by 2 (low vs. high sexual appeals) within-subject design was conducted (N = 77). Physiological and self-reported data consistently demonstrated that high sexual appeals triggered more attention and greater arousal than low sexual appeals. Self-reported data revealed that high fear appeals elicited more attention and greater arousal than low fear appeals, but physiological data didn’t support it. High fear appeals and high sexual appeals were perceived as more effective but they were not recalled better.

<< 2010 Abstracts

Community Journalism Interest Group 2010 Abstracts

Video Expectations for Non-Television Producers of Community News: Two Newspapers’ Online Video Strategies • George Daniels, University of Alabama • Since 2008, dozens of community newspapers have started producing their own videos for the Web. Many have re-designed their Web sites to make them more videocentric. This comparative case study found the online videos at The Alabaster Reporter and The Tuscaloosa News, both in central Alabama, were similar in their focus on community leaders yet different in their approach. The Alabaster Reporter implemented a YouTube strategy while The Tuscaloosa News used a franchise strategy.

Heart disease in the rural South: A content analysis of the community newspaper coverage • Tracy Loope, University of Florida • Because community newspapers are critical information sources among rural residents, their coverage of heart disease in the rural South was analyzed. Heart disease remains a severe health problem in the South where people are far more likely to die from heart disease than in other areas of the country. Using the Health Belief Model (HBM) to develop the newspaper analysis, this study illustrates the importance of community newspapers’ presentation of heart disease information. Results show that newspapers located in areas with high heart disease mortality rates were more likely to present heart disease as a severe threat to readers, showing these newspapers’ strong tie to their communities. Further research is required to better evaluate this relationship and find ways to use mass media, specifically community newspapers, to improve heart health among people living in rural areas.

The Public Sphere and Web-First Independent News Sites • Mark Poepsel, Missouri School of Journalism • Journalists with varying levels of experience have never-before-seen opportunities to create their own news sites. This ability presents some with an opportunity to create entrepreneurial ventures that could contribute to rational-critical discourse in the 21st Century. This study takes an in-depth, qualitative look at a several successful, locally-focused news sites through the eyes of the people publishing them in order to examine publishers’ goals and expectations, economic and journalistic.

Experiment and adapt: The mantra of survival for one startup Latino newspaper • Arthur Santana, University of Oregon • Eugene, Ore. has a history of failed Latino newspapers, but a new one is trying something new: adopting a bilingual format and embracing uplifting news. Motivated by a sense of civic duty, three immigrants launched the community newspaper in September 2009. But it has been a rocky start. This case study sheds lights on the deliberations and difficulty that go into the creation of a different kind of community newspaper.

After the Storm: Greensburg Residents Discuss an Open Source Project As a Source of Community News • Steve Smethers, Kansas State University • Greensburg was destroyed by an EF5 tornado in May 2007. The famed green sustainable rebuilding effort includes a multimedia telecommunications center, which will produce an open-source community information portal featuring audio, video and textual information round the clock. Prototypes of the portal were shown to focus groups to determine respondents’ propensity to use and contribute to the site. Subjects showed willingness to learn the technology, but worry about the site’s impact on the local newspaper.

Imagining Tibet Online: Discursive Constructions of Nation on Tibetan Website • Nangyal Tsering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities • The paper studies www.phayul.com, the leading online portal of the Tibetan diasporic community, based in India. By looking at the news published on the site, the paper looks at how the website discursively constructs representations of nation online. Even though Tibet is not a nation-state, digital media’s critical role in the formation of an imagined community comes across very strongly, particularly in the case of displaced and geographically dispersed people such as the exiled Tibetans.

<< 2010 Abstracts

Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group 2010 Abstracts

Citizen Journalism and Cognitive Processing: An experiment on the perceived intent of traditional versus citizen journalism sources • Heather E Akin, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Melissa Tully, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Gerald Stoecklein, UW Madison; Hernando Rojas, University of Wisconsin-Madison • “Using a three-wave longitudinal design with an embedded web-based experiment, this study considers whether manipulating the source of a news report (citizen journalism versus traditional journalism) affects perceived thought-provoking motivations. Results show that respondents perceive a citizen journalism source as intending to be more thought provoking about food issues than a traditional news source. Moreover, previous levels of engagement suggest that those who are less engaged with an issue are the ones who are more likely to see a citizen journalism source as intending to make them think. Findings and implications for future research are discussed.”

Paper bridges: a critical examination of the Daily Dispatch’s Community Dialogues • Rod Amner, Rhodes University • “A South African commercial newspaper, the Daily Dispatch, last year facilitated a series of town-hall-like meetings called the Community Dialogues at a number of townships and suburbs in the city of East London. Drawing on theories of social capital as well as critiques of Habermas’s notion of the public sphere, this article examines the first two Community Dialogues, which took place in neighbouring locations – the middle class suburb of Beacon Bay and the informal African settlement of Nompumelelo – on consecutive days. It is critical of claims made by the newspaper that, following the precepts of public journalism, these Dialogues are effective in forming horizontal ‘connecting bridges’ within and between different geographical zones and heterogeneous social groups in the city. It also critiques the idea that the Dialogues currently provide a forum for public deliberation – and possible consensus formation – between these zones and social groups. Very little journalism has so far been produced under the banner of public journalism in South Africa and there is consequently little research on this topic in this country. This paper hopes to fill a gap in the research literature around the applicability and usefulness of the theories and practices of public journalism in the South African context and also hopes to address the gap in the global civic journalism research literature around the use of community forums in civic journalism.”

Empowering citizen journalists. A South African case study • Guy Berger, Rhodes University • “Seldom unpacked in the notion of “citizen journalism” is the convergence of “citizenship” and “journalism”. This paper examines Grocott’s Mail newspaper in South Africa, which is integrating youth participation through cellphones. This initiative operates with the assumptions that media participation in the form of specifically mobile “citizen journalism”, as distinct from broad User-Generated Content, needs explicit focus on the meanings of citizenship and journalism, and on the mindsets and skills that go with these.”

Gatekeeping and Citizen Journalism A Qualitative Examination of Participatory Newsgathering • Amani Channel, Student • “For nearly sixty years, scholars have studied how information is selected, vetted, and shared by news organizations. The process, known as gatekeeping, is an enduring mass communications theory that describes the process by which news is gathered and filtered to audiences. It has been suggested, however, that in the wake of online communications the traditional function of media gatekeeping is changing. The infusion of citizen-gathered media into news programming is resulting in what some call a paradigm shift. As mainstream news outlets adopt and encourage public participation, it is important that researchers have a greater understanding of the theoretical implications related to participatory media and gatekeeping. This study will be among the first to examine the adoption of citizen journalism by a major cable news network. It will focus on CNN’s citizen journalism online news community called iReport, which allows the public to share and submit “unfiltered” content. Vetted submissions that are deemed newsworthy can then be broadcasted across CNN’s networks, and published on CNN.com. This journalism practice appears to follow the thoughts of Nguyen (2006), who states that, “future journalists will need to be trained to not only become critical gate-keepers but also act as listeners, discussion and forum leaders/mediators in an intimate interaction with their audiences.” The goal of the paper is to lay a foundation for understanding how participatory media is utilized by a news network to help researchers possibly develop new models and hypotheses related to gatekeeping theory.”

Perceived Role Conceptions of Citizen and Professional Journalists: Citizens’ Views • Deborah Chung, University of Kentucky; Seungahn Nah, University of Kentucky • “This study aims to identify citizen journalists’ role conceptions regarding their journalistic news contributing activities and their perceptions regarding professional journalists’ role conceptions. Based on a national survey of 130 citizen journalists, four factors emerged for both citizen and professional journalists’ role conceptions: interpreter, adversary, facilitator and mobilizer. Perceptions of civic journalism values were also examined. Analyses reveal that citizen journalists perceive their roles to be generally similar to professional journalistic roles. Furthermore, respondents rated certain roles to be more prominent functions for citizen journalists. In particular, the citizen journalist role of facilitator was rated as significantly more important than those of the traditional press.”

Incremental versus Impressionistic: Seeking Credibility Differences in Online Political News • Daniel Doyle, Ohio University; Chen Lou, Ohio University; Hans Meyer, Ohio University • This study uses the research technique of online survey to gauge credibility perceptions in Internet political news during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaigns. Researchers experiment for effects in perceptions of credibility in a style of short and incremental professional news stories — a style which a popular press writer has dubbed the scooplet — and the diary-like impressionist style of long-form and somewhat informal unpaid citizen journalism. The study contains a review of online credibility research which establishes that user-generated content forges a stronger social connection between content consumer and content creator. This study tests a hypothesis that consumers of online political news perceive user-generated blog entries to be more credible than professionally-produced political news stories.

Alternative and Citizen Journalism: Mapping the Conceptual Differences • Farooq Kperogi, Georgia State University • “Although it is customary for some scholars to conflate citizen media and alternative media, I argue in this paper that they are different. In the new media literature, citizen journalism is conceptualized as online “news content produced by ordinary citizens with no formal journalism training.” Alternative journalism, on the other hand, is not merely non-professionalized and non-institutionalized journalism produced by ordinary citizens; it is also purposively counter-hegemonic and “closely wedded to notions of social responsibility, replacing an ideology of ‘objectivity’ with overt advocacy and oppositional practices.””

Can This Marriage Be Saved? The Love-Hate Relationship Between Traditional Media and Citizen Journalism • Jan Leach, Kent State University; Jeremy Gilbert, Northwestern University • “This paper examines the interplay between traditional newsrooms and non-traditional media in three different markets. It looks at how Fourth Estate journalists interact with Fifth Estate media practitioners and explains similarities and differences in how information is collected and presented online. Several examples of traditional media and new media relationships are identified. The study evaluates whether Fourth and Fifth Estate entities can co-exist and asks: What is the outlook for marriage, or at least a lasting relationship, between traditional media and new media?”

Explicating Conversational Journalism: An Experimental Test of Wiki, Twittered and Collaborative News Models • Doreen Marchionni, Pacific Lutheran • “The concept of journalism as a conversation has been richly explored in descriptive studies for decades. Largely missing from the literature, though, are clear operational definitions and empirical data that allow theory building for purposes of explanation and prediction. This controlled experiment sought to help close that gap by first measuring the concept of conversation, then testing it on key outcome measures of perceived credibility and expertise in three online contexts: Wikinews, “Twittered” news and Thorson and Duffy’s (2006) “collaborative” style of news. Findings suggest that conversational journalism is a powerful, multi-dimensional news phenomenon, but also nuanced and fickle. The conversational features of perceived similarity to a journalist and online interactivity are key, not only in distinguishing this type of news but in predicting its perceived credibility and expertise. Somewhat problematic is the conversational feature of informality, or casualness, with an audience. There, results suggest journalists can easily cross a line with readers to the detriment of trust.”

Hungry for News: How Celiac sufferers learn from media, each other • Mitch McKenney, Kent State University • “Celiac Disease, an inherited autoimmune disorder that chronically disrupts the digestive system, leads to health problems unless the sufferer avoids gluten-containing foods. As awareness of the condition has grown, so have the options for Celiacs to connect. This paper examines the online interaction and sharing of news/information among members of the Celiac “community,” using interviews with those dealing in that information, to explore the resources they turn to for news and support.”

Bloggers’ Demographics, Blogging Activities, and Identity Disclosure • nohil park, Missouri University; JiYeon Jeong, Missouri School of Journalism; Clyde Bentley, Missouri School of Journalism • “Despite the critical role that the identity of blog authors plays in making blogs credible information sources, few studies have suggested empirical mechanisms that lead to bloggers’ identity self-disclosure. This study aims to examine whether bloggers’ demographics and blogging activities (blog use, interactivity, and popularity) have influence on identity disclosure. Results from the analysis of an online survey of 906 Korean bloggers reveal that male and older bloggers who have professional jobs (journalist, lawyer, professor, etc.) are more likely to identify themselves on their blogs rather than others. Moreover, bloggers who have high levels of blog interactivities (commenting, linking trackbacks) are more likely to reveal their identity. However, the time of general blog use and number of visitors to blogs are not any association with bloggers’ identity disclosure. This study suggests that bloggers do not hide nor express their identity according to the stay and popularity in the blogosphere, but they disclose their identity depending on their individual differences and interactivities with their blogging partners.”

What’s in a (Missing) Name? Newspaper Online Forum Participants Sound Off about Civility and Anonymity • Jack Rosenberry, St. John Fisher College” • “A survey of participants in online comment forums associated with traditional newspapers indicated that while they dislike the rude nature of the commentary made there, and consider anonymity a proximate cause of that behavior, they still are supportive of keeping the forums anonymous. However, differences in support for anonymity were found on the basis of frequency of participation and on degree of aversion to the negativity. This reflects the same mixed results found in the general literature on anonymous computer-mediated communication, which documents how anonymity’s benefits to participation and open expression are balanced off against the lack of accountability that leads to flaming.”

Blogging the Meltdown: Comparing the Coverage of the Economic Crisis in Journalistic Blogs vs. Non-Journalistic Blogs • Hong Ji, The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism; Michael Sheehy, University of Cincinnati • “This content analysis examines coverage of the U.S. economic crisis of 2008-2009 by 25 economics blogs. The study sought to identify differences in the coverage by bloggers identified as journalists and non-journalists. The study found that journalist bloggers and non-journalist bloggers focused on different dominant topics in their blog posts, indicating different perspectives in the framing of coverage. The study also found differences in the way that journalist and non-journalist bloggers cited sources and hyperlinks.”

Reconsidering citizen journalism- An historical analysis • Justin Walden, Pennsylvania State University • “The rise of Web 2.0 publishing platforms has understandably had a dramatic impact on a number of different communication processes and fields in recent years. One area that has been profoundly influenced by the newfound ability for “regular” Internet users to self publish is citizen journalism. This theoretical paper examines current and historical perspectives on the citizen journalism movement, giving particular heed to a review of how recent Internet technologies have given amateur reporters far more reach and influence. This graduate-student produced article traces how today’s political bloggers and videographers are countering some centuries-old journalism practices and rechanneling the activism that guided Thomas Paine and other American Revolutionaries. This paper concludes that citizen journalism today is poised to follow a similar historical trajectory of legacy media from the 18th century. This article also argues that academic scholarship needs to shed further light on this trajectory and the seemingly inevitable standardization that will occur with citizen journalism newsgathering practices and presentation styles.

<< 2010 Abstracts