Suitable for classroom use, the handbook promotes public awareness of the need to provide more positive role models and fewer negative stereotypes on children's television. Each section contains photographic examples and quotations by members representing organizations such as Black Endowment Television, the National Association for the…

Discusses the portrayal of science and scientists on prime-time television and assesses the impact that it has on public conceptions of science. Reports that television cultivates a less than favorable orientation toward science and scientists. Offers recommendations for improvement. (ML)

This updated version of a 1977 manual provides information about the television industry, communications regulations, and citizen recourse to improper broadcasting procedures for use in training Parent Teacher Association (PTA) volunteers to work for effective change within the television industry. The first section discusses the operations of the…

The report summarizes information from a 5-year study, begun in 1977, of the effects of the introduction of commercial and educational television to isolated communities in rural Alaska. It is intended primarily for residents of villages which participated in the study, for the staff of the schools which were involved, and for Alaskan policy…

Describing community cable as television's best chance at zeroing in on the needs and interests of a specific local audience, as well as a fertile environment for breeding a new variety of children's television, this handbook discusses the potential of and issues and factors involved in local programming. Topics addressed are why community cable…

This guide is designed to acquaint public television station managers and staff with the video-teleconferencing business. For managers, the goal is to provide an overview of the market and an understanding of the facilities and personnel required to enter it. For staff personnel who may be assigned to video-teleconferencing responsibilities, the…

This guide describes "Just Images" a series of television programs and exhibitions that offers a public forum for analyzing television's influential portrayals of trials, lawyers, and the legal system. Contending that television portrayals of high-profile trials has altered the public's perception of law and the role of lawyers in the…

Intended to help public broadcasters make informed decisions on the use of the new technologies to enhance their services and programming, this report outlines the relative strengths and weaknesses of new applications, describes selected options that may be available to public broadcasting, and provides cost and market projections to enable…

Intended to improve citizen understanding of the legislative process and to encourage active participation in that process, this booklet describes how the United States House of Representatives conducts its business and provides a viewers' guide to the proceedings of the House as they are transmitted via satellite and cable to over 10 million…

This document was developed to help adults and children use television in new and better ways. While this guide's special focus is on preteens (ages 9 to 12), it can be of use with both younger and older audiences. Sample open-ended questions are provided for the following issues: family and friends, values and emotions, trust and responsibility,…

This workshop kit consists of: (1) "Leader's Guide"; (2) "Handout Masters"; (3) special issue of the journal "Media & Values" on the theme "Children and Television: Growing Up in a Media World"; (4) "From Awareness to Action: Media Literacy for the '90s," a booklet on the basics of media literacy. The kit is designed for a four-part study of the…

Since 1996, the "Arthur" program on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) has featured stories about the challenges of childhood for children ages 3 through 8, illustrating problem-solving and communication skills as well as the importance of self-respect and respect for others. This booklet provides creative ideas for ways to incorporate…

This booklet provides a toolbox of practical resources to help in developing media literacy skills to reduce the amount of media violence people are exposed to in their homes and communities. This overview accompanies a series designed for different age groups and grade levels. The leader's guide provides strategies for increasing contact with the…

One of 10 in a series on videotex, this promotional brochure discusses the enhancement of cable service systems that use videotex and teletext technologies. It explains the advantages of Canada's approach to videotex, which uses the standard called NAPLPS (North American Presentation Level Protocol Syntax), otherwise known in Canada as Telidon.…

Arguing that serious students of telecommunications policy must consider the impact that government deregulation will have on virtually every aspect of communications policymaking, this paper examines two goals that deregulators have deemed essential: convincing regulators that the marketplace is synonomous with public interest, and demonstrating…