Measured the amount of copy devoted to appearance, home, male-female relations, and self-development in "Seventeen" magazine in 1961, 1972, and 1985. Male-female relations decreased, and self-development increased in 1972, at the height of the women's movement, but by 1985 coverage had reverted to the 1961 proportions. (DM)

For South African media and its audiences, as well as news researchers, the democratization developments in South Africa since April 1994 also offer new opportunities in the field of news flow studies. To answer the question "How are South African mass media portraying Africa and the rest of the world in the post-apartheid era through the…

This study examines textual analysis methodology as applied to mass communication studies. It focuses particularly on the theoretical basis of textual analysis, the analytical process, and congruent theoretical perspectives. Although the term "textual analysis" is often used generically, this study differentiates textual analysis as…

The potential benefits of satellite communications development have been recognized since the notion of a geostationary "space platform" was proposed by Arthur C. Clarke in 1945. Although there have been examples of developmental applications of satellite technology, the promise has been slow in being fulfilled. The history of the…

Choosing six Mexican newspapers representing an ideological range from liberal to conservative, a study analyzed the content of the newspapers' editorials and political columns from 1951 through 1980. Data established that Mexican newspapers, contrary to many critics' judgments, criticized government policies and political figures. They did,…

Subjective comments from veteran news reporters, media critics, and the public give the impression that bad or negative news is becoming a major problem in this country. This impression raises major questions concerning how much is really known about bad news, including whether the media present an accurate or distorted picture of reality in…

A reliable "news morbidity" scale was developed to measure the prevalence of bad and good news on radio and television; the scale was then used in a pilot study of one city's news output. The news morbidity scale is a seven-step scale ranging from "extremely bad" to "extremely good" news. A sample of 945 television…

In assessing the validity of Clark's (1983) argument that media have no real effect on learning, the fourth of four symposium papers identifies five aspects of media which might affect learning: (1) the technology used; (2) the symbol systems employed; (3) the content conveyed; (4) the setting in which the media are encountered; and (5) the…

A pilot study asked 94 students enrolled in introductory newswriting classes at three separate universities to evaluate 18 news stories. About half the stories concerned topics that proponents of multiculturalism have suggested would receive more emphasis if newspapers employed more women and minorities: topics such as breast cancer, divorce,…

Approximately 500 people participated in a study that examined the relationship between generalized uses-and-gratifications statements and specific magazine reading behaviors. The subjects responded to a telephone survey that elicited information concerning demographics, media usage, and reactions to 14 uses-and-gratifications statements that had…

Hypothesizing that the way in which the media present information influence their audiences' reaction to it, a study examined 158 economy-related news stories broadcast between September 15 and October 31, 1980, by the three major television networks: ABC, NBC, and CBS. Analysis was guided by three questions: To what degree was economic…

Meanings given to the term "perception" are discussed in this paper and two categories of perception theories having implications for instructional media research are identified. One category is described as extroverted because it includes theories primarily concerned with characteristics of external stimuli and the influence that the…

Although there have been frequent calls for over-time research in mass communication, there are still many reasons that researchers use simpler designs. Each approach: two-time point, panel/repeated measures, and time-series experimental designs, offers its own advantages and disadvantages. By examining the benefits and disadvantages of each…

This study assessed deaf and hearing students' comprehension of captions with and without visuals/video. Results indicate that reading grade level is highly correlated with caption comprehension test scores. Comprehension of the deaf students was consistently below that of hearing students. The captioned video produced significantly better…

This paper presents an in-depth look at semantics and how it has been and continues to be studied in mass communication. The paper notes that modern communication scholars have largely ignored the importance of semantics to mass media research. The paper examines the historical roots of semantics, noting that the 1930s saw the intellectual…