Assesses the extent and nature of sexual behavior in daytime soap operas. Concludes that soap operas can be assumed to be presenting a distorted picture of sexual behavior in America, particularly in the ratio of married to unmarried sexual behavior. Suggests that steady viewing may influence young viewers' attitudes and values. (PD)

Reports that prime time network television programing has more than three drinking incidents per hour, with hard liquor the drink of choice. (FL)

Concludes that where there are sweeps periods, there may or may not be more sex, depending on which network is analyzed. Notes that ABC cut its number of sexual behaviors per hour by almost half, while Fox more than doubled its rate per hour. (SR)

Tracks changes in the numbers and types of sexual behaviors in prime time network television programs. Finds a substantial decrease in the hourly rates of sexual behaviors in the programs from fall 1987 to fall 1991. (RS)

Replicates a 1979 study of sexual behavior on afternoon soap operas, classifying sexual behavior in terms of physical acts, implied acts, and verbal references. Finds a substantial increase in sex between unmarried persons and a norm of promiscuous sex, with few attendant consequences. (MS)

All of the presidential and vice presidential campaign stories in a simple random sample of 75 network television newscasts during the 1984 campaign were analyzed for possible political bias. The 4,363 sentences in these newscasts were classified as report sentences (factual and verifiable), inference sentences (subjective and not verifiable), and…

Noting that the 1984 presidential campaign was the most heavily polled election in United States history, a study examined the use and abuse of opinion polls by five print media ("Newsweek,""Time,""U.S. News and World Report," the "New York Times," and the "Washington Post") and by the three major…