A study was conducted to determine the effects of mildly self-disparaging humor on audiences' perceptions when it is used by speakers perceived to be of differing credibility (ethos) levels. Responses by 27 students who were potential subjects of the experiment were used to construct a credibility scale. The most credible speaker, a university…

This notebook is designed to help the volunteer or professional responsible for "getting the word out" about an agency, organization, chapter, or project to do the necessary public relations work more successfully, professionally, and effectively. Advice on developing public awareness and identifying the organization's goals and priorities,…

A three-year research project, including more than one year in a network affiliate station, provided the material for an analysis of current practices in television news programming. Based on the thesis that the organization of news encourages the oversimplification of events, this analysis traces the foundation of the bias called the "news…

This paper traces the historical development of melodrama in the theatre and discusses its influence on twentieth century drama. Melodrama is a responsible literary mode based on romance and allegory, and its deliberate exaggeration of external actions represents figuratively the interior or psychological dimensions of imagination. Good melodrama…

This paper reviews the research that has been done on mass media effects in health communication: breakthroughs in treatment, rising costs of medical care, innovations in the organization of health care, governmental involvement, the rise in malpractice litigation, and so on. The conceptual framework employed proposes a continuum of audience…

This statistical report presents an overview of the current status of public broadcasting. Separate sections deal with the development of public broadcasting, finance, broadcast content, national interconnection services, public broadcasting audience, and employment of broadcast personnel. An appendix provides definitions of selected terms related…

A study examined the extent to which the availability of cable television service in a household diverted viewers from local television channels. Questions concerning media use were included in three comprehensive market surveys conducted in three diverse areas. Approximately 1,000 telephone interviews were conducted in the three areas. The…

The phenomenon of crowd behavior at sports events is examined in this paper. Previous treatments of why spectators enjoy watching sports events are examined, showing that these studies have largely ignored the potential role of intraaudience influence processes. A brief literature review notes the role of feedback between the communication event…

To help reduce sexism in children's theatre productions, directors should make a conscious effort to eliminate negative patterns from scripts. They should give attention to the roles of the characters, since female characters are often relegated to the roles of waiting for a male, a supportive parent or sister, or a passive admirer of a male.…

The third in a series of reports since 1973, this overview of the growth of public broadcasting includes finance, public radio and television programming, national interconnection and instructional services, audience, and employment. It details the current status and major trends in the respective areas of public broadcasting in order to provide a…

After reviewing some of the problems involved in a traditional approach to teaching, this paper introduces a teaching system based on a patterned approach to the public relations writing process. The system format which is presented involves an analysis of persuasive communication components, programmed questioning of traditional premises, and…

To assist journalism students in making informed decisions regarding newspaper work, a brief course was devised that was based on a total newspaper concept. Defining the newspaper as the interaction of all of its departments in a unique geographic, demographic, and economic setting, this course focused on the traditional approach to a newspaper;…

Confronted with the problems imposed by the stage presentation and interpretation of ancient Greek theatre to contemporary audiences, scholars have developed four major approaches to the presentation of Greek drama over the past 70 years. The first approach, referred to as modificationist or realist, claims that communicating ancient Greek drama…

This collection of studies, conducted in Norway, France, Canada and Yugoslavia, reports on the ideas and images television broadcasters responsible for the production of youth programs have about their audience; how these broadcasters see their own role; aspects of the broadcasting institution; and certain aspects of the values, interests and…