Examines the effects of using organizational spokespersons of ethnic backgrounds similar to or different from possible stakeholders of a multinational organization. Finds that the degree to which undergraduate students identified with his or her own ethnic group affected spokesperson similarity ratings. Discusses implications for multinational…

Uses factor analysis to compare the surveillance role and communication utility of television and newspapers. Finds much variance explained by these two uses. Finds those who seek hard news on television also seek hard news in newspapers. (RS)

Sociolinguistic analysis of English borrowings in Japanese television and print advertising supported hypotheses that the primary reason for loanword use was to make the product seem more modern and sophisticated and that there was a relationship between loan functions and such audience characteristics as gender, age, occupation, and background.…

Notes that when students write and exchange poetry and letters, they feel drawn by the responsiveness to their words of "real" audiences. Argues that students sharing letters and poetry give voice to ranges of experience, to name features of their worlds that might otherwise have remained unnamed. (RS)

Applies rhetorical theory to newsletters produced by two political-activist organizations. Illustrates applications of schema theory, social construction, and theories about audience to newsletters with sample passages. (KEH)

Examines in-house documentation situations in which software manual writers and project managers intersect the manual writing project with ongoing organizational dynamics. Analyses two strategies that in-house writers need for project management: conducting contextual audience analyses and acting as liaisons in their workplaces. (KEH)

Uses semantic differential to assess specific and global attitudes of children toward the theater experience. Shows that the semantic differential can be used with fifth grade children. (SR)

Examines how writing features influence recruiters' assessments of resumes. Finds that if resumes of technically well-qualified applicants contain grammatical errors, recruiters rate their resumes lower than resumes listing less experience, but containing more accurate writing. (MM)

Causes of project failure and common programing and design problems are discussed, including vague expectations, lack of architectural program detail, unwillingness to understand compromises, misunderstanding economics of audience size, site impact on budget, making a smaller facility less versatile, lobby expenses, late value engineering,…

Contrasts the content of media narratives with the stories presented in actual trials. Describes media narrative as a type of montage, illustrating this with the "Washington Post's" stories about the Jean Harris case. Suggests ways that "narrative about narrative" can present stronger arguments that increase audiences'…

Examines the text, audience readings, and historical placement of an episode of "Cagney & Lacey" concerning abortion. Suggests that the ability of audiences to shape their own readings is seriously constrained by a variety of factors in any given rhetorical situation. (SR)

Relates measures of the central-peripheral dimension of the belief system and measures of attitude toward music and radio. Supports the idea that radio audiences constitute subcultures whose members use radio music for validating personal identity, and suggests that such use is related to a person's belief system. (RAE)

Examines the component parts of personal narrative, the sort of language resources they consist of, and the respective roles they can play in turning sense into experience. People share in the making of their stories, evaluating them creatively with the help of their hearers. To survive in a complex world of meanings, a narrator must constantly…

Campus and alumni publications editors from a variety of colleges and universities offer suggestions for coping with issues of editorial control and conflict with administrators and readers, based on personal experiences. Trends in reader attitudes and administrative constraints are examined. Recommendations include editorial advisory boards,…

Describes the use of multimedia computer networks for campus communications. Topics discussed include a campus communication strategy; the target audience; integrating technology with campus goals and other communication methods such as student newspapers; and adding on for future expansion. Examples of communication systems at six college…