Examines the reading processes and practices of one female college student through eight semesters of undergraduate education. Traces the student's beliefs about literate activity. Analyzes the student's conceptions of the functions of texts and authors as they grew in complexity. (HB)

Suggests that over the next 20 years the evolution of communication technologies may offer a critical opportunity for researchers to positively shape the channels of mediated human communication. Focuses on communication research's role in new communication media. Sketches out a possible research response: a "human factors approach" to…

Argues that, by identifying physicist Erwin Schrodinger's book "What is Life?" as inspirational community-forming discourse, it is possible to recognize the rhetorical artistry of his negotiation between two audiences. Notes that the book builds common ground, applies productive ambiguity at a key point of collision, and skillfully…

Explores, through rhetorical criticism, the prismatic character of the Gettysburg Address. Gives attention to the form and constituents of Lincoln's speech and to available topoi that were omitted from it. (SR)

Argues that persuasive qualities in the Plan of Delano (a powerful persuasive document in the interrelated Chicano and farm worker's movements of the 1960s and 1970s) are illuminated best from the perspective of its own ethnic legacy. Demonstrates that the Plan's Mexican-originated generic form and Mexican-American cultural context reveal sources…

Studies discourse cohesion from the perspective of a speech/gesture synthesis. Presents cross-cultural evidence showing the joint contribution made by both speech and gesture to the process of creating discourse topics. Proposes a dialectical model of discourse production. (HB)

Tests the impact of cable, VCRs, and remote control devices on fear of crime and interpersonal mistrust. Finds that interpersonal mistrust was linked to greater exposure to cable's broadcast-type channels, but fear of crime and mistrust were negatively related to increased exposure to specialized cable channels. Finds fear of crime linked…

Addresses the public presence of communication study on university campuses. Argues that communication researchers lack a clear vision about the field, which is fractured into subfields intent on internal debates rather than the public responsibility of its scholars. Suggests that communication scholars offer inchoate curricula for communication…

Examines news accounts of lives caught in violent political conflict--accounts of suffering and death that record a discourse closer to silence than to talk. Concludes that such journalism can be read as a flight from chaos and a demand for order, or as an appeal for human solidarity in the midst of history's cruelest contingencies. (SR)

Examines the communicatively constructed nature of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) and gender. Analyzes actual routine work conversations to produce 12 discourse patterns that discriminated between high, medium, and low LMX relationships. Focuses on the functioning of the patterns and the influence of gender in the construction of high, medium, and…

Examines the debate concerning the relationship between the news media and the social order. Defines the concept of hegemony and explores research supporting and criticizing the media hegemony thesis. Identifies central issues confronting these varied interpretations. Suggests ways to refine research exploring the news media's production of…

Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) list equivalency was examined using 24 listeners (ages 60 to 70) with sensorineural hearing impairments. Four speech conditions were tested, including a quiet condition and three noise conditions. Results found that for the three noise conditions, all lists were within 2dB of the means, indicating list equivalency.…

Traces theoretical and methodological contributions this journal has made to the field of communication. Finds that the journal has matured both theoretically and methodologically: 59% of the articles in the first 24 years had a theory or model driving the research; the journal remains almost exclusively quantitative; and no single theory or…

Contributes to scholarship on agenda setting by examining the correlation between the agendas of the Christian Coalition and major U.S. newspapers. Finds highly significant relationships between the agenda of the Christian Coalition's official newspaper and the media agenda, as well as statistically significant second-level effects, indicating…

Discusses issues concerning business communication on the international/intercultural level, including the connection between research and national agendas (for example, national goals and public service); and the quite different perspectives on English as an international business language that exists around the world. Introduces six articles on…