Many recent studies on computer-mediated communication (CMC) have addressed the question of orality and literacy. This article examines a relatively recent subgenre of CMC, that of written online sports commentary, that provides us with written CMC that is clearly based on firmly established oral genres, those of radio and television sports…

Cartoons are generally regarded as "kids' stuff," unworthy of scholarly study. As an aspect of popular culture, television cartoons do not attract scholars who are interested in being part of the "critical elite." Some scholars believe, however, that less time should be spent discussing how TV might be used to teach children…

Based on searches of more than 100 periodicals as well as flyers and brochures from 24 major publishing houses and university presses, this annotated bibliography presents a representative collection of books and journal articles related to the knowledge and practice of public relations published in 1994. The annotated bibliography is subdivided…

A study took an inside look at communicators from Russia and the United States to identify some of the factors that may influence journalists from both countries. Through joint efforts of researchers from both countries, two comparable nationwide surveys were conducted almost simultaneously in the summer and fall of 1992. The study was designed to…

This paper proposes a systematic method of measuring subjects' free recall from printed hard news stories, based on schema theories of cognition. Citing literature that demonstrates the role of text structures and text schemas in the recall of written text, the paper suggests incorporating these processes into the assessment of recall of news. In…

On a daily basis, American television and radio audiences are subjected to a stream of broadcast Public Service Announcements (PSAs), each promoting "some kind of social or economic action deemed beneficial" (Stridsberg, 1977). Often, these announcements employ humor as a presentational device to help stimulate the behavioral change…

A study used disproportionate exemplar distributions to create a spiral of silence effect for a morally loaded issue. The effect of perception of public opinion on willingness to express an opinion was also examined. Three video news stories were created that would represent either a supporting, balanced, or opposing stance on the prayer in school…

First in a continuing series of reports on trends in marketing and publication of software for literacy education, a study explored the development of a database to track the trends and reported on trends seen in 1995. The final version of the 1995 database consisted of 1011 software titles, 165 of which had been published in 1995 and 846…

A pilot study surveyed radio broadcasters in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas to further an understanding of their role as gatekeepers for public service announcements (PSA) to educate audiences about AIDS and bring about "safe" behavior. A total of 300 stations were in the sample. Respondents were asked to provide information…

This paper examines how the discourse of textbooks leaves various impressions upon students regarding our democratic ideals of justice and equality. A qualitative content analysis of five widely sold secondary U.S. history textbooks was conducted. The content areas analyzed were the Japanese American internment during World War II and related…

A study invoked the uses and gratifications framework to look at a computerized bulletin board used largely by Indian students. Computer printouts of the first 15 messages entered into the bulletin board for each of 7 consecutive days (for a total of 105 messages) were classified by a human coder into categories of surveillance, diversionary,…

The Magazine section of this collection of conference presentations contains the following nine papers: "Davids and Goliaths: The Economic Restructuring of the Postwar Magazine Industry, l950-l970" (David Abrahamson); "The Global Economy as Magazine News Story: A Pilot Study in the Framing of News" (Elliot King);…

The Miscellaneous Studies section of this collection of conference presentations contains the following 12 papers: "Revelatory Silences: A Critical Analysis of the Structuring Absences in Sydney Pollack's 'Out of Africa'" (Brenda Cooper and David Descutner); "The Cox Fight with the FCC: Gamesmanship, Hidden Agendas, and Personal…

A study examined gender differences in media use with emphasis on reading for pleasure as adolescents. Subjects, 191 freshmen and sophomores enrolled in survey courses in mass media at Memphis State University and Southern Illinois University, completed surveys designed to investigate how young adults established their pattern of mass media use in…

This annotated bibliography is designed to survey the field of women in communication. The bibliography is centered on a specific context: who are and who were the women who worked in the communication field, and specifically, what were their writings like? The 56 annotations date from 1949 through 1990 and deal mostly with books (especially…