For a researcher with a serious interest in studying popular culture, the collective negligence of the entertainment industries, the scholarly community, and the government is a given, but some action to preserve American mass media artifacts can be undertaken. Contrary to the myth of unlimited access to information, certain regions of the public…

A study explored the safety education provided by six newspapers, using the 1988 crash of Delta Flight 1141 as a case study. A total of 351 "Delta 1141" news stories were analyzed for five key areas: overall story category, passenger safety theme, flight personnel safety theme, plane safety theme, and rescue safety. Of the stories…

This study examined the nature of adolescents' responses to ads and stories containing different degrees of stereotypical portrayal of females. Subjects were 115 students in grades 8 and 11 enrolled in English classes in two middle-class suburban school districts. The materials used consisted of four ads and two stories portraying females,…

A study examined potential variables that editors might use to lure young readers into a newspaper reading habit. A total of 204 high school students were asked to read and rate one of 20 newspapers (collected from around the country) on enjoyment, readability, and attractiveness. The newspapers' efficiency in transmitting information was also…

The Mass Media Effects section of the proceedings contains the following eight papers: "The Spiral of Static: A Multivariate Analysis of a Public Opinion Theory Applied to Perception of Radio Station Popularity" (Terry Wedel and Tony Rimmer); "More Than Just Talk: Uses, Gratifications and the Telephone" (Garrett J. O'Keefe and…

Media effects should not be thought of as either isomorphic or fragmentary. Instead, the similarities and differences between them should be studied. This approach would offer the potential to determine not only what the media effects are, but how they occur. This is possible through the discovery of patterns in research theories and findings. To…

Based on searches of databases and over 140 periodicals, this annotated bibliography presents a representative collection of books and journal articles related to the knowledge and practice of public relations published in 1993. The annotated bibliography is subdivided into 35 different categories, including business credibility and ethics;…

Based on the premise that multimethod approaches that integrate quantitative and qualitative research methods are best suited to contextual studies of media audiences, two studies of mass media use and meaning were conducted with college undergraduates. Research grew out of a classroom assignment wherein students avoided all media products (films,…

This report provides the proceedings of an expert seminar, held during the preparatory meeting of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) summit, which was designed to contribute to the new media orientation of the CSCE. The proceedings notes that the main media issue in the 1990s is no longer to legitimize freedom over…

This proceedings contain 18 papers on American journalism history before the 20th century. Papers in the proceedings are: "Military and Press Discord during the Civil War: Foreshadowing of Future Disputes" (Maury M. Breecher); "The Missouri Press Association: A Study of the Beginning Motivations, 1867-1876" (Stephen A.…

A review of the literature useful for public relations researchers and students explored the primary legal concerns that public relations practitioners face, including first amendment rights, insider trading, regulations when working with foreign organizations, disclosure, privacy, copyright/trademark law, advertising, and defamation. Public…

The dramatic increase in the incidence of eating disorders among young women indicates a growing need for health education. However, women's magazines that perpetuate images of beauty and thinness may reinforce the disorders. Researchers have looked for strategies that encourage participation in society by those who partake of American media. One…

One day before a health study appeared in the "New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)" the study was reported media. A content analysis of the top 5 national newspapers examined the accuracy of this news reporting. The NEJM study found that men who took aspirin had 50% fewer heart attacks than men who received a placebo. Analysis of the…

As more locally based community media emerge to reflect more popular participation in the creation of communication systems, media planners and activists, as well as scholars, must confront inevitable problems of organization. Ideally, management of a community radio station should comprise a democratic structure. Yet, inherent in the difficulties…

A secondary analysis of the "1987 Australian Election Study" examined differences in levels of partisanship, political interest, campaign media use, and the importance voters attach to media use, for voters who make up their minds during and before the campaign. Results suggest that voters who make their choice during the campaign are…