Educators have done far too little to prepare students to protect themselves from the persuasions of advertisers and politicians. (JH)

This paper, (observing that socialization about, interactions with, and influences of the mass media are interrelated in important and understudied ways), briefly reviews the notion of "self" as defined through socially constructed matrices, and discusses evidence supporting the influence of social cognition as a factor in human…

A study analyzed six prime-time television shows--"The Cosby Show,""Cheers,""Dear John,""Designing Women,""Golden Girls," and "Roseanne"--to examine group communication as it is portrayed on a daily basis in these shows, or how groups interact in the sitcom genre. One episode of each of…

Contrary to the prevailing view that 1952 was the year of the first nationally televised political conventions, only 32 states had TV stations at that time; nor did the term "TV candidate" originate in the Kennedy (1960) or Nixon (1968) campaigns. In fact, it is Dwight Eisenhower and the campaign of 1956 that deserve this recognition.…

A study investigated the trend of current U.S. television commercial informativeness by comparing the results with Alan Resnik and Bruce Stern's previous benchmark study conducted in 1977. A systematic random sampling procedure was used to select viewing dates and times of commercials from the three national networks. Ultimately, a total of 550…

Anger is a public health issue because it can lead to medical, psychological and social problems. However, anger can be beneficial when specific anger management skills are used. This study examined the portrayal of anger on daytime dramas (soap operas). Thirteen commercial television programs, airing in March and April 1986, were selected for…

Although anger is associated with risk of coronary heart disease, failed marriages, and suicide, angry exchanges are not always negative experiences but can be beneficial. Recently experts on anger concluded that television could portray anger constructively by using television characters who listened to the angry person, integrated anger and…

A study examined the organization, content and audiences of four public access channels to determine whether public access on cable television can be described as mini-communication and, if so, whether cable television is fulfilling some of its promises as a mini-medium. Organization was categorized as reflecting little or no hierarchy of…

Because local television news appears to be resilient to audience erosion, programmers may find it beneficial to develop strategies that are accommodating to the interests of audience segments. This also suggests that advertisers may communicate more effectively with consumers sorted according to benefit orientation. After telephone interviews…

This discussion of current proposals for the deregulation of broadcasting in the United Kingdom argues that several questions should be considered: (1) whether the existing system of obligations ought to be retained; (2) how any system of obligations can best be enforced and policed if this proves necessary; and (3) whether defenders of the…

A study investigated the effects of viewing the made-for-television film "The Day After" on the perceived prominence of issues surrounding nuclear war and disarmament on the public agenda. Telephone interviews were conducted with 92 adults in Knoxville, Tennessee, prior to the broadcast of the program and 232 after the broadcast…

This paper reviews the role of television in the lives of blacks and suggests approaches on how to improve the quality of communication research. Portrayals, exposure patterns, attitudes and motives, and effects of blacks on television are discussed. It is suggested that future research should emphasize interpretive analysis or assessment of the…

A study investigated the extent to which cable television diverts audiences from local television news programs, and whether such diversion decreases community involvement and political participation. Of a random sample of 300 adults selected for interviewing from a northern California county telephone directory, 53% reported having cable…

Included in this hearing is the testimony of researchers from governmental agencies and media organizations, representatives of scientific associations, scholars, early childhood educators, and television personalities concerning the effects of televised violence on the behavior of children, adolescents, and adults. Specifically, testimony focuses…

This report surveys the basic research on how children understand and respond to television advertising messages in order to determine whether regulation is necessary. The implications of the research findings for likely marketplace developments in an unregulated environment are discussed, and it is concluded that there is no sound basis to expect…