Investigates the amount of science portrayed by terrestrial television in the United Kingdom and the public comprehension of that science as shown on television. Concludes that the lack of comprehension of the scientific basis of many advertisements is indicative of the lack of relevance of science education to people in modern society. (Author/LM)

Investigates the visual attention of children (ages 3.5 to 6.5 years) to short segments of the television program "Sesame Street." Finds an early increase in attention to random segments, suggesting an attempt to deal with difficult but seemingly accessible content. Finds a quick decrease of attention to segments with incomprehensible…

Examines television rerun viewing motives and sociodemographic characteristics to predict frequent, occasional, and infrequent rerun viewing habits. Indicates that demographic and social variables are not major determinants, while motives are reliable predictors. (SR)

Uses a content analysis of U. S. network television coverage of South Africa from January 1982 through May 1987 to determine the impact of varying degrees of censorship on the amount and kind of reporting from South Africa. Finds that press censorship intensified rather than reduced coverage of South Africa. (MM)

Excessive television viewing is associated with obesity in children because it decreases time spent on physical activity, and promotes overeating of snacks and high calorie foods. Childhood obesity demands physicians' concern because of the physical and psychological damage which follows its victims into adulthood. (IAH)

Examines the relationship between development of story schema skills and strategies children adopt for attending to and remembering television narratives. Finds advanced story schema skills were related to reduced processing effort, increased memory of central story content, greater flexibility of allocation strategies, and better coordination…

Evaluates reactions of students exposed to a video presentation with or without a laugh track. Finds those in the laugh track group exhibited significantly more mirth behavior, but did not evaluate the stimulus as significantly funnier. (MS)

During the week of September 16-20, 1990, commercials promoting drugs and alcohol outnumbered the networks' news stories, documentaries, and public service announcements (PSAs) about illegal drugs by a ratio of almost 39 to 1. Considering the commercials alone, promotion of drugs and alcohol outnumbered the antidrug promotions by a ratio of almost…

Examines college students' responses to the program "Cops" to better understand how viewers construct meaning and pleasure from the televisual texts of reality-based programming. Finds that humor guides the viewers' interpretations of the text and is a major source of pleasure, but the audience's search for the comic both deviates from…

Compares different theoretical approaches to the study of international news. Finds many comparative studies of the foreign news output of national broadcasters and few studies analyzing the actual flow of television news between actors at the wholesale level and the flow between wholesale and retail level. Suggests a better framework for the…

Examines four individual differences--sensation seeking, religiosity, hostility, and family cohesion--as correlates of drug use and television viewing, to test four corresponding models of addiction: medical/disease, moral, compensatory, and enlightenment. Concludes that models emphasizing personal control and responsibility are more appropriate…

Describes how network television can be used to teach visual literacy in the composition classroom. Claims that television's "look" is pervasive and rhetorically powerful. Analyzes the program "Twin Peaks" as it relates to the medium's codes. Suggests how the program might be used to teach students about these codes. (HB)

Examines the benefits of satellite television communications for urban and suburban schools. Suggests that satellite television is "globalizing" classrooms by exposing students to world events and cultures other than their own. Describes "CNN Newsroom," a commercial-free cable television news service intended for high school…

Examines the broad and subtle effects of television watching on children and their families. Discusses the role of television in family life; the effects of television on children's development, behavior, attitudes, and values; children's understanding of messages conveyed by television; the relationship of television and play; and strategies for…

Describes the development of a new television show on PBS called "Between the Lions" that is aimed at developing literacy of primary school children. Set in a library, the show's producers met with librarians for advice and will have libraries participating in local outreach programs to help promote the show. (LRW)