Explores mind/media relationships and discusses how culture's symbolic forms affect learning and thinking. The socially held and communicated views of various media appear to affect the way children handle them, the depth of their information processing, and what they actually learn from them. Media's symbolic forms of representation have both…

Examines changes in media communications resulting from new information technologies: communications technologies (networks, World Wide Web, digital set-top box); graphic arts (digital photography, CD and digital archives, desktop design and publishing, printing technology); television and video (digital editing, interactive television, news and…

Examines how people from diverse cultural backgrounds interpret and use communication technology. Finds that the skill suggested by the concept of "media literacy" may not be strictly a result of experience and familiarity with the medium, and that at least some media-specific codes are analogs of perceptual processes. (MS)

Argues that the language planning role of Japan's public broadcasting organization, NHK, is considerable, although neglected. The article overviews broadcasting, language policy, organization, and history and focuses on NHK's role in establishing and disseminating the standard language. NHK is perceived as an arbiter of language standards. (51…

Presents the results of a study exploring teachers' concerns and observations of how the "Power Rangers" television series affects children in their classrooms. Teachers' concerns focus on violence, aggressive play, confusion about fantasy and reality, obsessive involvement with the Power Rangers, and use of them as role models for…

A content analysis of major German television news shows and 53 weekly surveys on 16 issues were used to compare linear and nonlinear models as ways to describe the relationship between media coverage and the public agenda. Results indicate that nonlinear models are in some cases superior to linear models in terms of explained variance. (34…

Reviews research on the portrayal of gender and occupation on prime-time television and describes a study that focused on representation and patterns of activity of male and female characters across the contextual variables of industry, occupational role, hierarchical position, plot function, genre, and dramatic tone. (36 references) (LRW)

Describes the Library Cable Network (LCN), a public access cable television network in Illinois. Discussion covers costs; organization and personnel; programing, including a series of author interviews, children's programs, and features on local attractions; new audiences, particularly minority and ethnic groups; and future telecommunications…

Teaching children to think critically about the media, particularly television, is discussed in terms of research on children's understanding of television; the interrelationships between cognitive, affective, and social factors; and the nature of child discourse and audience response to the media. Development of a more complex theoretical basis…

Discussion of interactive television (ITV) focuses on a college sociology course taught at the University of Minnesota that used ITV. Topics addressed include cooperative learning; instructional design; student relationships; planning, including equipment needs; student participation; analysis of the discourse; and students' feedback. (nine…

Describes a 1979 study of fifth-, eighth-, and eleventh-grade students that was conducted to investigate television viewing behaviors. The study focused on overall viewing activity, content decisions (i.e., loyalty to individual series or to a genre), and program stability (i.e., how often viewers change channels during a program). (14 references)…

This article describes the Descriptive Video Service (DVS), developed by WGBH-TV in Boston, Massachusetts, to provide narrated descriptions of the key visual elements of television programs without interfering with their audio or dialogue. The article discusses the history of DVS, broadcast tests, reactions to DVS, and the future of DVS.…

Discusses issues involved in the design of science television programs for preadolescents. The program goals and format of a series in French under production in Montreal are described; program qualities are examined at the emotional level and the cognitive level; and topics are suggested for further research. (33 references) (LRW)

Describes experiences developing a distance learning via television program at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. It focuses on the importance of instructor and facilitator training, student selection, physical arrangements for the studio/classroom, and an evaluation plan. (DB)

A sample of 144 fourth and sixth graders was presented with five children's news stories, in television form or in one of three print versions. Results indicated that children who watched news on television remembered the stories better than children who read one of the three print versions, regardless of their level of reading proficiency.…