Argues that the major studies supporting the Principle of Relative Constancy in consumption of mass communication products were statistically defective. Presents updated tests of data suggesting that the principle is actually of doubtful predictive value. (MS)

Suggests that academic research in journalism needs to deal with more relevant problems and issues faced by the newspaper industry to better prepare students for the profession and to bring needed credibility and respect to journalism schools. (HTH)

Concludes that the public's negative attitude toward the news media is beginning to mellow. (FL)

Concludes that government spokespersons, ranking politicians, and leaders of organized groups have better access to Canadian TV news outlets than do other people. (FL)

Concludes that candidate John Anderson generated almost as many news stories in the l980 presidential campaign as did Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter but that the stories about him were not as likely to be used by the media. (FL)

Tests the appropriateness of the Grunig models of public relations for describing and predicting current public relations practices in the state government of Louisiana. (FL)

Discusses the Inter Press Service Third World News Agency, which specializes in news of developing nations and promotes communication links among them. Concludes that the service is providing a new kind of news distribution system in response to Third World criticisms of the "old order" of Western domination of news. (FL)

Notes that during the first decade of the century, Chinese women began their fight for emancipation with the help of a few male reformists and the first women journalists. (FL)

How the large number of empirical tests and arguments that have been conducted to prove that mass media violence directly influences behavior have failed to discredit contrary arguments is discussed. (Author/RM)

Finds that current open meeting laws allow greater access to government, provide more comprehensive coverage, and have stronger enforcement measures than laws in l974. (FL)

Concludes that press coverage of the FDA's food irradiation proposal failed to give the public the information necessary for an informed decision on the process. (FL)

Concludes that whether a newspaper carries mostly good news or mostly bad news affects the image of the paper, with bad news having negative effects and good news having positive effects on readers' perceptions of the newspaper. (FL)

Concludes that Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the pattern of press-government relations with his organized publicity system. (FL)

Finds that individuals exposed to a large amount of crime news are more likely to show concern with being a crime victim than those who are not. (FL)

Presents theory of "audience design" which assumes that speakers design their style of talk for their audience, and examines how speakers do this. Also examines the effects on style shift of nonpersonal factors (such as topic and setting) and of referees (the class of persons with whom the speaker identifies). (SED)