This paper examines how the new communication technology is challenging the "old" media, which includes radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and motion picture. The paper first provides an operational functional description of each of these media. Next the paper suggests another way to look at existing media. The paper then…

Newspaper and magazine coverage of the Spanish-American War represents the apex and the eventual eclipse of the hand sketch artist as news-gatherer and simultaneously the birth of the modern-day photojournalist. Perhaps of even wider impact was the strong new role of visual reportage. The daily barrage of drawings and photographs by William…

Revision, based on a grasp of intertextuality (the relation of texts to one another and the writer's locus relative to her own text and the text of others) and the social nature of all discourse, is a larger process that can be observed in any single piece of writing. This larger conception of revision is a natural outgrowth of…

A study examined the shift of the United States public's primary news source from newspapers to radio and then to television between 1937 and 1987 to determine the validity of the generally accepted explanation that people have shifted media (displacement). Two alternative processes were discovered that could also account for this phenomenon: (1)…

To examine programs currently in place, an evaluation model was designed to insure inclusion of all those who have a stake in program performance. The evaluation design includes: (1) a set of researchable questions which are to be answered by the evaluation, each question referenced to one or more appropriate audiences; (2) for each question, the…

A study was conducted to determine the effects of mildly self-disparaging humor on audiences' perceptions when it is used by speakers perceived to be of differing credibility (ethos) levels. Responses by 27 students who were potential subjects of the experiment were used to construct a credibility scale. The most credible speaker, a university…

This notebook is designed to help the volunteer or professional responsible for "getting the word out" about an agency, organization, chapter, or project to do the necessary public relations work more successfully, professionally, and effectively. Advice on developing public awareness and identifying the organization's goals and priorities,…

A three-year research project, including more than one year in a network affiliate station, provided the material for an analysis of current practices in television news programming. Based on the thesis that the organization of news encourages the oversimplification of events, this analysis traces the foundation of the bias called the "news…

This paper traces the historical development of melodrama in the theatre and discusses its influence on twentieth century drama. Melodrama is a responsible literary mode based on romance and allegory, and its deliberate exaggeration of external actions represents figuratively the interior or psychological dimensions of imagination. Good melodrama…

This paper reviews the research that has been done on mass media effects in health communication: breakthroughs in treatment, rising costs of medical care, innovations in the organization of health care, governmental involvement, the rise in malpractice litigation, and so on. The conceptual framework employed proposes a continuum of audience…

This statistical report presents an overview of the current status of public broadcasting. Separate sections deal with the development of public broadcasting, finance, broadcast content, national interconnection services, public broadcasting audience, and employment of broadcast personnel. An appendix provides definitions of selected terms related…

A study examined the extent to which the availability of cable television service in a household diverted viewers from local television channels. Questions concerning media use were included in three comprehensive market surveys conducted in three diverse areas. Approximately 1,000 telephone interviews were conducted in the three areas. The…

The phenomenon of crowd behavior at sports events is examined in this paper. Previous treatments of why spectators enjoy watching sports events are examined, showing that these studies have largely ignored the potential role of intraaudience influence processes. A brief literature review notes the role of feedback between the communication event…

To help reduce sexism in children's theatre productions, directors should make a conscious effort to eliminate negative patterns from scripts. They should give attention to the roles of the characters, since female characters are often relegated to the roles of waiting for a male, a supportive parent or sister, or a passive admirer of a male.…