This handbook, written for a workshop, is designed to help improve school newsletters. The first section of the handbook is an outline of the lecture given in the workshop. Subsequent sections discuss and illustrate: (1) basic principles of simple, functional writing; (2) the importance of time and practice; (3) five good writing habits; (4)…

This paper reviews the literature on speech fright in the workplace and examines its symptoms, effects, and causes. The paper also identifies various methods of treatment that have proven effective when adapted to individual and situational factors responsible for anxiety. The paper lists seven specific treatments directed toward improving public…

An ethnographic study used M. M. Bakhtin's language theory of socially rooted multiple voices to compare the group-writing processes of two corporate documents. Data were collected during a 5-month participant observation of the production processes of a 504-word executive letter, which took 55 days from first draft to approval, and a 1,851-word…

Debate is an activity which can help young children learn to be part of a team without experiencing the intense competition that is present in athletics. For children, a focus on developing communication skills rather than on competition in debate can help foster attitudes of open-mindedness, fairness, and tolerance for the viewpoints of others.…

A study examined readership and consumer patterns for subscribers of a new upscale home and garden magazine, in order to construct a demographic profile of the typical subscriber and to determine the magazine content preferred by these subscribers, as well as the lifestyle maintained by these individuals. Subjects, 603 randomly selected…

Prior to the 1986 advertising ban, a study measured the effects of smokeless tobacco advertising on young people. A questionnaire was administered in the spring of 1985 to 133 sixth, eighth, and tenth grade students in rural Georgia. The probability of exposure to smokeless tobacco ads was measured by: (1) the number of hours per week the student…

The idea that mass communication effects may decrease diversity among people or societies exposed to it arises constantly. However, discussions of mass media effects do not highlight differences between mass communications that "affect" people uniformly and messages that members of audiences "respond to" in similar ways. A…

In written compositions, authority derives from the dynamic interchange among author, text, and reader. English majors at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, after competing rigorously for their place in the university, adhere to received opinions rather than writing originally or authoritatively. From their very first assignment, the students…

To investigate whether "USA Today" emphasizes "good news" over "bad news," a study was conducted using 10 randomly selected adults in State College, Pennsylvania, over an 11-week period in 1985. Subjects were asked to rate 248 stories over 45 pages of main news columns in 10 issues on a scale ranging from 1 (very…

In light of rhetorical approaches to interpersonal communication, this paper compares the ethics behind the "rhetorical sensitivity" concept of Roderick Hart and Don Burks and the ethics of Christian communication. Outlined are Hart and Burks' exposition of the characteristics of the rhetorically sensitive person which are then compared…

Continuing an inquiry into what variables explain audience trust in media, a study drew upon two theoretical areas in attitude research to propose a curvilinear relationship between attitude extremity and trust in media--namely that individuals who feel fairly neutral toward an issue and those who report strongly held attitudes see the media as…

A study examined whether public perceptions of media institutions and products are multidimensional and whether the public's image of media matters. Subjects, 512 randomly selected adult residents of Dane County, Wisconsin, were surveyed by telephone. Results revealed that public perceptions of the media are complex, multifaceted, and include more…

The addition of an interpersonal element to the rhetorical devices offered students as they learn how to construct persuasive messages can enhance their writing by helping students discover why they produce the writing they do. To do so, teachers must help students to become more sensitive to the audience and involve them more in the…

The Illinois Dissemination Research Project developed a public information brochure on Minimal Competency Testing for distribution to Illinois school boards, teachers and administrators. This method for transmitting research findings to policymaking audiences is called "targeted dissemination." It consists of: (1) translating relevant…

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…