Examines the complex nature of pretense as portrayed in a popular UK children's television puppet show. Argues that animality of puppets is rendered opaque as their identities as children are linguistically accomplished, leading to a piece of representational art structured by moral and behavioral dictates typical of conventional adult-child…

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…

A study of 240 TV viewers who watched or listened to and watched news stories showed highly significant differences in their recorded perceptions of the information. The spoken narrative was responsible for the perception of violence in the stories. Discussion of the results also touches on the subject of verbal violence. (14 references) (CP)

Analyzes the double or mirrored scene of the Centers for Disease Control's AIDS education campaign and the responses to that campaign, basically, the dominant, heterosexual, televised discourses' defensive erasure of those semiotic objects that represent illicit and nonreproductive sex. (RS)

Addresses some of the fundamental assumptions of an information processing approach to mass media effects and the contributions it brings to mass communication. Traces the conceptual and methodological innovations of an information processing perspective as they have been applied to the study of television since the 1980s. (SR)

Argues that the influence of televised, general election, presidential debates on prospective voters' perceptions of participating candidates may be larger than previous research suggests. Finds that two sources of debate effects have gone largely undetected to date: those based on candidates' relational communication, and those which are…

Previous economic models suggested that, due to the high channel capacity of cable technology and its capability of pricing television programs directly to the viewers, its diffusion would promote specialized "narrow appeal" programming designed to serve relatively small audience segments. While this has clearly occurred, these models do…

This paper discusses effective parenting and how television can be used to stimulate communication between parent and child. Research on viewing habits, and social statistics on teenage pregnancy and drug and alcohol use provide a background for examining parent-child communication and lead into a discussion of Kohlberg's theories of moral…

Suggests that mass communication studies accept the critical challenges posed by fringe television--the programing that surrounds the prime-time domain of the three major networks. Identifies and maps various fringe sectors appearing on today's broadcast and cable schedules, and surveys critical imperatives involved in future studies of fringe…

Presents a fantasy theme analysis of the nuclear war issue derived from a comparison of personal statements and the film "The Day After" and its resulting complex rhetorical vision. Notes the vision's irony and discusses its implications for the nuclear war issue. (JD)

Presents a model to ascertain the "critical mass" in ratings points required to facilitate renewal of prime-time network programs aired between 1971 and 1985. Emphasizes a financial model incorporating revenue levels needed to offset program costs--advertising agency commissions, affiliate compensation, network overhead--and program…

Offers a clarification of the original uses of the word "stereotype" and argues that the current failure to account for evaluative and historical aspects of stereotypes has diluted the usefulness of the concept for critics and teachers. (MS)

Discusses research suggesting that television viewing contributes to negative attitudes and low levels of knowledge about older people. Using the same data set and measurements, concludes that the effect of television viewing on knowledge and attitudes about older people is small and restricted to younger people. (NRB)

Discusses two still unfolding scenarios in the history of television--Surgeon General's inquiry into influence of television violence, and the campaign by health authorities against cigarette smoking--and questions whether there is something to be learned from these experiences in relation to banning television advertising of alcoholic beverages.…

An analysis of network news coverage of public education from April 1982 to April 1983 showed that such coverage was overwhelmingly negative, with almost four times as much news space devoted to "bad news" about public education as to "good news." (CMG)