An analysis of questionnaire responses of television and newspaper reporters in Minneapolis/St. Paul reveals that a substantial proportion felt restricted by a "straight" news role, that the reporters were self-critical of their abilities, and that a large minority confessed to weaknesses that do not fit with popular stereotypes of…

Reports results of a survey of 208 members of the Associated Press Managing Editors Association (APME) regarding five areas: newsroom structure and the managing editor, newsroom manning levels, managing editor job descriptions, how managing editors spend their time, and managing editor job-related activity patterns. (GT)

Reports the results of a survey of 122 science journalists and 110 scientists regarding their attitudes toward science news coverage; notes that the attitudes of the two groups were remarkably similar. (GT)

A comparison of six content analysis techniques revealed that all the techniques correlated highly with one-another. (GT)

Investigates the "third-person effect" (people believing that there are important effects of mass media on others but not on themselves) in terms of the ABC-TV miniseries "Amerika." Finds evidence for the third-person effect among those who perceive themselves to be political experts. (RS)

Explores the existence of a cognitive bias that affects an individual's processing of political advertisements. Finds that whether voters see messages as issue or image material depends on their predisposition. (RS)

Applies schema theory (assimilation, accommodation, and medium) to the processes associated with learning from the news media. Finds subjects given consistent information most willing to make inferences, with those receiving inconsistent information more likely to remember more facts. Finds that mode of presentation has little effect. (SR)

Examines the cultural content of advertisements in two superficially similar countries (Great Britain and the United States). Finds U.S. advertising portraying characters in more "individualistic" stances, with social class differences more evident in British advertising. Maintains that advertising should adapt to individual cultural…

Uses path analysis to investigate a model of agenda-setting. Supports the model, showing that, if individuals perceive the media to be highly credible, they will rely on the media for information, will increase their exposure to media messages and in turn will become more susceptible to agenda-setting. (SR)

Finds that providing respondents with the more specific and recent time period results in significantly lower overall reports of usage across a variety of media. Suggests the potential atypicality of the narrower time period, which might adversely affect the validity of responses, is not a serious concern. (RS)

Shows that the cultural content of Philippine print-media advertising does not reflect Philippine culture, but instead appears to reflect Western culture. (RB)

Concludes that the mass media in Yugoslavia tend to reinforce existing ethnic attitudes rather than inculcate more universal, less-parochial values. (RB)

Concludes that relatives were the most important factor for high culture music listeners while radio was the most important factor for mass culture music listeners. (RB)

This experimental comparison of the advertising effectiveness of television, movies, radio, and print finds no support for McLuhan's idea that television is a "cool" medium and movies are a "hot" medium. (RB)