Uses psychological theories about how people process information to examine the influence of variance in question wording on public support for the Reagan defense build-up. Concludes that source cues influence the public but that such influence is overwhelmed when the public is simultaneously exposed to relevant policy information. (TB)

Uses Ross Perot's campaign for president in 1992 as a case study in how two key political institutions--the conventional political press and the party system--mediate the effects of political communication. Finds that reporters allocated positive and negative coverage to Perot according to the same rules that they normally follow. (TB)

Shows that executive turnover through four administrations (1967-89) has kept public broadcasting mired in budgetary crises, transforming its goals, structure, and programing content over time. Describes policy preferences imposed by administrators, identifies attendant modifications in organizational structure, and delineates effects of these…

Summarizes research in the following areas: political group viability as predictor of media attitude; newspaper agenda setting and community expectations; effects of the Gertz decision in one circuit; acceptability clauses and the writer's legal remedies; image of Greece in the American press; newspaper responsibility for errors in supplements;…

A study examined the coverage of women in one midwestern college newspaper and three midwestern city newspapers during 1992, the Year of the Woman. Bylines, references, and the roles portrayed in newspaper photographs were examined to determine how local newspapers covered the record number of women running for political office, the record number…

This paper presents a conceptual analysis of bias and outlines the complexity and subtlety of the questions engulfing bias by sorting out views of bias that have been implicit in debates about the media, assessing the scientific value of these competing views in identifying and understanding bias in the media, offering an alternative view which is…

During the recent election campaigns in the United States, speculative arguments about the use or the abuse of televised political spot commercials to "package" and "sell" the candidates to the public were widespread. With this popularly held belief in mind, the present study concerned itself with the reactions to and utilization of televised…

The results presented in this article are but a portion of the information gathered in a larger survey examining the relative roles of "selective exposure" to and "selective retention" of political advertising during the 1972 presidential election. Random samples in two metropolitan areas in different regions of the country (Atlanta, Ga., n=281;…

Summarizes research dealing with a number of topics, including the following: (1) political communication and voter volatility, (2) daily newspaper publishers' preferences on reporter decision making, (3) media use by foreign students, and (4) coverage of discrimination cases in the "New York Times." (FL)

Argues that political speech-making can have significant impact. Surveyed audiences of four presidential candidates during the 1976 Illinois primary. Analyzed attitude/behavior changes and motivations for attendance. Noted that, while the strongest motivations were of a cognitive-orientation nature, reasons related to event excitement were…

This book is designed to develop students' skills both as consumers and as producers of persuasion. The book explains, with examples from diverse media campaigns, strategies of persuasion constantly used in the mass media, in political rhetoric, and in advertising. The book covers material on persuasion theory, persuasion research, and persuasion…

A study investigated (1) the nature of black student involvement in and commitment to the campaign of Jesse Jackson for the presidency, (2) the nature of student attitudes toward the campaign, and (3) the relationship among student media use, attitudes, knowledge, and involvement in the campaign. Black students in 20 undergraduate speech classes…

Focuses on the process by which a social problem is redefined in response to a critical events, such as economic depressions, environmental disasters, intense physical confrontations, or strategic initiatives by a social movement organization. Examines a conservative movement's attempt to redefine "the problem" of the schools at the time…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 36 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) content diversity in local television news; (2) advertising influences on consumers' use of evidence; (3) organized labor and the mass media; (4) feminist film…

A pragmatic approach may be used in teaching undergraduate courses in political communication. The design of such a course takes account of departmental, university, and community contexts, and focuses on the following six approaches: single figure or single issue; genre; media exploitation; print media; electronic media; and candidate image. The…