University rankings have raised huge interest in the social sciences because of their methodological foundations and impact. Rankings have also gained popularity in the media system. In this article we analyze the coverage offered by the media to the Italian Research Evaluation exercise--VQR 2004-2010. Even though this evaluation did not have…

This article explores the textual properties of arguably one of the most influential textual domains in contemporary society; that of mass-media discourse. Within this genre, it examines English-language hard news media reports from the United States, Great Britain and Australia focussing on the concepts of objectivity within this domain. Drawing…

Most members of the American public will never read this article. Instead, they will obtain much of their information about education from the news media. Yet little academic research has examined the type or quality of education research and expertise they will find there. Through the lens of gatekeeping theory, this mixed-methods study aims to…

"Slacker Astronomy" is a weekly podcast that covers a recent astronomical news event or discovery. The show has a unique style consisting of irreverent, over-the-top humor combined with a healthy dose of hard science. According to our demographic analysis, the combination of this style and the unique podcasting distribution mechanism allows the…

The activities of the photography staff at three metropolitan newspapers were observed to identify those routines used in making photographic assignments, carrying them out, and selecting the best photographs for publication. Among the observations were the following: (1) assignments could originate from any "desk" or editorial…

Going beyond the loosely defined but evocative ideas of previous research linking newspaper readership with ties to the local community, the two studies described in this report carefully distinguish between readers' sense of identification and their actual involvement in the community. The first study discussed in the report examines the impact…

Examines news magazine accuracy by asking individuals who have been quoted in stories about the accuracy of the quotations. Finds that more than 90 percent of the stories examined were considered accurate by the sources. (FL)

Finds that coverage of the President continued to increase, but coverage of Congress did not over a 16-year period, based on a content analysis of the "New York Times" and the "Buffalo Evening News." (Author/RB)

Analyzes the amount of space six American and four European newspapers give to local, national, and international news. Concludes that all of the newspapers have a localized point of view, but that each displays significant differences in the components and scale of localization. (FL)

Reports that newspaper readers rated precision journalism articles no better than traditional news articles on several dimensions of credibility. (FL)

Reports that many daily newspapers are staffed with environmental reporters whose allegiance to environmental protection transcends obeisance to environmental organizations; who try to overcome barriers presented by reporting conventions, editors' constraints, and publishers' controls to keep environmental reporting alive; and who construct…

Investigates the ideological presumption concerning media analysis (the claim that what really matters is the underlying sociopolitical relations of control and power). Explicates and critically assesses arguments provided by the writings of John Fiske and Michel Foucault, concluding that there is no good reason to believe that the news media are…