Analyzes advertisements for characteristics that produce readership across a variety of consumer magazines. (RB)

An exploration of the distortions of black images that have been conveyed through American literature, music, film, and television. (EH)

Investigates, through content analysis, some of the variables involved in the coverage "Time,""Newsweek," and "U.S. News and World Report," give to United States Senators. (RB)

Examines the 50 year history of "Better Homes and Gardens," emphasizing the reasons for its success while numerous other magazines failed. (RB)

This edition of the public relations annotated bibliography (approximately 950 entries) contains titles published in 1986 and 1987 and includes books, magazines, master's theses, and doctoral dissertations that pertain to the practice and analysis of public relations. Among the extensive list of topics covered in the bibliography are: (1) business…

Unlike her energetic predecessor, Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady Bess Truman sought to remain outside the public spotlight. While Mrs. Roosevelt held weekly press conferences for women reporters, Mrs. Truman held all press conferences somewhat under protest, and in absentia, with questions filtered through her social secretary. As she consequently…

A study surveyed the religion news reporters at daily newspapers in all circulation classes to assess the current state of the religion beat. Mail surveys were completed by 141 newspapers. Information concerning the following areas was solicited: (1) demographic characteristics (respondent's age, sex, religious preference), (2) staffing…

A study examined (1) whether the public knows of the newspaper ombudsman and his or her role at the newspaper, and (2) probed the effects of calling a newspaper on public perceptions of the newspaper's interest in accuracy and correcting errors. Two telephone questionnaires were completed by 152 of the 438 persons who had contacted the ombudsman…

Noting the agenda-setting hypothesis that the public will adopt the media's agenda of issue priorities after the passage of some time, a study examined the effect of time on the public agenda. The study measured responses of 880 subjects in three survey waves. Evaluations of the importance of seven environmental issues were correlated with…

A study was conducted to investigate the theory that the more finished a television commercial is when tested, the more soundly it can be evaluated. In an experimental design for a health maintenance organization, four commercials were tested in both storyboard slide show and finished commercial formats in a controlled laboratory environment.…

A study examined the knowledge of and attitudes toward nutrition in general and specifically toward cold breakfast cereals and cereal advertising with different creative appeals. Subjects, 117 undergraduate university students, completed a questionnaire about their use of cold breakfast cereal and their sources of information about nutrition.…

This paper contends that the failure of the St. Louis "Globe-Democrat" raises questions not only about whether the United States Justice Department's Antitrust Division should have worked harder to keep the St. Louis joint operating agreement (JOA) alive, but also about the efficacy of the Newspaper Preservation Act in preserving…

A study investigated the effects of chartoons--cartoon-like informational graphics--and three-dimensional graphs on the attractiveness of graphs and on the information gain from graphs. Subjects, 86 students from a mass communication course at the University of Texas, were randomly assigned to two experimental groups, each of which was shown a set…

A descriptive mail survey extended two earlier studies done in the 1970s on "all-news" stations (or "news radio") and compared characteristics of stations using all-news with those of stations using extended news or news/information formats. Specifically, the previous studies were updated by exploration of how the following…

Despite a lack of evidence that subliminal messages experimentally embedded in advertisements produce predictable effects, many people believe they know what "subliminal advertising" is and believe that it is used and that it works. A study investigated this belief. Subjects, 206 Fostoria, Ohio residents, were given two questionnaires…