Forty-eight Michigan newspapers were surveyed by telephone to determine their criteria in selecting online database services, type of personnel using them, training procedures, budgets, and perceptions of the impact of these services on the speed of writing stories and quality of reporting. Data collection involved two phases: (1) researchers…

As part of an in-progress study of Black state legislators' evaluation of the performance of White-owned newspapers in their communities, mail questionnaires were sent to 342 Black state senators and state representatives listed in "Black Elected Officials: A National Roster." One hundred seventeen officials have returned the…

Since gatekeepers have the ability to inform the public about international affairs, it is important to understand gatekeepers' news values and perceptions of the role of the press in society. A study hypothesized that these problems could be subsumed under two dimensions, freedom of the press and development. In a mail survey, subjects, 118…

To investigate the dissemination of electoral information by the Spanish-language press to the Spanish-speaking population, a study asked several questions: (1) What were the characteristics of the headlines of Spanish-language daily newspapers in Miami and Los Angeles during the 1988 presidential race? (2) Did the headlines of these papers…

To outline the development of smoking as a health issue as it was covered by magazines, a study tested the hypotheses that (1) the pattern of media attention to the issue would begin in professional and scientific journals, expand into books and government publications, and then appear in consumer magazines; and (2) the distribution of subtopics…

An analysis of five mid-nineteenth century women's suffrage periodicals ("The Lily,""The Genius of Liberty,""The Una,""The Revolution," and "The Woman's Journal") suggests that the papers succeeded in creating, sustaining, and inspiring the suffrage community as it developed and matured, and in dramatizing and debating alternative versions of a…

The effective use of public relations by educators is the general topic addressed by these 18 articles collected from past issues of the "Journal of Educational Communication." The first section stresses planning and management with articles on opportunities made available by crises; the combination of effective communication with efficient…

The 1971 police search of a newspaper office led to the United States Supreme Court's "Zurcher v The Stanford Daily" decision that newspaper offices can permissibly be searched if it is believed that they contain materials that relate to an ongoing criminal investigation. This decision has been viewed by the press as an attack on First…

The question of whether publishers' news preferences affect the performances of editors and reporters is examined in this paper. The first section reviews studies of ways the newsroom environment has affected reporters' role assumptions; it then notes that previous studies have generally been monadic (focusing on only one person) and have provided…

The way in which Drew Pearson--who was involved in more than 100 libel actions during his nearly 37-year reporting career--fared in the courts and was affected by the ever-evolving libel law is considered in this paper. Among the topics discussed are the 1964 "Sullivan" decision, which held that a public official must prove "actual…

This report examines the status of school desegregation efforts in Southern and Border States immediately before and after the May 1968 U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that school districts must abandon ineffective freedom-of-choice plans. Separate sections devoted to events in each state contain specific detail describing the political, legislative,…

In November 1901, "Country Life in America," an illustrated monthly magazine aimed at readers interested in suburban living, was introduced to the public. Although initially intended for the rural population, it soon concentrated its appeal on city folks who had the disposable income to purchase the automobiles and other products of the…

This selection of readings, primarily intended for a college journalism course, discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the major sources of the public news--the wire services, newspapers, and television. The first part of the book deals with the context of mass news and serves as an introduction to some of the crucial ideas shaping thinking…

This document investigates the collegiate press. Part one--The Campus Press--observes the development, expectations and present status of the campus press. Conclusions indicate the need for an independent student newspaper. Part two reviews the law and the campus press, particularly legal distinctions between public and private colleges and…

The purpose of this conference of news executives from Japan and the United States was to exchange views on the relationship of the two nations and to identify areas of common concern. In general, it was agreed that the two nations are getting along very well despite their cultural differences. The first session dealt with the U.S. role in Asia.…