Examining the role of service journalism in association magazines (magazines focusing on technical and educational information relating to specific practices of association members), a case study of the "Angus Journal" (a monthly magazine devoted to the beef breeding industry) investigated the problem of determining the amount of service…

More letters to the editor are being written to daily newspapers than ever before, and more of them are being published in ever-expanding letters columns. However, many letters go unpublished because of the letter's unsuitability, lack of space, or the writer's view having already been expressed. A study examined--by combining the methods of…

Social, economic, and popular scientific trends converged in the early twentieth century to support the mass popularity of cosmetics. Twentieth-century magazine ads for personal care and beauty products reflected the contemporary belief that "science" was on the verge of being able to cure almost anything, including physical flaws and…

A study explored whether ethnographic research is appropriate and feasible for Hispanic consumer research. Subjects, 41 Hispanic advertising executives (out of an original group of 80) in advertising agencies listed in the Standard Directory of Advertising Agencies from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and San Antonio, answered a 23-item…

Despite a wealth of broadcast properties in the United States and abroad, the Catholic Church has little formal policy towards ownership of such properties. Most of the Church's recent statements on communication treat the theme in a general way and balance a defense of human rights in regard to communication with encouragement of greater use of…

Through an examination of the appearance of the front pages of separately owned, competitive newspapers in 10 cities in the United States, a study explored the extent to which these newspapers have become modern in their use of graphic devices. Specifically, the study investigated (1) the relationship between a market's newspaper circulation gap…

A survey of 155 midwestern movie viewers was conducted to determine the factors of the selective exposure and appeal of horror films. Audience members leaving the theatre after viewing "Halloween II" were interviewed using a questionnaire that contained measures of specific reasons for liking horror films as well as measures of several…

A study was conducted to determine the extent to which content of business-related news stories was related (1) to the performance of the officials responsible for media relations, and (2) to the quality of the relationship between reporters and company officials. Eighty-nine stories pertaining to six businesses were selected from four newspapers…

A study tested the hypotheses (1) that reporting of methodological information needed to gauge the accuracy of public opinion poll stories in metropolitican daily newspapers improved significantly during the presidential election years from 1968 to 1980, and (2) that these newspapers were more likely to report this information in their own inhouse…

Attempting to introduce a new viewpoint to communication studies, this speculative and philosophical paper posits technology as an "echo of consciousness." Section one examines technology as a manifestation of attitude, presenting the premise that technologies, consciousness, and systems are not separate components, but products of…

To investigate the role and portrayal of women in newspapers and to determine trends emerging from this portrayal, a study examined 15 published quantitative research studies (content analyses) on the portrayal of women in newspapers, dating from 1973 until 1988. Studies were gathered primarily from "Communication Abstracts," the…

When education (teaching and/or learning) is considered to be an art, then it seems obvious that the methods of artistic inquiry would be appropriate analysis techniques. Such analysis seems to be rare or non-existent in educational technology. Semiotics, the theory of signs, provides one such set of methodologies for examining text. This…

To learn whether the problem of misunderstanding in brand names might be caused by the content of advertisements or whether it stemmed from a failure in the exposure-processing chain with respect to the effect of the ads on consumers, a study investigated the extent to which marketers provide information in their advertising that clarifies the…

One consequence of the information explosion is found in the area of media research methodology. The accessibility of the computer has not only broadened the scope of electronic media research but has also helped media scholars to develop new, more accurate, and more reliable media research methodologies. Whereas in the past, electronic media…

A study was conducted to analyze religion news coverage in three metropolitan newspapers. While no formal hypothesis was tested, it was thought that coverage would reflect the general news policy at each particular paper to the extent that the religious beat has lost its stigma as a second-class beat. Twenty-eight religious stories from the…