Assesses the nature of the relationship between experienced loneliness and media gratifications. Finds that chronically lonely college students rely less on media for escape than do others and that they reported the least motivation for watching their favorite soap opera. (SR)

Considers three aspects of Robert Kozma's (IR 529 138) and Richard Clark's (IR 529 139) debate on the role of educational media: (1) the logic and definitions of the debate; (2) what the debate says about the field of instructional technology; and (3) the consequences of adopting one position or the other. (KRN)

Explores whether exposure to televised fictional depictions of realistic life-threatening events (fires, drownings) affects children's risk-related assessments that could influence longer-term responses. Finds that children exposed to a particular threat rated similar events more likely to occur in their own lives, considered potential…

Examines the influence of mass media, interpersonal channels, and self-efficacy on risk judgment. Confirms that mass media channels influence social-level risk judgments. Finds that personal-level risk was influenced to some degree by mass media channels and that interpersonal channels and self-efficacy account for some variance on social-level…

Describes an explosion in Port Chicago (California) that a journalist later ascribed to a nuclear weapon, explains how his conclusions can be refuted, discusses the sociology of publishing such spectacular claims, and suggests how historians might better assist journalists in evaluating such claims. (40 references) (LRW)

Argues that communication research needs to move toward better integration of observations on the microlevel with systemic generalizations about macrolevel phenomena, and reorient research away from the media behavior and responses of individuals and toward the cumulative consequences of media behavior over time. (SR)

Claims that the field of communication is moving beyond theorizing that treats communication as a process, to what might be called "multiple-process theory." Examines views of message-processing modes and effects, enlarges the scope of inquiry by considering a multiplicity of levels of analysis, and discusses a philosophical orientation compatible…

Discuses three developmental stages of the information society: the electrification of communication, beginning in the middle of the nineteenth century; converging technologies and awareness of information, beginning in the late middle twentieth century; and, beginning in the 1990s, the harmonization of information systems with each other.…

Advocates that communication scholars explore more deeply the work of Emile Durkheim. Explores Durkheim and communication studies, and Durkheimian contributions to communication theory, viewing every corner of social life as communicatively founded. (SR)

Studies the relationships between exposure and attention to three different media (newspapers, television news, and radio news). Finds that the two are separate dimensions. Analyzes the relationships between media exposure/attention and four different possible effects (knowledge gain, opinion direction, opinion strength, and behavior). (SR)

Argues for a more interdisciplinary approach to journalism scholarship to provide a fuller account of media power. Considers briefly the notions of performance, narrative, ritual, and interpretive community as alternative frames through which to consider journalism. (SR)

Tests relationships between trust in television news and newspaper coverage and each of four attitude components: direction, intensity, closure, and involvement. Finds significant relationships for all four components. Notes that existing hypotheses relating credibility to attitude have not anticipated that credibility might be related to more…

Studies how male Saudi Arabians sought and placed credibility in information sources about the Gulf War. Finds two groups: global-oriented, who were international radio-oriented; and village-oriented, primarily rural, who placed more trust in domestic media. Shows that all relied more heavily on broadcast media than on print media. (SR)

Argues that media pedagogics constitutes a discipline of media sciences and of media culture; however, dialog across the boundaries between various fields and branches is problematic. Sketches different phases of a virtual dialog between media pedagogics and media production to illustrate the gap and the importance of bridging it. (DSK)

Reviews issues associated with the preservation of digital documents and their long-term viability. Topics include characteristics of digital information; physical deterioration of digital documents; life spans of digital media; technological obsolescence; digital artifacts versus digital objects; access versus preservation; intellectual…