This paper will use political discussion programs in Taiwan as an example and use the research method of experimentation to attempt to establish a way of research that is both quantitative and qualitative. By using a correlation analysis of audience evaluation and ratings, an investigation will be carried out as to whether Taiwan¡¦s political discussion programs are in fact public forums that are a paradigm of a deliberative democracy. In order to test the hypothesis that states there is a correlation between audience evaluation and ratings, this paper made audience evaluation (in other words the topics discussed on the programs, their hosts, guests, producers and their negative effects) an independent variable and made the AGB Nielsen television rating numbers a dependent variable. It was discovered that audience evaluation does in fact affect ratings and that there is a positive correlation between audience evaluation and ratings. For example, the higher an audience¡¦s evaluation of the topics discussed on a certain program and its hosts, guests and producers were, the higher that particular program¡¦s ratings were. If on the other hand, audiences believe that a certain political discussion program has negative effects such as encouraging opposition within society or defaming a certain person or group, the lower the ratings of that particular program were. From the results of the correlation analysis of audience evaluation and ratings, it can be seen that there is a huge difference between what viewers expect from political discussion programs and what our current political discussion programs are like. It was also discovered that whilst today¡¦s political discussion programs claim they are public forums; they are in reality primarily aimed at making commercial profit. This means that these programs are still a long way away from becoming a paradigm for a deliberative democracy and making Taiwan a more democratic society.

<p>This exploratory study examined the relationship between public speaking anxiety levels indicated by scores on the Personal Report of Confidence as a Speaker questionnaire (PRCS: Paul, 1966) and evaluation probability on a wide domain of evaluation items reflected by scores on the Audience Attention Allocation questionnaire (devised for the purpose of this study). A large student sample (n=220) completed the PRCS as well as the AAA questionnaire. The AAA assessed the perceived allocation of the attentional resources of the audience members during a speech by asking respondents to rate how probable it is that a speaker is evaluated on a set of domains. The results of regression analyses indicated that AAA scores, Gender, and Study year were significant predictors of PRCS scores accounting for 8.5% of the variance. More interestingly, the nature of results obtained was contrary to the hypothesis of the study. It was in fact revealed that subjects scoring low on the AAA questionnaire, indicating less likelihood that audience members make evaluations about the speaker on a variety of items, tended to have higher anxiety scores. The results are discussed in terms of defense mechanisms and response bias.</p>

<p>Due to the nature of human experience every person is deemed to understand ‘reality’ in relative terms. Even though one might not always realize that in everyday life I think the appreciation of that phenomenon is vital to a study about audience relations towards the newsmedia. Abstract information may be felt to be different from concrete experiences. It can nevertheless become part of our convictions about reality.The present study asks the following questions: How do we relate to the news media as provider of such information? Are we aware of the impact a news source can have on our understanding of the world? Why do we attend to news media in the first place? In this study I will present social psychological theories which help to understand why ‘reality’ is a relative phenomenon connected to human experience, shaped by depictions and grasped selectively. The interview study with ten voluntary participants shall shed some light on real persons’ attempts to nevertheless try to come to terms with things “going on in the world.” The findings suggest that the relation towards the news media is marked by a focus on a specific aspect of the relation: the information given, the position of the attending person wanting to be informed, or the news media conduct which can be seen quite critical.The reasons for gathering information are also diverse. For example personal grounds can be prevailing, interest in other people, or the conviction that information is the foundation for joint action, while aiming towards change for the better. Accordingly some evidence was found that it would be preferable if the news media cut down on negativity concerning their reporting that could for instance lead to feelings of apathy. Sometimes elaborate opinions were uttered about in how far events reported about could be seen as ‘representative’ in comparison to what is felt to be the underlying ‘reality’. Regarding ideas about the news media audience in general, no greater trust in other people’s willingness to make an effort to see beyond the immediate information given was found. This mentally distancing from other people could in turn contribute to the feeling of not being ableto (collectively) impact ‘the reality’ that is communicated via the news media.</p> / <p>Människan upplever verkligheten på ett relativt sätt. Även om man inte alltid är medveten om det i det vardagliga livet är det viktigt att förstå detta fenomen om man har att göra med en studie kring publikens relation till nyhets medier. Information från abstrakta källor kan upplevas vara annorlunda än konkreta erfarenheter. Men denna information kan ändå bli endel av ens uppfattningar om verkligheten. Denna studie ställer följande frågor: Hur relaterar vi till nyhets medier som förmedlare av sådan abstrakt information? Är vi medvetna om våra nyhetskällors inflytande på vår förståelse av världen? Varför ägnar vi oss överhuvud taget åt inhämtandet av nyheter? Studien är både teoretisk och empirisk till sin karaktär. Den presenterar socialpsykologiska teorier som kan bidra till en förståelse av varför ’verkligheten’ är ett relativt fenomen, förbunden med människors erfarenheter, utformad enligt (media)rapporteringens formgivning och logik och förstådd på ett selektivt sätt. En intervjustudie med tio frivilliga deltagare syftar till att belysa verkliga personers försök att hantera ”vad som pågår i världen”. Resultaten visar att olika aspekter är viktiga för förståelsen av människors relation till nyhets medierna: informationen som ges, förväntningar av den som letar efter information, eller en kritisk syn på hur nyhets medier sköter sitt jobb. Enligt de intervjuade finns olika skäl till att samla in information om omvärlden. Huvudanledningen uppgavs vara personliga anledningar, intresse för andra personer, eller övertygelsen att information är basen för gemensam handling, om man vill åstadkomma positiv förändring. I intervjuerna framkom det även att många intervjupersoner var kritiska till att nyhets medier ofta fokuserar på negativa händelser. Detta ansågs kunna leda till känslor av apati. Några av de intervjuade uttryckte även genomtänkta idéer om hur pass ’representativa’ de rapporterade nyhetsinslagen är (eller kan vara) för vad som anses vara den bakomliggande ’verkligheten’. Nyhets mediernas publik ansågs inte vara kritiskt nog för att mer djupgående kunna tänka igenom nyhetsinslagen. Denna åsikt uttrycktes oftast i samband med reflektioner om andra personer. Detta mentala fjärmandet från andra personer sades i sin tur kunna bidra till känslan av att inte vara i stånd att (gemensamt) kunna påverka ’verkligheten’ som kommuniceras till oss via nyhets medierna.</p>

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; / Thesis (Ed.S.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning of the Loss of Voice experience in adolescent girls using an existential-phenomenological interview approach. An open-ended interview was conducted and participants were asked to "Please think of a specific time when you had something important to say, but did not say it. In as much detail as possible, describe that experience." / Each interview was tape-recorded, transcribed by the investigator, and then independently thematized (Jones, 1984) by the author and a doctoral colleague trained in Jones' (1984) analysis method. Interrater reliability of the themes reached 96% agreement for the overall sample. Individual transcription reliabilities ranged between 85-98%. Thematic analysis revealed six superordinate themes and four subthemes. The superordinate themes were Difficult Position, Feeling, Might Explode, Not Worth It, Who Am I?, and Nevermind. / The subthemes So Much To Lose and Strong were part of superordinate theme Difficult Position. The subthemes Emotion and Physical were part of the superordinate theme Feeling. Analysis of these themes in their totality suggested a complex meaning structure of co-researchers Loss of Voice experiences. This research supports and expands the current literature on Loss of Voice by providing a more in-depth study of the meaning contained in a Loss of Voice experience. Directions for future research efforts, intervention, and prevention education are discussed. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

近年來台灣報業經營不善、新聞質量江河日下，基層新聞從業人員飽受雙重壓力－外有社會各界的針砭與責難，內臨管理階層的壓逼，乃至於解職。本研究認為，前述現象的形成，成因眾多，然而媒體「勞動」乃是價值產生的泉源，卻未曾得到管理階層正視，應是相當重要的因素之一。本文因此透過「閱聽人商品」的辨析，指出生產價值者並非閱聽人之勞動之後，轉進有關價值的真正來源，也就是「記者」的勞動，以及「記者後備軍」之「勞動」，次第分析。透過對這三類主體的「媒體勞動」之分析，研究者希冀本論文－（一）藉由相關理論的比對與整理，從勞動的角度，初步建立理解資本體制的商營媒介之概念架構；（二）論稱「報業危機」的根本原因在於報業主採取了不利於「生產性勞動」的生產策略；（三）經由個案觀察，對做為未來記者的「記者後備軍」（學生）進行探索式觀察，以作為日後探論本領域其他「非典型勞動」的基礎。 / In recent years, Taiwanese newspaper industry has suffered from substaintial financial losses, and consequently its quality deteriorated. As such, the newsworkers faced double-bounded pressusures－ there have been acute criticisms from the society, and there is enforced worsening of working conditions, for many instances that they are made redundant. There might be various reasons responsible for the phenomenon above, however, the researcher contends that the most important factor is the management does not take the media "labour" as the real source of the value. Therefore, this article kept the audience out of the valorization by discerning the "audience commodity", and pointed out that the fountain of value might only be the labour power those journalists and the "reserve-army-of-journalsit" provided. By analizing the three categories of the "media labor", the author hopes this dissertation－(1) to build up a primary concept framework from the stand of "labor" to understand the media biz in capitalism by theoretical comparison, (2) to argue that the fundemental cause for the press crisis is the press owner took strategies in disadvantage of "productive labor", and (3) to offer a basis to explore the other "informal labor" in this field by an observation toward a group of " reserve army of journalist", who are students currently served for press for chances to be journalists in the future.

I takt med expanderingen av evenemangsturism växer även kraven på säkerhetshanteringen i samband med evenemangen. Hot som huliganism är vanligt förekommande vid vissa evenemang och behöver handskas med för att undvika eventuella påverkningar på besöksnäringen. Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka hur aktörer arbetar kring säkerhet inför och under evenemang för att säkerställa individens hälsa i omständigheter där huliganism är närvarande och ofredar besöksnäringen. Fortsättningsvis vill vi även komma fram till vilken grad huliganismen påverkar besöksnäringen och i sådana fall, på vilket sätt. För att kunna svara på syftet och våra frågeställningar, har vi använt oss av en kvantitativ undersökning som hjälpt oss att påvisa denna företeelse. Frågorna berör mycket om huliganism och om liknande våldsbrott får individer att välja bort vissa evenemang som en följd av huliganismen. För att kunna komplettera det resterande av syftet har vi även valt att använda oss av en kvalitativ undersökning. Poängen med den kvalitativa undersökningen var att den skulle ge oss en bredare uppfattning om ämnesområdet, samtidigt som den skulle besvara vår andra frågeställning angående evenemangssäkerhet. Insamlingen av samtliga undersökningar, speciellt den kvantitativa, visar på att hot som huliganism har en negativ effekt på evenemangsturismen. Hanteringen håller på att effektiviseras genom nya metoder som förhoppningsvis kan motverka den rädsla som numera finns utpräglad hos besökare. / In pace with the expansion of events tourism, requirements for security management in connection with the events are also increasing. Threat of hooliganism is common at certain events and needs to be dealt with to avoid possible impacts on the tourism industry. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the actors working on security before and during events ensure the health of the individual in circumstances where hooliganism is present and harasses the hospitality industry. Henceforth we want to arrive at the degree of hooliganism affect the tourist industry and in such cases, in which way. In order to respond to the aim and our issues, we have used a quantitative survey that helped us to demonstrate this phenomenon. The questions concern much about hooliganism and similar violent crimes get individuals to opt out of certain events as a result of hooliganism. In order to complete the remainder of the purpose, we have chosen to use a qualitative survey. The point of the qualitative survey was that it would give us a broader understanding of the subject, while it would answer our second question regarding security events. The collection of all of the studies, especially the quantitative, shows that threats like hooliganism have a negative effect on events tourism. The management is being streamlined through new methods that can hopefully counteract the fear that seems to have arisen within certain visitors.

This bachelor thesis is based on how the two cultural institutions in Sweden have been working onincreasing physical accessibility. Based on the three objectives specified by the Swedish Kulturrådet(Swedish Arts Council). These points are 1.forming a workplace strategy, 2. Work to remove simpleobstacles in buildings and 3.Improved Web access in regard to the accessibility for physically disabled.The work regarding the accessibility goals is set on the time frame 2011-2016. The institutions studiedin this paper are Wermland Opera and Västanå Teater and how the two institutions have worked toimplement the three objectives and how the discussion about the accessibility within the two theaters hasbeen organized.The method of information gathering in this paper has been interviews with representatives from the twotheaters. The interviewees all have different roles within the institutions, both musicians, marketers andadministrative personnel have been interviewed. And the analysis in the paper is based on discourseanalysis and discourse theory, this to show how the two institutions create and maintain the discoursessurrounding accessibility in institutions buildings.The results of the paper have shown that both institutions have made a considerable effort inimplementing the goals set by the Kulturrådet. In comparison between the two institutions WermlandOpera has a much more active discussion in regard to accessibility and the work that they can do. Bothin their theater productions and in the buildings they work within. Västanå Teater has a much more “dayto day” way of handling the work with accessibility in regarding to both the personnel and the buildingsthey work in.

This is a qualitative study about Art transformation and commodification in the digital age. The study applies a rhetoric analysis with the aim to understand how art sellers, gallery owners and entrepreneurs take part in this transformation process through their websites’ presentation texts ”about us”. The analysis is related to communication theories but it is also inspired by other theories such as Gramsci’s hegemony theory and Bourdieu’s cultural critical theory. The study shows that in an environment of ”Global Communication”, activities that are related to the visual art on the net are strongly influenced by the commodification. Marketers and business managers have a big advantage of this phase of change in Art activities on the net. As senders in a one-way communication process, they use their rhetorical skills in their presentation texts to build identities or to enhance their business, depending on the positions of power they have in the market. They invest in art and artists, in order to expand their businesses and to capture a wider audience of recipients on World Wide Web to get more money and power. The study recommends further research about the Art commodification, preferably from the receiver’s and the artists’ sides to reveal more aspects of the effects of this transformation process in Art and its values.

Reality shows that feature people going about their presumed daily lives are not base entertainment. Internet message boards about reality programs are sites where moral work happens. Viewers write about the appearance and actions of show characters and construct moral lessons. Through naturally occurring data produced by fans of these shows, I find that viewers generally express a traditional heteronormative morality around class and gender through stating moral lessons, explaining what is wrong with the characters, or through ridicule and praise.

The purpose of this study is to examine the bonds that form between people as consumers of popular visual media and to discuss the relationship and impact of the resulting subcultures on the larger culture. Star Wars costumers offer a magnified glance at some of the ways in which people engage with images. As reflections of popular culture, costumers display their textual devotions and opinions; they embody spectatorship by reincarnating their favorite characters and contexts from text-bound sources. Moreover, they embrace modes of visual representation by performing the roles of both image consumer and image producer. I strive to understand the activities shared by audiences after the viewing experience is over; they are highly articulate interpreting media texts in a variety of interesting and unexpected ways. Whether they impart opinions or pursue alternative relationships with some aspect of the text, people do form communities and celebrate their connections to visual texts. As fans, individuals appropriate movie materials to fulfill personal goals and build social connections. While not all-encompassing, these smaller communities say a lot about the social impact of movies---the impact of images on individuals. This thesis combines an ethnographic study of Star Wars costumers within a theoretical framework of cultural studies and performance to investigate the ways in which media images impact individuals. In documenting events from the perspective of the costumer, I seek to understand the costumer as a member of a visual audience, a reflection of popular culture, and a participant in the dominant culture.