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No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

An emerging body of media scholarship has examined the changing norms and routines of professional journalists, suggesting they are slowly adapting their practice to meet changes in audience expectations brought on by the widespread adoption of social media. Much of this scholarship has focused on traditional news producers, giving attention to journalists and other news producers who work in newsrooms. However slowly, journalists are beginning to welcome more audience participation in the process of news creation, hinting at a more reciprocal form of journalism and a loosening of traditional gatekeeping practices. In an effort to advance the theoretically conceptual research of the moment, this study considers how the perceived journalistic norms and participatory and gatekeeping roles of an emerging journalistic actor may be aligning with and/or deviating from more traditional journalists. The work of entrepreneurial journalists, or those who are not affiliated with or tied to a single news organization but instead freelance their work, is helping to fill major content gaps left by staff cutbacks that came on the heels of news media’s economic downturn. Most notably, specialized areas of journalism such as health reporting are increasingly calling upon entrepreneurial journalists to work aside more traditional journalists. Against the backdrop of health journalism, this study advances by employing semi-structured interviews with traditional journalists, entrepreneurial journalists, and their editors, analyzing recent changes in their journalistic norms and participatory and gatekeeping roles. The findings suggest an ideological split between organizational and entrepreneurial journalists and indicate that organizational journalists and editors alike may be relying on entrepreneurial journalists as innovators. For their part, entrepreneurial journalists may demonstrating an extension of participatory journalism—reciprocal journalism—that could enhance network connectivity and community building for journalists, news organizations, and other mass media practitioners. Though traditionally perceived as outsiders, these journalists may be serving as intrapreneurials, informing innovation in journalism and beyond. The impact of this and other observations on mass communication theory and practice are explored. / text

Disparities in HIV disease continue to adversely affect Black and Hispanic populations in the United States. Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) 2010 in Broward County, Florida, used strategic communications to alert Black and Hispanic young adults of the serious threat and the choices they could make to prevent HIV infection. This study assessed the channels through which 18-39 year-old African American, Haitian, Afro-Caribbean, and Hispanic residents of 12 high AIDS-incidence ZIP-code areas obtained information about HIV/AIDS and which sources they found most helpful. In addition, this study examined how obtaining HIV/AIDS information was associated with histories of HIV testing and perceptions of risk. A secondary analysis of computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) data sets was conducted for first-time respondents (N=7,843) in 2001-2003, 2005, and 2007. All ethnicities identified obtaining HIV/AIDS information most frequently from television public service announcements, talk shows, and programs and considered this source “most helpful.” Radio was mentioned second most frequently by Haitian respondents, but African Americans and Caribbean Islanders preferred print media: newspapers and magazines. Use of the Internet increased by 22.4% from 2001 to 2007, but very few respondents regarded the Internet as “most helpful.” African Americans, Hispanics, and Caribbean Islanders who obtained HIV information from family or friends were more likely to believe that they might become infected with HIV. Caribbean Islanders who obtained information from a church were less likely to believe they were at risk. Among African American, Caribbean, and Hispanic young adults, obtaining information from a doctor or health provider was the best predictor for reporting ever being tested for HIV. African Americans who heard about AIDS on radio stations “HOT 105” and “99 Jamz” were more likely to have been tested for HIV, as were Haitians who saw something about AIDS on a billboard or bus. Comprehensive HIV-prevention programs should incorporate culturally competent communications components to inform Black and Hispanic young adults of scientific advances in prevention, treatment, and medical care. Further research should examine how diverse ethnic groups in south Florida and elsewhere are accessing and responding to health-related information in the digital age.

This study aims to analyze the effect of an improvised user-generated health awareness campaign which was based on a personal narrative and first-hand experience with the B12 deficiency symptoms in babies and toddlers. The campaign was conducted in 2015 with a follow-up video in 2016 and shared through social media outlets, informing about the topic and empowering individuals to take responsibility for their own or their child’s health by providing information that could serve as a guideline for early diagnosis and intervention and by presenting an outlook of how people with similar issues manage the condition.The impact of the campaign is being qualitatively and quantitatively accessed by interviews with medical professionals and respectively survey data from a national survey and statistics from the YouTube console. In consideration has been taken the trust the respondents have in the medical service and the usual access to health information both online and offline The quantitative data were collected using a national online survey in which 1185 individuals took part. It aimed to additionally identify the general public attitude towards medical service in and the awareness about the vitamin B12. Four people participated in the interviews, divided into two groups - parents of children, who had symptoms similar to those, shown in the videos; and health practitioners who have seen the videos and comment on its qualities as a self-diagnosing material as well as the effect that attention to the issue created on their medical practices. The results confirmed that the personal narrative of a campaign could help to create identification and thus be more persuasive and with further increased sharing potential of the message through social media. The concrete campaign reached cumulatively over 167.000 people through YouTube, which is around 2.4% of the population of Bulgaria and possibly creating a lasting impact on the public attitude towards vitamin/mineral and other deficiencies. We found out that social media and YouTube could serve as an impactful medium for disseminating health-related information online when accurate and persuasive information is being used. When addressing a wide audience with little or no prior knowledge of the subject the personal narrative or testimonial could create more impact than a neutral fact-providing material.

The study examined the frequent frames adopted by the CDC in the communication of the Covid-19 vaccine and how it impacts vaccine uptake through quantitative content analysis. The study builds on the framing theory and elaboration likelihood model. This study’s content collected 327 posts by the CDC on covid-19 vaccinations from December 2020- December 2022. A research randomizer was used to choose 200 posts as the final sample from the data that had been gathered. 122 posts out of the 200 total posts that the randomizer tallied were pertinent to the research questions for the study. It was found that the predominant framing strategy adopted by the CDC was the gain framing strategy, which outlined the benefits of being vaccinated. This is encouraging since, as advocates of health communication, we must understand that emphasizing the benefits of adopting a recommended action has a greater chance of having a positive impact.

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the creation of a cervical cancer health prevention infographic, geared toward African American women ages 30 to 65, to be potentially used to raise health literacy and influence positive behaviors towards practicing prevention measures—ultimately preventing unnecessary deaths. This dissertation also produced a cervical cancer health prevention infographic prototype for African American Women ages 30 to 65 to be further tested and implemented within future health communication campaigns. Cervical Cancer is both preventable and treatable (if diagnosed during early stages); therefore the amount of individuals dying from the cancer should be minimal. Still, African American Women in this study’s target health population are dying from Cervical Cancer the most. Existing research highlights that social determinants of health (like income, education and literacy) play varying roles as barriers to prevention (Baldwin, 1996; J. L. Davis et al., 2013; Egbert & Parrott, 2001; Ford et al., 2013; McKinnon, Harper, & Moore, 2011; Sung, Alema-Mensah, & Blumenthal, 2002; Williams & Templin, 2013). . This dissertation specifically focuses on targeting the potential to increase health literacy on Cervical Cancer to potentially positively influence prevention uptake. Drawing upon fields like health communication, visual communication and social science research, this research endeavor presents an interdisciplinary approach to potentially solving health communication issue within an at-risk population. The theoretical framework in guiding infographic production for this dissertation was the Health Belief Model, which is widely used in health communication research to assess failure of prevention uptake (du Pré, 2014; Glanz et al., 2005; Maibach & Parrott, 1995; Rosenstock, 2000). The Health Belief Model in conjunction with existing literature regarding health literacy, cultural stigma and relevance in communication campaigns geared toward African American Women ages 30 to 65, infographic content was created and presented to study participants via six interactive focus groups. The focus group methodology of qualitative research allowed for 17 study participants to confidentially engage in dialogue with peers concerning the issue at hand while also helping to create the content hierarchy, enhance and suggest visuals, colors and themes of the proposed infographic. Iterative data analysis approaches allow for constant assessment of study outcomes and themes. This study produces theoretical, practical and methodological implications for future research on the lacking area of scholarly literature. Findings from this dissertation suggest a need to (1) test the proposed infographic for potential national health campaign usage, (2) a need for more long-term collaborative community efforts for continual population access in research on Cervical Cancer prevention, and (3) future assessment of a newer form of focus group research that focuses on incorporation smaller participant groups for increased hands-on interactivity.

Parent-child sexual health communication (PCSHC) can have a positive impact on adolescents’ sexual health choices, outcomes, and capabilities for communicating with others about sexual health. Many parents are hesitant and feel unprepared for and uncomfortable with communicating about sexual health with their children. Other parental factors as well as child factors can impact the quality, frequency, coverage, and effectiveness of PCSHC. Some adolescent sexual health outcomes have improved, however, teen birth rates in the United States are elevated compared to other developed countries and half of all sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnoses are made to adolescents and emerging adults. This emphasizes the importance of PCSHC as a protective factor for children and opportunity for them to develop understanding and skills for good sexual health decision-making. While challenging to recruit and retain participants, parent sex education programming designed to promote PCSHC can instill a sense of parental necessity and responsibility, and equip parents with knowledge and skills to confidently and successfully engage their children. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) provided the framework for this mixed methods study designed to learn more about PCSHC, differences in PCSHC based on gender of children, parental beliefs about PCSHC, intentions for and actual engagement in PCSHC. Included in the literature review for this study is a systematic review of literature focused on parent education programming designed to improve PCSHC. Parents of children in grades 4 – 11 completed a pencil/paper or an electronic Qualtrics baseline survey containing questions about their perceptions of and engagement in PCSHC. The quantitative data collection instrument included items measuring TPB constructs of behavioral, normative, and control beliefs, intentions for and actual engagement in PCSHC and condom use instruction delivery, communication openness, communication ability, sexual health topics discussed with children, and respondents’ demographics Many of the respondents (N = 205) were residents of the program target community, Winchester/Clark County, Kentucky, and were eligible to participate in parent programming, as were all residents that were parents of children in grades 4 – 11. The program, I’ll Have a Side of Sex Education, was designed as a six-week series of 50 minute lunch time sessions with the intention to improve parents’ sense of comfort, confidence, and skills in communicating with their children in general, and particularly about sexual health. Of the 205 parents who completed the baseline survey, 50 enrolled in and attended some or all of one of five offerings of the six-week parent education series and were invited to complete a post-program and six-week follow up surveys. Post-program data were collected with a paper- pencil survey and six-week follow up data were collected with a Qualtrics survey. The systematic review of parent sex education literature provided insight into components of programming related to successful program delivery and positive parental outcomes. The systematic analysis of the baseline data including examining PCSHC factors from the parental perspective and how these related to the gender of children and determining the usefulness of the TPB constructs for understanding PCSHC Results of Chi-square tests of mean differences showed a significant difference in parents actually providing their children with instructions for correct condom usage, χ2(2, N = 203) = 6.96, p = 0.03, and MANOVA results revealed the degree to which parents address certain sexual health topics with their children related to the gender of their children. Results of logistic regression showed behavioral beliefs having the greatest predictive power of parents’ intentions to give condom use instructions (p < 0.01) and actual delivery of condom use instructions (p = 0.04) and engagement in PCSHC, generally (p = 0.03). The current study contributes to the greater body of literature addressing parental and child factors related the promotion, delivery, and effectiveness of PCSHC and parent education programming designed to improve the quality, frequency, and impact of PCSHC. Its findings expand our understanding of how gender of children and parental beliefs relate to PCSHC and lend themselves to the consideration of the greater social influences impacting parents’ ability and motivation to engage their children in communication about sexual health. Differences in communication based on gender of children signal to a double standard in the messaging about sexual health and behaviors related to gender and these discrepancies leave adolescents and emerging adults, both males and females, vulnerable at worst to poor sexual health choices and outcomes and at least to being undereducated about sexual health topics. Although these findings give little support for the overall TPB model contributing to the understanding of parental intentions and behavior related PCSHC, the relationship between behavioral beliefs informed by attitudes about the value of PCSHC and parental intentions and behaviors does provide insight to health promoters and educators. Assessing parental attitudes toward PCSHC and tailoring messages and educational opportunities that may improve these attitudes and motivate parents to engage in and seek support for effective PCSHC holds promise. The piloting of a parent education program adapted from a previously evaluated parent sex education programming and the summative evaluation offered by participants gives support for efforts on the part of health promotion and education professionals to invest time, energy, and resources into program design and delivery and recruitment and retention of parents.